Yangjae Citizens' Forest noodle restaurant, 1pm couple lunch: Seonbawi

My husband and I checked out the CO'NAIL beauty expo at the AT Center in Yangjae Citizens' Forest, and afterward we headed to a nearby Yangjae Citizens' Forest restaurant for a hearty lunch date!

We went a bit after office workers' lunch hour, just past 1pm, so luckily we got seated right away with no wait.

Where is Seonbawi Memil Jangteo, and what are its hours?

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo (Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch) is at 15-11 Gangnam-daero 18-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 09:00 to 21:00.

It's a 4-minute walk from Exit 2 of Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station.

Inside Seonbawi Memil Jangteo: a clean, roomy dining hall and easy parking

In front of the Seonbawi Memil Jangteo building there's room for about 3 cars, which makes it really convenient to visit if you're driving.

Stepping inside, the interior was even cleaner and more pleasant than I expected. There's plenty of space up to the 2nd floor too, so turnover is good and it seems perfectly suited for gatherings or dates.

A 1pm lunch date at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo near Yangjae Citizens' Forest

This place is said to carry on the legacy of an already-famous restaurant known for long waits, so I went in with high expectations. It's supposedly true to the philosophy of the legendary place that packs Gwacheon and the Seonbawi station area on weekends, which made me even more excited from the entrance. Sure enough, scanning the menu, the signature dish everyone raves about caught my eye.

We didn't hesitate — we ordered two servings of buckwheat clam kalguksu (메밀바지락칼국수, buckwheat clam noodle soup) plus a hefty wang-mandu (king-sized dumpling) filled with neungi mushroom on the side.

Looking around at the other tables, everyone else was eating the same buckwheat clam kalguksu as us. As the signature menu, it clearly had a presence of its own.

What else is on the menu besides buckwheat clam kalguksu?

Looking at the menu, besides the kalguksu we had today, they also serve 3 kinds of makguksu (buckwheat noodles in cold broth), buckwheat soba, and pollack sashimi with boiled meat, among other dishes.

• Perilla oil makguksu
• Pollack sashimi makguksu
• Dongchimi (radish water kimchi) makguksu
• Buckwheat soba
• Tender pollack sashimi with boiled meat

They especially said the soba dishes here use 100% pure buckwheat, so

I'm already thinking I need to come back and check off all the other buckwheat menu items next time.

A mountain of clams plus neungi mushroom wang-mandu

The moment our food arrived, my husband and I were shocked by how it looked.

The '500g of clams' printed on the menu suddenly felt very real, right in front of us.

Compared to any kalguksu restaurant I've been to, this was hands-down the biggest portion,

and the clams themselves were so fresh that the broth they'd released tasted absolutely amazing.

How to eat clam-loaded kalguksu: shell the clams first

At first we picked out the mountain of clams one by one, but later I shelled all of them ahead of time,

then spooned up the shelled clam meat and noodles together with the broth — this method was way more delicious!

If you want to add a bit of spice partway through or near the end, try stirring in a small amount of the spicy dadegi (chili seasoning) on the table.

It gives the dish a completely different character, so you can eat all the way through without getting tired of it.

The mushroom wang-mandu we ordered as a side was filled with a flavor that spread through your whole mouth —

the subtle aroma of neungi mushroom was just excellent.

The side-dish kimchi wasn't harsh either — it had a refreshing savory taste, mild enough that even young kids could easily enjoy it.

Is Seonbawi Memil Jangteo worth it for real buckwheat noodles?

From the ingredients to the flavor, nothing here felt compromised — you could really taste the genuine effort. The buckwheat kalguksu noodles were nutty and chewy with every bite, and the texture was really great too.

If you're looking for a successful lunch date course near Yangjae Citizens' Forest, or craving a hearty meal packed with fresh clams, come experience a generous spread at Seonbawi Memil Jangteo, the Yangjae Citizens' Forest restaurant I introduced today, complete with a clean interior and a spacious 2nd floor. It'll be a choice you won't regret.