Pyeongtaek kalguksu restaurant with scorched rice: Goryeo Mulchong

A Pyeongtaek kalguksu spot with sky-high repeat-visit intent — Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu.

Lately the mornings and evenings have a noticeably cool breeze, and even the daytime isn't as scorching as before — you can feel autumn creeping in little by little. As the weather starts turning cooler, I find myself craving warm soup dishes more than usual. That day in particular, I wasn't in the mood for anything too spicy or heavy — I wanted something refreshing yet tangy, with chewy noodles to slurp down. So while searching for a good kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) place in Pyeongtaek, I came across Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, which serves mulchong kalguksu loaded with clams.

Regular kalguksu is great, but 'mulchong kalguksu' — made refreshing with dongjuk clams and mussels — sounded special just from the name, so I was curious what it would taste like. I visited with one other person and had a generous meal of kalguksu, dumplings, boiled pork, and fried rice. Here's my honest review :)

Where is Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, and its hours and parking

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu is located on the 1st floor of 730 Pyeongnam-ro, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, and is open daily from 10:30 to 21:00. Break time is 14:30-16:30, last order is at 20:00, and there's no break time on weekends or public holidays. Parking is available on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building.

The first thing I noticed on arrival was that the space was bigger and cleaner overall than I'd expected. The exterior was neatly finished with no clutter, which made a pretty sharp first impression.

One detail I especially liked was that the front glass wasn't the usual fully-transparent kind — it's a type of glass where the inside isn't clearly visible from outside, but you can still see out from the inside. I personally really liked that structure.

For anyone driving, parking shouldn't be much of a worry either, since there's dedicated parking on the building's 3rd and 4th floors. That said, the entrance to the parking tower is a bit narrow, so I'd recommend driving in slowly the first time. Finding the storefront entrance can also be a little confusing on your first visit — instead of walking straight into the middle of the building, you need to keep going right, and that's where the entrance is.

Walking toward the entrance, one phrase caught my eye — a statement that the restaurant only uses carefully selected ingredients and operates on a same-day-produced, same-day-cooked principle. Since this is a place where broth, noodles, and seafood freshness really matter, seeing that principle spelled out naturally raised my expectations for the food.

Inside Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu: how big are the group tables?

The inside of Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu is split into two spaces — the first hall has about 13 four-person tables, and the inner hall has about 10 tables that seat 8 to 10 people. Once inside, the space felt much bigger than I'd imagined. The first area you see is a wide open hall, and some tables are pushed together so up to about 8 people can sit together.

It's great for two to four people dining together, but with tables that can be combined, it also seems like a good spot for family gatherings or group meals.

Going further inside the hall brings you to a second space, which is just as spacious as the first. Overall the tables weren't cramped together, and the seating layout stood out as comfortable even for larger groups.

Another thing I liked was the floor-to-ceiling windows. You can look out at the scenery while eating, which makes the spacious room feel even more open — and since it's the kind of glass that's hard to see through from outside, you get privacy while dining without losing the view out. With such a spacious hall and varied seating, this seems like a solid choice in Pyeongtaek for family outings or group meals.

Baby chairs and aprons are also available.

Each table has a tablet for ordering right from your seat. The tablet's home screen not only lets you order but also shows what's available at the self-serve bar and even gives tips on how to enjoy the mulchong kalguksu.

Menu and the 38,000-won two-person set

• Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu ₩12,000
• Goldongmyeon (perilla oil) ₩12,000
• Goldongmyeon (spicy mixed) ₩12,000
• Sagyejeol fried rice - Free (all-you-can-eat)
• Extra clams ₩10,000
• Extra noodles (house-made) ₩3,000
• Napa cabbage dumplings ₩9,000
• Pear-leaf medicinal boiled pork ₩19,000
• Mulchong-tang (clam-liquor soup) ₩25,000
• 2-person set ₩38,000 *kalguksu or goldongmyeon x1 + napa cabbage dumplings + boiled pork
• 3-person set ₩49,000 *kalguksu or goldongmyeon x2 + napa cabbage dumplings + boiled pork
• 4-person set ₩60,000 *kalguksu or goldongmyeon x3 + napa cabbage dumplings + boiled pork

We ordered the 38,000-won 2-person set: mulchong kalguksu + napa cabbage dumplings + pear-leaf medicinal boiled pork. Each item on the menu has a good description, so you can read through and order based on your taste.

[Pear-leaf medicinal boiled pork] ☞ Subtle pear-leaf fragrance and medicinal herbs for a clean, deep flavor with no gamey smell ☞ Tender texture and juicy meat

[Napa cabbage dumplings (kimchi dumplings)] ☞ Wrapped in fresh napa cabbage instead of flour wrapper, for a refreshing, subtly sweet taste ☞ Thin cabbage skin packed with juicy meat filling ☞ A clean, easy-on-the-stomach, top-tier well-being side dish

[Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu] ☞ House-made noodles kneaded fresh at the restaurant every morning ☞ Loaded with fresh mulchong clams (Gochang dongjuk) direct from the source ☞ Broth that stays clean and refreshing to the last drop

The self-serve bars — one in each hall

The self-serve bar at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu had cabbage-radish pickles, aged kimchi, fresh kimchi, chili sauce, peppers, chojang, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and broth all ready to go, so you could take as much as you needed. What I especially liked was that since the restaurant is split into two halls, each hall has its own self-serve bar. That means even if you're eating in the inner space, you don't have to walk all the way to the front hall to grab side dishes or sauces.

Personally, my favorite was the cabbage-radish pickle. I already love radish pickle, and having cabbage mixed in with the radish made it extra crunchy and a great pairing with the kalguksu.

The kimchi also caught my eye — having both aged kimchi and fresh kimchi set out separately felt like a thoughtful touch. Some people prefer well-aged kimchi with their kalguksu, others prefer the crisp, clean kind, so having both options let everyone choose by taste. Broth was also set up for self-serve refills.

The self-serve bar in the outer hall has the exact same setup :)

Pear-leaf herbal boiled pork with meljeot warmed over a flame

The first dish to arrive was the pear-leaf medicinal boiled pork (₩19,000). The warm boiled pork came neatly arranged in bite-sized pieces, served alongside kimchi, dried radish strips, salted shrimp, and sauce.

What was especially clever was the meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) served with the pork — instead of just coming in a regular sauce dish, it came with a small flame underneath to keep it warm. Thanks to that, the meljeot stayed warm from start to finish, so I could dip the pork in warm sauce the whole way through.

The pork itself was tender and juicy. Boiled with pear leaves and medicinal herbs, the meat had a subtle fragrance and was clean with almost none of the gamey smell boiled pork can have. Dipping it lightly in the warm meljeot added a salty, savory depth that paired well with the meat. Adding kimchi or dried radish strips brought a crunchy, tangy contrast for another way to enjoy it.

What I liked most was that the sauce often cools down quickly while you're eating boiled pork, but here the thoughtful setup kept it warm the whole way through.

My top pick: napa cabbage dumplings wrapped in cabbage, not flour

Next up was the napa cabbage dumplings (kimchi dumplings, ₩9,000). This was personally my top pick of everything I ate that day. Instead of a regular flour wrapper, these dumplings wrap the filling in fresh napa cabbage — genuinely great news for someone like me who doesn't do well with flour. Sometimes you want dumplings but hold back because of the flour wrapper, but wrapped in cabbage, I could enjoy them without any worry.

On the first bite, the crisp yet tender texture of the cabbage comes through first, followed by a subtle, refreshing sweetness that paired well with the kimchi filling. The thin cabbage wrapper was packed full of filling — generously stuffed with meat, so every bite brought out savory juices. Without the heavy feel of a typical flour wrapper, everything felt much cleaner, and with kimchi mixed in, there was a slight spicy kick that balanced it well.

I love dumplings but usually can't eat them often because of the flour — this one I genuinely enjoyed.

I also can't leave out the kimchi served with the kalguksu. At a kalguksu restaurant, the kimchi matters just as much as the broth or noodles, and here the kimchi had a crisp texture with just the right level of spice and a clean finish that paired well with the noodles.

I personally prefer kimchi that keeps the palate clean rather than something overly sweet or heavily seasoned when eating soup dishes, and Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu's kimchi paired well without overpowering the refreshing broth.

How to eat clam kalguksu: clams first, noodles on a 5-minute hourglass

And finally, the star of the day arrived — Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu (₩12,000). The pot full of clams alone was quite a sight — generously packed with mulchong clams (Gochang dongjuk) shipped straight from the source, and just looking at it made me excited for how refreshing the broth would be.

The owner came over personally and kindly explained how to eat it — first, eat all the clams from the pot, and while you're doing that, add the noodles to cook. The noodles need exactly 5 minutes!

Each table has a cute little hourglass — this is what tells you when 5 minutes are up. No need to set a separate timer; just flip the hourglass, which made it both fun and convenient.

The owner told us that since single servings cook quickly, we could taste-test once about two-thirds of the hourglass had passed, and if there's no raw flour smell, it's ready. Trying it, the noodles were cooked just right with no flour smell at all — perfect timing to dig in.

The noodles weren't overcooked or mushy — they had a chewy yet tender texture. Being house-made noodles kneaded fresh, the strands were firm while blending well with the broth, and I kept going back for more, one bite after another.

And of course, the heart of this place is the broth. With so many dongjuk clams in it, the savory depth of the clams was fully infused into the broth. It was refreshing and tangy, with that distinctive clean, satisfying clam taste — even just sipping the broth felt like it cleared everything up. The clam flavor wasn't overpowering or fishy at all, and overall it stayed clean, the kind of broth you keep reaching for. As the noodles cooked longer, the broth picked up more flavor from them too, deepening slightly from the start, but it never got heavy or murky — it stayed refreshing and clean until the very end.

As you keep boiling the noodles, the broth will gradually reduce — but no worries, just grab some broth from the self-serve bar to top it up. With the refreshing clam flavor and the noodles boiling together, the taste kept deepening, and being able to top up the broth along the way meant we could enjoy it warm right to the end.

Scorched rice made from the free all-you-can-eat four-season fried rice

The sagyejeol fried rice at Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu is free, with all-you-can-eat refills. Finishing the kalguksu wasn't actually the end — the next step is emptying all the remaining broth from the pot into your bowl. This is apparently to filter out any small leftover clam shell fragments that might be in the pot.

It might seem like a lot to eat fried rice after all that kalguksu, but you can always order more if you're short, so it made for a hearty finish. Making the fried rice wasn't difficult either — just add a ladle of broth to the emptied pot, then throw in all the prepared fried rice ingredients and stir-fry well. Done!

We pressed ours down hard until the bottom was slightly scorched, and it turned out to be a real treat. Stirring the rice around and scraping up the golden scorched bits at the bottom gave a nutty, crispy texture with what tasted almost like a subtle smoky char — a totally different appeal from the kalguksu itself.

Eat the clams first → cook the noodles for 5 minutes → top up the broth yourself as needed → finish with free fried rice! Being able to enjoy clams, kalguksu, and fried rice as a full course from a single pot was one of the biggest charms of Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu.

Free Pyeongtaek rice sikhye (sweet rice punch) to finish

After wrapping up a satisfying meal, the owner also brought out a complimentary premium Pyeongtaek rice danssul (sikhye, sweet rice punch). It's apparently normally offered to guests who write a photo review, but even though we hadn't mentioned any review event, the owner gave it to us as a service anyway, which I really appreciated. This danssul is made using Super Onni Koshihikari rice, carefully fermented for 7 hours.

Being a directly fermented sikhye, it wasn't overly sweet like store-bought versions, and it made for a clean finish. After the hearty kalguksu and fried rice, a sweet drink to close out the meal was exactly right. Using rice grown in Pyeongtaek and fermenting it in-house also felt like a distinctive touch unique to this place. Finishing with a warm-yet-refreshing kalguksu and fried rice, then wrapping up with a glass of danssul, made for a genuinely satisfying end to the meal.

Families still arriving at 2:30 p.m.

It was nearly 2:30 pm when we left the restaurant after our meal. I figured lunch rush would be well over and things would have quieted down by then, but surprisingly, families kept coming in one after another.

Even while we were eating, the spacious restaurant felt relaxed, but seeing customers still streaming in as we left made it clear this is a popular spot for family meals. With plenty of tables that can be pushed together for larger groups and parking available, it really does seem like a convenient place for family outings or group visits.

Ate very well :) Out of the restaurants I've been to lately, this might be the most delicious, filling, and clean meal I've had. A genuinely satisfying meal!

Small stories around the restaurant, and the coffee machine

On the way to the restroom after the meal, I looked around the restaurant a bit more. There were illustrations explaining how the food uses ingredients grown in Pyeongtaek, along with the story of 'noodles that began in Goryeo.' Rather than just eating and leaving, it was fun to also see the story behind the ingredients and noodles used here.

And there was another cute detail in the restroom — above the mirror was a note that read 'the moment you're shining brightest today,' along with an explanation for why the warm lighting was set up that way.

It said the lighting was designed so you could look at the mirror a little more comfortably and beautifully — the idea being that delicious food makes your mouth happy, and a glowing mirror could brighten your mood, too. Seeing this level of care put into even a small note like that made it clear this isn't just a place that serves food, but one that thinks about the time guests spend there — it stuck with me.

There's also a coffee machine set up in one corner of the restaurant. After the meal, you can brew a warm coffee right away, or fill a big cup with ice for an iced coffee. It was nice being able to casually enjoy a cup of coffee after the meal, and having the choice between hot and iced depending on the weather or your preference was a nice touch too.

Is Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu worth a visit?

Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu was a great choice in Pyeongtaek whenever you're craving a refreshing, tangy broth. The broth loaded with generous dongjuk clams paired with chewy house-made kalguksu noodles was delicious, and being able to add the tender pear-leaf medicinal boiled pork and my top pick, the napa cabbage dumplings, made the 2-person set genuinely satisfying.

In particular, eating the clams first, then cooking the kalguksu, and finishing with self-made fried rice meant we could enjoy a really full, well-rounded meal. Pressing the fried rice down slightly at the end gave us nutty, crispy scorched rice to enjoy right to the last bite.

The restaurant is spacious with good group seating, and there's parking on the building's 3rd and 4th floors, making it a solid choice for family outings or dining with a larger group. Above all, every single dish was delicious, and personally, if I come back to Pyeongtaek, the napa cabbage dumplings are the one dish I'd definitely want to eat again. As the weather turns cooler, if you're craving a hearty bowl of kalguksu in warm broth, I'd recommend Goryeo Mulchong Kalguksu, a great kalguksu restaurant in Pyeongtaek. We left that day genuinely satisfied :)