Kalguksu restaurant in Bucheon with briny sea squirt broth: Jakdong
In short
Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu Bucheon Main Branch is a clam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant with house-made noodles at the start of the hiking trail in Jakdong, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, charging ₩11,000 per person. At Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu, the noodles boil in a broth of clams, shrimp and finely chopped sea squirt (mideodeok), served here with half-and-half dumplings and barley rice; the broth grows richer the longer it boils and has a sea flavor unlike ordinary clam kalguksu. If you like sea squirt, Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu is worth trying at least once.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Kkachiul Station Exit 2 · 15-min walk (store listing, Oct 7, 2026)
- Clam kalguksu
- ₩11,000 per person (house-made noodles)
- Kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles)
- ₩13,000 (summer seasonal menu, reportedly made with 100% Korean-grown soybeans)
- Half-and-half dumplings (meat and kimchi)
- 6 pieces for ₩10,000
- Meat dumplings / kimchi dumplings
- 5 pieces for ₩8,000 each
- Steamed shrimp
- 10 shrimp for ₩11,000
- Extras
- Extra clams (200g) ₩3,000, barley rice ₩3,000, sikhye (sweet rice drink) ₩3,000
- How to cook
- When the broth boils, add the noodles, stir, cover and wait two turns of the hourglass (about 6 minutes)
- Location
- At the start of the hiking trail in Jakdong, Bucheon
- Price reference
- ₩11,000 ≈ $8.3 · ₩13,000 ≈ $9.8 · ₩10,000 ≈ $7.6 (2026-10-23)
as written by the visitor on Jun 16, 2026
What is Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu Bucheon Main Branch like?
Jakdong Hongdukkkae Kalguksu Bucheon Main Branch (작동홍두깨칼국수 부천본점) is a kalguksu restaurant at the start of the Jakdong hiking trail in Bucheon. Hikers love to stop by before or after a climb, and it's already famous among locals. You know those days when you suddenly crave kalguksu? Today was exactly that day. I was dying for clam kalguksu, one of my absolute favorite dishes, so I visited this place that's so hot in Bucheon. Ta-da!
What are the menu and prices?
The main dish is clam kalguksu made with house-made noodles, ₩11,000 per person. The kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles), made with 100% Korean-grown soybeans ground in-house, is also a popular summer seasonal item. It was ₩13,000.
And that's not all. The side menu is varied too: half-and-half dumplings (meat and kimchi) are ₩10,000 for 6 pieces, meat dumplings ₩8,000 for 5, and kimchi dumplings also ₩8,000 for 5. What's unusual is that they sell steamed shrimp! 10 shrimp for ₩11,000. You can add 200g of extra clams for just ₩3,000, and a heaping bowl of barley rice is ₩3,000 too. Lots of happy ₩3,000 add-ons. Sikhye (sweet rice drink) is also ₩3,000... argh, I forgot the sikhye! I meant to order it and totally forgot, T_T
- Clam kalguksu ₩11,000 per person
- Kongguksu ₩13,000 (summer season)
- Half-and-half meat and kimchi dumplings, 6 pieces ₩10,000
- Meat dumplings 5 pieces ₩8,000 / kimchi dumplings 5 pieces ₩8,000
- Steamed shrimp, 10 pieces ₩11,000
- Extra clams 200g ₩3,000 / barley rice ₩3,000 / sikhye ₩3,000
How do you cook the kalguksu?
You boil the kalguksu yourself at the table, and the restaurant kindly explains how. First, once the broth is boiling hard, add the noodles. Second, stir the noodles and put the lid on. Two turns of the hourglass, or set 6 minutes on your phone! Following the manual always tastes best, so I did exactly as told haha
Water comes as bottled water. Bottled water is the trend these days! It's clean and hygienic.
What come with the barley rice, noodles and kimchi?
Barley rice comes out first. It has something like bok choy? Napa cabbage? in it for a crunchy texture, plus seasoned sauce... mix it up with a swish-swish and it makes a great appetizer.
Then the noodles arrive, and house-made noodles really are different. The texture was really good.
The kimchi comes in a crock like this. Kalguksu needs kimchi, doesn't it? It's a freshly made, geotjeori-style (fresh, unfermented) kimchi made just for kalguksu, and it's so good. Since it comes in a crock, it's fun to scoop out a little at a time.
Is there sea squirt in the broth?
The broth has clams and shrimp, and unusually, sea squirts (mideodeok) chopped very, very finely. Maybe thanks to that, the broth has a refreshing feel.
It was busy. I went in the early evening, and once peak time hit it filled up quickly.
Time to drop in the noodles. The seafood surges up the moment the noodles go in: clams, sea squirts, and shrimp too...
First, a happy yummy-yum moment. The barley rice has a fun texture, popping and chewy, so good.
How were the half-and-half dumplings?
The half-and-half dumplings come as 6 pieces, half kimchi and half meat, so you get variety. The kimchi dumplings in particular had a rich kimchi flavor and a moderate kick of spice, and were delicious.
Eat them plain to enjoy the original flavor, or dip in soy sauce, which is a bit tangy and adds acidity. Both good.
A proper kalguksu spread is complete. Dumplings and kalguksu, carbs for the win!
How does the sea squirt clam kalguksu broth taste?
The sea squirts here were chewy and packed with deep ocean flavor. The broth is mild at first, then gets richer the longer you boil it. You taste the sea squirt too, and it's a slightly different style of broth from ordinary clam kalguksu.
If you like sea squirts, this broth unique to the restaurant will be even more appealing, and it's hard to explain in words, so you should try it at least once. Clam kalguksu with an added sea breeze, you could say. I carefully guess they might use dried anchovies (dipori) in the broth.
Anyway, it's definitely a great Jakdong kalguksu spot. The noodles are especially good. Next time I won't forget to order the sikhye!
Where it is
63 Gilju-ro 560beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, South Korea경기도 부천시 원미구 길주로560번길 63 작동홍두깨칼국수
Jakdong Hongdukkae Kalguksu Bucheon: hours, menu and prices →
