Jecheon noodle house: bonito-broth makguksu for 8,000 won at Samhan

Samhan Makguksu (삼한막국수) is a savory, umami-rich makguksu (buckwheat noodle) spot that people travel from other regions to visit. Highly recommended!!

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for a makguksu lunch spot in Jecheon
• Anyone looking for a good restaurant in Cheongjeon-dong
• Anyone looking for a Jecheon restaurant that takes groups

How do waiting and reservations work at Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch?

Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch uses the Catch Table remote waitlist, and there's a waitlist machine in the restaurant! At weekend lunch there was a bit of a wait (sob).

Naver reservations work too, for both takeout and dine-in.

Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch: hours, parking and facilities

• Hours: daily 11:00-20:30 (last order 19:30)
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Parking: on-site lot (20 cars); reservation required for buses and large vehicles
• Other services: gluten-free, vegan menu, takeout discount, group seating, takeout, delivery, reservations, separate men's/women's restrooms, waiting area, baby chairs, Wi-Fi, local currency, Zero Pay, easy-pay

What's the atmosphere like at weekend lunch?

Maybe because we came at weekend peak lunch, there was a bit of a wait. Luckily only one party was ahead of us, but the people who came after us probably waited quite a while...

Free dumplings for pregnant women, soldiers, police and firefighters

There were all sorts of events. Pregnant women, soldiers, police officers and firefighters get 2 free dumplings, and if you leave a review there's a prize draw too! Lots of little fun touches, haha.

Even though the place is spacious, it was packed. With the weather getting warmer, of course everyone wants cold makguksu. I liked that there are separate men's and women's restrooms inside!

No self-service corner: staff serve everything

The service at this Jecheon lunch spot was special too. Cheaper restaurants usually have a self-service corner, but at Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch the staff serve everything! Hang in there, staff...

Menu at Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch and what we ordered

The menu covers makguksu, kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), jeon (savory pancakes), dumplings, jokbal (braised pig's trotters) and suyuk (boiled pork), plus drinks! The table behind us said the spicy pork kalguksu is amazing, haha.

I wanted to try makguksu with jokbal or suyuk, but after a meat binge the day before, we ordered cold makguksu + pollock bibim makguksu + dumplings instead (heh). The cold makguksu was especially cheap at ₩8,000! It's a great price for a no-pressure lunch.

Side dishes: yeolmu kimchi and pickled radish

The side dishes are a neat yeolmu kimchi (young summer radish kimchi) and pickled radish! The yeolmu kimchi was so good I got a refill.

Dumplings instead of jokbal: the wrappers are chewy

Here are the dumplings that came instead of jokbal~ My middle-school brother said they were the best dumplings he's ever had, lol. They're just ordinary dumplings, but the wrappers are chewy, which makes them really good!

Pollock bibim makguksu, ₩13,000 with extra noodles

This one is the pollock bibim makguksu (spicy mixed noodles with seasoned raw pollock)! We added extra noodles, so it came to ₩13,000. If you order the bibim, they give you broth on the side too, which I liked, haha.

Cold makguksu or bibim makguksu: which is better?

At Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch, the ₩8,000 cold makguksu won. This is the one I ordered, and after stealing bites of the bibim too, cold makguksu wins! The broth has a slight bonito flake scent and a seriously deep savory flavor. To enjoy it even more, add vinegar and mustard, one, two, three, hehe.

I wondered if this was a hot broth~~ but it was just warm barley tea, lol. It's nice as a finishing drink after the meal. You can ask for cold water too, haha.

An alternative to Jecheon's long-queue makguksu place

You know the famous makguksu place in Jecheon! The wait there is so long I can't bring myself to go, and Samhan Makguksu Jecheon Main Branch seems like a great alternative. The noodles are 100% buckwheat and easy to digest, so everyone from grandparents to kids will be happy here. I recommend this Jecheon lunch spot, Samhan Makguksu!!