Seocho Korean restaurant for spicy octopus noodles and bossam: Daseon

A generous Gyodae Station meal with spicy kalguksu with octopus, quality boiled pork bossam, and unlimited barley rice.

Kalguksu and bossam near Gyodae Station

We decided to have dinner in Gyodae and were looking around for what to eat when we came here. Our choice that day was Daseon Kalguksu.

It is close to Exit 14 of Gyodae Station, so it was easy to find. With both a first and second floor, the restaurant was bigger than I expected, too.

There were two of us this time, but just having kalguksu felt a little incomplete, so we boldly ordered the spicy octopus kalguksu for two and a large boiled pork bossam.

The spicy octopus kalguksu and bossam we ordered for two

Honestly, we hesitated a little while ordering. The spicy octopus kalguksu for two was ₩30,000, and the large boiled pork bossam was ₩38,000. We wondered whether the two of us could finish it all, so we said we would pack up anything left over. But to give you the conclusion first, it was needless worrying. The spread was clearly generous, and it already looked like a lot for two when everything first arrived.

Maybe it is because we are such big eaters as a couple, but we ended up finishing it all without leaving a thing. We ate so heartily that we were barely hungry until the next day. It made me think that if you visit with a group, ordering a few dishes to share would be a great idea.

Unlimited barley rice before the mains

Another thing I liked at Daseon Kalguksu was the barley rice served before the main dishes.

I mixed the barley rice with seasoned shredded radish and a little sesame oil, and it was much more delicious than I expected.

Best of all, the barley rice is unlimited. I thought eating barley rice first at a kalguksu place might fill me up before the noodles came, but it was so good that I kept reaching for it. I had two bowls!!

Boiled pork bossam that exceeded expectations

The dish that exceeded my expectations that day was the boiled pork bossam.

It was a large portion, but it was not simply a lot of food—the quality of the pork itself was good.

The meat was tender rather than dry, clean-tasting with none of that unpleasant pork smell, so I kept eating it. It was good with bossam kimchi, and eating it with the accompaniments made it feel like we were properly enjoying bossam at a kalguksu restaurant, too.

We had ordered all this for two saying, “If there’s any left, we’ll take it home,” but that ended up being completely beside the point—we cleared everything.

Daseon’s spicy octopus kalguksu that kept calling me back

The most fun dish was the spicy octopus kalguksu. Octopus and seafood broth are paired with a spicy seasoning, so the broth had that pleasantly spicy, savory kick from the first sip.

At first, since we had bossam and barley rice too, I wondered whether we could even finish the kalguksu. But the broth had such a spicy kick that I just kept going, you know? Even when I felt completely full, one spoonful of broth and a few noodles later, I could not put my chopsticks down.

It was literally the magic of a spicy, savory broth that keeps you eating. I could see why so many people looking for kalguksu near Gyodae Station come to Daseon Kalguksu.

A clean space for group meals, too

The atmosphere was nice as well as the food. The whole place was kept clean, and the staff were kind, so there was nothing uncomfortable about our meal.

There was space upstairs as well as on the first floor, so it looked well suited to groups. I heard that group seating and reservations are available, too. It would be useful for a company dinner or a meal gathering.

Kalguksu is great for a quick solo meal near Gyodae Station, but this is an even better fit when you come with several people and want to share generous dishes like bossam and octopus.

A meal we walked away from completely full

We ate so much that day that I still felt full for quite a while after getting home. From the barley rice to the boiled pork bossam and spicy octopus kalguksu, every dish came in a generous portion, making this a good place for days when you want a hearty meal.

Especially if you are looking for a good restaurant near Gyodae Station and one bowl of kalguksu sounds a little lacking, try ordering bossam or octopus alongside it like we did. It was definitely a lot for two, but if you eat well like us, it is a combination worth taking on. If you want warm, spicy broth with tender boiled pork, I would recommend Daseon Kalguksu near Gyodae Station.

When you are craving a generous meal and looking for a good restaurant near Gyodae Station, order plenty like we did and enjoy getting properly full.