Daejeon kalguksu restaurant: same dumplings in soup and side, Yongja 1

The weather has turned pretty chilly lately, and you keep craving hot soup, right? haha The colder it gets, the more I think about a bowl of kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) with chewy noodles in steaming broth! So I headed to Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch (용자1 관평점), a kalguksu restaurant in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon.

I already like kalguksu, but this time I was even more excited because this is a place where you can enjoy dumplings along with the noodles haha. What stood out most was the broth: rich and spicy, yet clean 🤎

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch: location, hours and parking

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is at 8-1 Gwandeul 1-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on the 1st floor, in the Gwanpyeong-dong food alley. It is open daily from 11:00 to 20:00 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, and parking is available.

Since it is in the Gwanpyeong-dong food alley, it is easy to find, and with plenty of other restaurants and shops around, access is good. Driving there is fine too, and it is a handy spot if you are looking for a meal nearby. It can get crowded around lunchtime, though, so I recommend giving yourself some extra time.

Exterior and atmosphere

Let me start with the exterior! I came because I wanted a good bowl of kalguksu in Daejeon haha. The outside has a warm, friendly feel, which was its charm~

Kalguksu isn't really a special-occasion food; it's something you can enjoy casually any day, right? But when you go looking for a good kalguksu place, you end up quietly picking at everything from the broth to the noodle texture! I care a lot about the broth in particular, so I was curious what it would be like this time too 🤎

Inside Yongja 1: watching the noodles being made

The noodles are made in-house, so inside the restaurant you can watch them being pulled and kneaded. Now let me show you the interior of this Gwanpyeong-dong kalguksu restaurant too!

Kalguksu is great for a quick solo meal, and also for a hearty meal with family or friends haha. In chilly weather like this, just sitting in a warm room with a steaming bowl of kalguksu puts me in a good mood 🤎

What we ordered at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch

• Dumpling kalguksu (칼만두국)
• Kalguksu
• Kimchi dumplings

That day I wanted both kalguksu and dumplings, so I ordered dumpling kalguksu, plain kalguksu and kimchi dumplings together haha.

Kalguksu alone felt like it would leave me wanting more, so I added dumplings! Once I tried them, though, there was something worth knowing before you order. Let me give you an honest review, one dish at a time 🤎

How was the dumpling kalguksu broth?

The dumpling kalguksu at Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch puts noodles and kimchi dumplings in one bowl, and the deep, spicy broth, the kind you'd call jinguk (rich, long-simmered broth), impressed me most. If you love both kalguksu and dumplings, you'll be happy to see it haha.

The broth was the most impressive part! It really deserves the word jinguk, with a deep, rich flavor. After the very first spoonful, it felt like my stomach just settled, you know? haha It cleared me up the way a spicy hangover soup would 🤎

The dumplings are in the soup too, so it was fun to alternate between noodles and dumplings! Chewy noodles, spicy dumplings and rich broth all together made even one bowl filling haha.

If you like spicy soups, I think you'll be satisfied! Because the dumplings are kimchi dumplings, it's even spicier and fiery, and it felt like stress relief :)

How are the kalguksu noodles?

The kalguksu noodles here were chewy yet soft, so they were easy to eat. The broth was rich yet clean and spicy, and my spoon kept going back for more. Broth matters in kalguksu, but the noodle texture matters just as much, right?

Overcooked noodles are a letdown, but if they're too firm you lose kalguksu's soft charm. The noodles here slide down smoothly but still stay chewy when you bite, and I liked that!

With the rich broth clinging to the noodles, they tasted even better 🤎 And of course, the broth can't be left out! Rich, clean and spicy, my spoon kept reaching for it. One bite and you want another, you know? haha

Personally I prefer broth that leaves my mouth feeling clean over anything greasy or heavy, and in that sense I was satisfied! It's the kind of flavor I'd think of the day after drinking, or whenever I want a spicy broth to settle my stomach.

Are the kimchi dumplings very spicy?

The kimchi dumplings here are spicier and sharper than you might expect, so anyone who is bad with spice (a "maepjjil-i" in Korean slang) might find them a bit hot. Kalguksu without dumplings feels like something is missing, right? So I ordered the kimchi dumplings this time too.

They have that distinctive spicy kimchi dumpling flavor, so I think they suit people who prefer sharp kimchi dumplings to mild meat ones. Eaten with the kalguksu broth, the combination was good too 🤎

Should you order dumpling kalguksu and kimchi dumplings together?

At Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch, the dumplings in the dumpling kalguksu and the separately ordered kimchi dumplings were the same dumplings. So next time I'd order the dumpling kalguksu and add a different dish instead of a separate order of dumplings!

Of course, if you love dumplings like me or want plenty of food, ordering extra is fine too, right? 😊 But if you want to enjoy a variety of flavors, keep in mind that the dumpling kalguksu already comes with dumplings when you order 🤎

Spicy, fiery broth and chewy noodles: if you want a bowl of kalguksu, how about Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch?

Why I'd recommend Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch

• Deep, rich yet clean broth
• Spicy, fiery broth that settles your stomach like a hangover soup
• Chewy yet soft kalguksu noodles
• Dumpling kalguksu, so you get noodles and dumplings together
• Kimchi dumplings with an appealing spicy kick
• A hot, filling meal for chilly weather

If you're looking for a kalguksu place in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon with rich, spicy broth, how about Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch? If you already like kalguksu, or love spicy soups that settle your stomach like a hangover cure, it's worth a visit haha.

Personally, I liked the chewy, soft noodles, but what I remember most is the rich broth that I kept thinking about the more I ate 🤎 A hot bowl of kalguksu in this chilly weather warmed me right through!