Hangover kalguksu restaurant in Yuseong, Daejeon: Choi Jiseong's

After having drinks with my husband the night before, all I could think about the next morning was hot broth. I thought about a spicy soup to shake off the hangover, but that day I wanted something clean and refreshing rather than something intense — so I headed to Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu in Yuseong, Daejeon.

Where Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu is and when it opens

Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu is at 42 Munhwawon-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, open 11:00–23:00 with last order at 22:30. Parking is available in the nearby alleys, and the menu includes seafood kalguksu, clam kalguksu, seafood pajeon (savory seafood pancake), and more. They also sell seasonal items like oysters and prawns.

If you're exploring Yuseong-gu while traveling in Daejeon and craving a hot bowl of something, this is a solid stop. The seafood kalguksu is famous, but since they also sell seasonal seafood, the available menu changes with the seasons. As it happened, with the weather turning cool, all-you-can-eat oysters and a prawn menu had just started. I came for a hangover cure but seeing the menu made me want oysters too, and prawns too haha — this time I stuck with kalguksu, but next time I'll come back for the seasonal seafood.

What seafood goes into one pot of kalguksu

We ordered the seafood kalguksu and a tasting-size seafood pajeon at Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu that day. As soon as the pot arrived, the amount of seafood piled in was obvious. Scallops, abalone, shrimp, squid, hard clams, surf clams, mussels — with so many kinds of seafood, the broth gets richer with seafood flavor the longer it simmers.

Eat the seafood first, then add the kalguksu noodles once the broth is fully infused!

When do you add the noodles? Why this kalguksu works as a hangover cure

At Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu, the noodles don't go in from the start — you eat the seafood first. Once you've eaten through most of the seafood and the broth is rich enough, that's when you add the kalguksu noodles. Maybe because I'd had drinks the night before, this broth felt especially welcome that day. Spoonful of hot broth, piece of seafood, repeat — my stomach settled, and by the time I finally got to the noodles, I felt properly cured.

Tasting-size seafood pajeon: enough for two

It felt like a shame to only have kalguksu, so we also ordered a tasting-size seafood pajeon. They do have a full 34cm seafood pajeon, but since we were eating it alongside the kalguksu, we went with the tasting size to keep things light. A piece of kimchi on top of the pajeon, then back to a spoonful of hot kalguksu broth.

A pretty satisfying combo for anyone who had a few drinks the night before, right?

Seasonal oysters and prawns when the weather turns cool

One reason I want to come back to Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu is being able to eat seasonal seafood alongside the kalguksu. On this visit, with the weather turning cool, the all-you-can-eat oysters and prawn menu had just started. This time was about the hangover cure, so we stuck with kalguksu and pajeon, but next time I'm planning to try the oysters or prawns.

If you're looking for a warm meal in Yuseong while traveling in Daejeon, this seafood kalguksu spot is worth a stop, and if there's a seasonal menu running when you visit, it's worth enjoying too. Another one added to our list of favorite restaurants as a couple 😊