Salt and sugar kongguksu at a Mapo noodle restaurant: Sangam Hoegwan

Visit date: Saturday, August 8, 2026

I went to the hair salon and ended up finding a great restaurant nearby. I was craving something cold, so I searched for kongguksu (chilled soy milk noodle soup) and found Sangam Hoegwan. It's a great spot to visit around Sangam-dong when you're in the mood for a rich, nutty broth. The wide tables meant I could relax without feeling rushed even on a weekend or during peak hours — a solid solo dining spot in Sangam.

Inside Sangam Hoegwan: the food court on basement 1 of Sangam IT Tower

It's located in the food court area on the basement 1st floor of Sangam IT Tower.

There's a kiosk, so ordering was easy. Since it was Saturday, all the other restaurants in the food court were closed, so I basically had the whole place to myself. It was so nice to spread out in the big space. The seats are wide and there are plenty of tables, making it a great environment for anyone looking for a solo dining spot in Sangam. The place was kept clean, so eating there was really pleasant. Sangam Hoegwan had a casual atmosphere that made it easy to relax.

Sangam Hoegwan menu and prices, plus free extra noodles

The house specialty is a rich kongguksu made only with soybeans grown under contract in Gangwon-do. Besides the regular kongguksu, there's a sweet, nutty pumpkin kongguksu, bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles), and perilla oil myeon, among other noodle dishes. The dumpling set menus come with a hearty spread, and kimchi pancake and dumplings make good extra side dishes. On top of that, upsizing your noodles is free and there's 2 hours of free parking — great value and convenience all around.

There's a tablet for parking registration right next to the kiosk, so I could register while ordering and not forget. We ordered the pumpkin kongguksu dumpling set, the kongguksu dumpling set, and a kimchi pancake.

Pumpkin kongguksu dumpling set ₩15,000 / Kongguksu dumpling set ₩13,000 x2 / Kimchi pancake ₩8,000

There's a lot of debate over whether kongguksu should have salt or sugar, but I like adding both. No need to overthink it — just add both. 🤣 They had both salt and sugar ready to go.

What we ordered: regular and pumpkin kongguksu, dumplings and kimchi pancake

Everything came out neatly arranged on one tray with dumplings, kimchi, and kongguksu, which made it easy to eat cleanly.

The regular kongguksu broth was really thick and rich, with a deep soybean flavor coming through — exactly what you'd want from a proper kongguksu restaurant in Sangam.

The yellow-hued pumpkin kongguksu was a real treat — not aggressively sweet with sugar, but gently sweet and nutty.

It had a sweetness like pumpkin taraktjuk (sweet rice porridge with milk), and it suited my taste perfectly. The kimchi served alongside had no fishy jeotgal (salted seafood) smell, so it paired really well.

The dumplings in the set had a hearty, clean-tasting filling that paired nicely with the noodles.

The kimchi pancake was fried until crispy on the outside and stayed moist inside, so I enjoyed every bite until the end.

How to get to Sangam Hoegwan and where to park

• 🧭 434 World Cup Buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, basement 1st floor food court, Sangam IT Tower
• ⏰ Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00, break time 15:00–17:00
• ⏰ Sat, Sun 11:00–20:00 (no break time)
• 🚗 2 hours free at the building's basement parking lot

I got to enjoy the rich soy broth along with a satisfying spread of side dishes. We finished the meal comfortably, spreading out in the quiet food court. If you want a proper kongguksu restaurant in Sangam, this place will satisfy you. It's also a great pick if you're eating alone and want a no-fuss meal — a solid solo dining spot in Sangam. I have a feeling I'll be back at Sangam Hoegwan again soon.