Pyeongtaek kalguksu with a self-serve banchan bar: Goryeo Mulchong

I went to Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu in Bijeon-dong, a well-known kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) spot in Pyeongtaek, to eat kalguksu and perilla oil goldongmyeon~! The kalguksu broth made with Gochang clams and Tongyeong mussels was so refreshing, and free fried rice after the kalguksu was a nice bonus — two birds one stone!!

There's free parking inside the building, so parking was easy too.

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu operates on a same-day production, same-day cooking principle, so you get fresh food with nothing reheated.

Inside Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu and its self-serve bar

The interior has a clean hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, and you can grab extra banchan and broth yourself at the self-serve bar. When I walked in the entrance, it was really spacious with lots of seating!

There's sofa-style seating too, so you can sit comfortably. There are more room-like seats further inside! They also have baby chairs, so it's great to come with kids.

The self-serve bar has barley tea, various kinds of kimchi, and wasabi and chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) to dip the clams in. Baby tableware is available too.

There's also a coffee machine you can use for dessert coffee.

If you leave a receipt review, you get a free cup of dansul (sweet rice punch). It was fermented carefully for 7 hours and had just the right level of sweetness haha.

Menu and how tablet ordering works

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, a well-known kalguksu spot in Pyeongtaek, has a paper menu, but you order via the tablet PC at each table!

After finishing the kalguksu, they give you free seasonal fried rice for dessert! You can also scan a QR code for free wifi.

Dongjuk clam broth and house-made noodles

The kalguksu broth at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu is simmered with Gochang dongjuk clams (a variety of clam) and Tongyeong mussels, and the refreshing flavor is outstanding. It's boiled just once so you get a clean, impurity-free clam broth flavor, and there's a generous amount of clams.

After ordering, the basic banchan was set first. The napa cabbage kimchi was so tasty, and it went perfectly with the kalguksu. The crunchy pickled cabbage had a wonderfully crisp texture! They also give you a large plate for the empty clam shells. It came in a brass-style bowl that added a nice touch.

The kalguksu noodles are handmade in-house! Being handmade, they're really chewy and delicious.

The seasonal fried rice comes as a default, made with Pyeongtaek Super-Oning Koshihikari rice and piled high with seasonal vegetables — perfect to fry up after finishing the kalguksu. Since it's free, they said you can even ask for a refill.

How to eat mulchong kalguksu, step by step

They kindly explained in detail that with Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, you should first eat the clams, then add the kalguksu noodles and boil for about 5 minutes for the best taste!

The clams were really fresh and delicious!! Dipped in chojang, they were amazing.

After eating both the mussels and the dongjuk clams, they boiled it up bubbling hot! There's even an hourglass timer so you can gauge when the noodles are cooked just right haha. You can also add cheongyang chili to the kalguksu to suit your taste haha.

What does the perilla oil goldongmyeon taste like?

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu's perilla oil goldongmyeon is a dish served with gamtae (seaweed laver), fragrant chwinamul (aster greens), and perilla oil. It looked so delicious that I ordered it, and it was seriously nutty and amazing.

You pour the broth and perilla oil they give you over the noodles and mix it well — this is truly a dish I highly recommend!!!

Wrapping it in the gamtae like this tastes really good too haha.

To finish, we fried up the rice too!! Clams, kalguksu, and fried rice — you can really eat until you're completely full haha.

The refreshing clam kalguksu broth was great and the noodles were chewy, so it was really delicious, and the perilla oil goldongmyeon was nutty and amazing too >_< Be sure to visit Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, a well-known kalguksu spot in Pyeongtaek!!!