Kalguksu with house-made kimchi refills in Yongin: Yubok Kalguksu

I heard there was a new kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) place near the Korean Folk Village, so my family and I went on a little outing to check it out. There's always something exciting about a place that just opened, right? This spot started from Yuga-ne Kalguksu in Gongju, South Chungcheong, and there were photos of Kim Jun-hyun's mukbang from the show Tasty Guys hanging on the wall, which made me even more curious.

Yubok Kalguksu Yongin Korean Folk Village Branch: hours, parking, address

• Name: Yubok Kalguksu
• Address: 경기 용인시 기흥구 민속촌로 24 1층 (24 Minsokchon-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi, South Korea)
• Hours: 11:00–22:00
• Break time: None
• Last order: 21:30
• Parking: Large parking area available in front of the restaurant

Is Yubok Kalguksu easy for kids and groups?

Walking in, the wood-tone walls and wooden tables gave the place a cozy feel.

Every table had its own burner and broth pot already set up, so as soon as we sat down we were ready to start cooking. Big photos of the signature pufferfish seafood kalguksu set and the octopus seafood chive pancake hung on the wall, which was handy when we were deciding what to order.

Since I went with my child, I was relieved to see a pink baby chair ready and an apron provided for hygiene.

There was also a separate group seating area, so it would be comfortable even with a larger party.

The self-serve bar left an impression too. There was a sign explaining the kimchi is made in-house with domestic ingredients, and big containers of crunchy kimchi and sweet-and-tangy radish salad, ready to be scooped as much as you liked.

Being able to casually grab house-made kimchi from the self-serve bar was really convenient. After the meal, there was a snack corner with things like popped corn and rice puffs to grab a little something extra.

Yubok Kalguksu menu and what the family ordered

For a kalguksu restaurant in Yongin, there were quite a lot of solo-diner set menus available, so it seemed like a fine spot to eat alone too.

How the pufferfish seafood kalguksu is cooked at the table

We ordered the pufferfish seafood kalguksu (single), king meat mandu (dumplings), and octopus seafood chive pancake. When we ordered the kalguksu, a plate of ingredients came out — clams, mideodeok (sea pineapple relative), enoki mushrooms, and zucchini, all piled high.

You add these whole into the clear broth and cook them at the table, which meant we could see the ingredients first before they went in, and it felt even fresher that way. The clams were well-sanded, so there was no gritty texture, and the sea pineapple added great flavor to the broth. Normally you can only get sea squirt in late winter and spring, but this sea pineapple-type ingredient can be enjoyed year-round, which felt like a real advantage.

You can eat it skin and all, so it has a nice crunchy bite, and unlike sea squirt, there's no worry about hot juice bursting and scalding your mouth, which made it really comfortable to eat with the piping hot kalguksu. As all these ingredients simmered in the broth, steam rose off the milky-white soup with the enoki mushrooms and chives blending in naturally.

Taking my first spoonful, what hit me first was the deep umami from the pufferfish and seafood.

The noodles were chewy but still soaked up the broth well, so I kept going back for more.

Watching the 3-minute sand timer on the table, I cooked mine a little longer to my taste, and the chewy noodles ended up soaking in even more of that rich broth — I finished the whole bowl happily to the last bite.

The house-made kimchi worth refilling at Yubok Kalguksu

And this place truly earned its reputation as a kimchi spot. I grabbed a piece of the kimchi from the self-serve bar, and rather than spiciness, what came through first was a slightly sweet flavor, with a clean finish.

It wasn't too sharp, so I kept reaching for more, and it was subtly addictive — I ended up refilling it again and again. Even my kid, who can't handle spicy food, ate this kimchi happily, so it really was a kimchi spot, haha. It had all three things I love: a clean broth, chewy noodles, and kimchi that hit exactly my taste, haha.

The octopus seafood chive pancake that came alongside had layers of chives piled up with plenty of squid and shrimp on top — crispy on the outside, with the fresh fragrance of chives still alive inside, making it the perfect side to go with the soup dish.

It was also easy to snip with scissors and share. The mandu (dumplings), packed full inside, were another crispy, satisfying side.

Clean pufferfish broth and sweet kimchi: the verdict

This is a place where the broth, noodles, and kimchi came together really well. If you're looking for kalguksu in Yongin, it's worth a visit, and honestly I think I'll be back just for that kimchi I couldn't stop eating. I'd recommend it to families visiting with kids, anyone looking for a good restaurant near the Korean Folk Village, and anyone searching for a good spot in Bora-dong. I think I'll keep dropping by whenever I get a craving for that clean broth and addictive kimchi.