Kiosk-order solo dining at a big Songdo Korean restaurant: Eonyang Dak

Today I want to tell you about Eonyang Dak Kalguksu, a place I visited after walking around Songdo Central Park because I was craving hot soup.

Location and hours of Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch

• 160-15 Haedoji-ro, 1st floor, units 129-132, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:30)

A big restaurant that's easy for family meals, and no side-eye for solo diners

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch looked like a huge place just from the outside. Whether it's not been open long or just well maintained, both the exterior and interior were really clean.

I took this from one corner so you can't see every table, but you can tell the place is big with lots of seating, right? Tables are pushed together in pairs so families can sit together for a meal, and the spacing between tables was wide enough that we could eat comfortably on our own. At one table there were two people dining alone, and nobody gave them any side-eye — they ate at their own pace. Since you order at a kiosk and pay directly at the table, there's really no need to interact with staff at all, which makes it even easier to eat solo without feeling self-conscious.

A hearty lunch menu you can eat with kids

I hadn't had hot soup or healthy food in a while, so I was glad the menu at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu was so solid. The restaurant's name has 'kalguksu' (knife-cut noodles) in it, but I actually wanted rice. And there it was!!!! Chicken kalguksu and dak gomtang were ₩11,000 each, chewy mandu (dumplings) were ₩6,000, and spicy braised chicken, soy braised chicken, and boiled pork ranged from ₩15,000 to ₩30,000. Nothing on the menu looked too difficult for parents or kids to eat.

I thought that was the whole menu and ordered two dak gomtangs — but scrolling down the kiosk, there was a seasonal chogye guksu (cold chicken noodles) I hadn't noticed... ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The sibling I came with actually loves noodles, but since it was hot out, I figured rice over noodles, so I ordered dak gomtang instead. If you're struggling with the heat, check the kiosk carefully and give the chogye guksu a try.

House-made kimchi, made from Korean ingredients

True to a good Songdo, Incheon restaurant, Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch mixes the kalguksu dough ahead of time and lets it rest for a day before use. And the chicken kalguksu comes with half a chicken in it! The broth has perilla seed powder in it so it's really nutty and rich — if you want it spicier and sharper, mix in some spicy kimchi like a chili paste, and top it off with the pepper set out on the table for an extra kick.

What surprised me most about this restaurant was the sign saying they make their kimchi fresh every day... Honestly I didn't notice that when I took the photo, I only realized it while writing this post. These days almost every restaurant uses Chinese-made kimchi, right? There's been so much controversy over whether Chinese kimchi contains dye or not that I usually avoid restaurant kimchi altogether — but eating dak gomtang without kimchi felt a bit plain, so I figured I'd just eat it even if it was Chinese-made... and it turned out to be house-made! Haha, why was I eating it feeling uneasy thinking it was Chinese... They thoughtfully had two versions at the self-serve bar, mild and spicy, so you can pick according to your taste.

Dak gomtang with a whole half chicken inside

I expected the dak gomtang to just have some shredded chicken in it, but it actually had a whole half chicken in there. I was pretty surprised when I saw it.

Can you see it? Once you eat the rice too, you get really, really full. Even after walking around Central Park, I still hadn't digested it, haha.

The broth was really rich and nutty, and since the rice was already in the soup rather than served separately, it was easy to eat.

We finished up with a can of Milkis each to cleanse the palate~~~~~ As the weather starts cooling down, if you're craving a hot, filling soup for lunch, I'd recommend Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Incheon Songdo Branch~