Family dinner with kalguksu and sujebi noodles: Okdengjang Seohyeon

When the whole family sits around one steaming pot, the evening always feels a little richer. Today's find is Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch, a Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station, right across from Megabox.

3-4 minutes on foot from Seohyeon Station Exit 4 — and parking?

It's about three or four minutes on foot from Seohyeon Station Exit 4, right on the main road, so there was no chance of getting lost. The building parking lot gives you one hour free, which makes it easier if you're driving too.

• Name: Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch
• Address: 경기 성남시 분당구 황새울로335번길 5 1층 106호
• Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00-22:30 / Sun 11:00-21:30 (break 15:00-17:00)
• Parking: 1 hour free at building parking lot

Atmosphere and seating

Walking in, the place greeted us with a quiet, cozy feel, almost like stepping into a hanok (traditional Korean house).

And yet the space was very spacious with generous gaps between seats, so sitting there with a kid never felt cramped.

This place is famous for long waits, but we visited around 6:50pm and were seated right away, no waiting at all. There was even storage space at the chairs for bags and coats, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about our stuff.

The menu was styled like a newspaper, which was fun to read, and there was a good variety centered on doenjang (soybean paste) hot pot and boiled pork hot pot. From 11am to 3pm there's a lunch special that gives you ₩2,000 off the hot pots.

What we ordered and the prices

• Assorted boiled pork hot pot (medium): ₩38,000
• Beef pork belly doenjang hot pot: ₩13,000
• Kalguksu noodle add-on: ₩2,000
• Sujebi dough add-on: ₩2,000
• Total: ₩55,000

Two adults and one child, we ordered one clear broth hot pot and one savory hot pot. Having two pots side by side on the table looked satisfying on its own, and we liked being able to go back and forth between the two different broths.

Side dishes

The basic side dishes were a tangy, sour green onion kimchi, seasoned garlic, and aged kimchi. The green onion kimchi in particular was perfectly fermented, and went great with the meat.

Assorted boiled pork hot pot (medium), ₩38,000

The ₩38,000 assorted boiled pork hot pot came generously loaded with minari (water dropwort), boiled pork, two pieces of galbi (short rib), gopchang... wait, doganitang (beef knee cartilage), and glass noodles.

Just watching the clear broth come to a boil and the minari on top wilt down built up the anticipation. The boiled pork was so tender it practically fell apart in strands when I picked it up with chopsticks.

It was sliced thin, so even the kid could pick it up without any trouble.

One thing I really want to mention: definitely dip the meat in the soy sauce that comes with it. The broth itself isn't very strongly seasoned, so dipping it in the soy sauce is what gets the seasoning just right.

The galbi came in two pieces, and unlike the thin boiled pork, it was thick with a distinctly chewier bite. Going back and forth between the two textures in one pot kept things interesting to the very end.

The doganitang had a bouncy, jelly-like texture, but it wasn't greasy — it was light, so my hand kept reaching for more. It's a cut you don't often run into, and it added extra fun to this pot.

Piling a piece of tender boiled pork with seasoned garlic and green onion kimchi together was a really great combination.

The tangy garlic and sour green onion kimchi backed up the clean flavor of the meat so well, every bite felt full.

Beef pork belly doenjang hot pot, ₩13,000

What impressed me most about the ₩13,000 doenjang hot pot was how the broth deepened the longer it boiled. The savory doenjang aroma rose without being overpowering, so even the kid ate it well.

Scooping with the ladle revealed plenty of thinly sliced beef and soft tofu.

The savory beef flavor soaked into the broth and instantly made me want a bowl of rice.

So in the end I mixed a bowl of rice right into the doenjang broth and took a big spoonful — and it was a real treat.

Topping that with green onion kimchi, I found myself thinking, this is exactly what makes it a great Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station.

Splitting kalguksu and sujebi noodle add-ons in half

We added a kalguksu noodle add-on and a sujebi dough add-on, each at ₩2,000.

Then we split the two add-ons in half between the boiled pork hot pot and the doenjang hot pot.

The boiled pork hot pot already had glass noodles in it, so adding the kalguksu noodles on top made the broth much thicker.

The noodles added savory depth to the once light, clean broth, making for a satisfying finish.

We put the sujebi into the doenjang hot pot, and personally, this combination was my favorite.

The sujebi soaked up the savory doenjang broth into its soft, pillowy dough, becoming even more delicious than it was before going in.

Taking a big spoonful with sujebi, minari, and beef all together was truly hearty.

Splitting the two add-ons between the two pots is something I really recommend trying.

Who this suits

• Anyone looking for a hearty meal at a Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station
• Anyone who needs a place to eat with their parents
• Fans of a clean, clear boiled pork hot pot
• Anyone who wants to mix rice into a savory doenjang broth
• Families wanting a comfortable meal out with kids
• Anyone looking for a spot for gatherings or work dinners

Verdict

Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch was a place where you can enjoy two very different broths at once — a clear boiled pork hot pot and a savory doenjang hot pot.

The boiled pork was tender enough to fall apart in strands, and dipping it in the soy sauce got the seasoning exactly right, so we enjoyed it right to the end.

The owner was genuinely kind, and the staff kept coming by to check on our table, which made for a pleasant meal.

With sides added in, three of us ate a hearty meal for ₩55,000, so the value for money was very high.

If you're craving hot broth at a Korean restaurant near Seohyeon Station, I'd recommend quietly discovering Okdengjang Seohyeon Branch.