Gwanpyeong-dong kalguksu with self-serve kimchi refills: Yongja 1

Today I'm sharing my lunch review of Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch, a well-known spot in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon.

Where is Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch? Hours and parking

Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch is a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant located at 857 Gwanpyeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. It's open 11:00 - 20:00 with a break time of 15:00 - 17:00, and last orders are at 14:30 and 19:30.

• Address: 857 Gwanpyeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
• Hours: 11:00 - 20:00
• Break time: 15:00 - 17:00
• Last order: 14:30, 19:30
• Closed every Sunday
• Parking: Available in front of the restaurant

Inside Yongja 1: wood-tone interior and an open kitchen

The moment you walk in, you see this clean wood-tone interior! It looks well-kept and clean, which honestly made me trust the place more haha.

It looks like they're pleating dumplings and cutting the noodles right there in the restaurant, and being able to see that made everything seem even tastier!

What two people ordered: kalmandu-guk, bibim kalguksu and steamed dumplings

Here's a photo of the menu. Since it's a kalguksu specialty restaurant, we ordered kalmandu-guk, bibim kalguksu, and steamed dumplings.

Here are the basic side dishes — pickled onions and napa cabbage kimchi! These are the perfect match for kalguksu.

Free kimchi refills at the self-serve corner, plus cheongyang chili paste

If you need more side dishes, there's a self-serve corner where you can help yourself! They even have to-go containers ready in case you have leftovers. And for anyone who likes spicy food, there's cheongyang chili paste too haha.

The kimchi was so good that we went back for more. A kalguksu restaurant really needs good kimchi, and this one was genuinely tangy and delicious. Definitely a solid Gwanpyeong-dong lunch spot.

Kalmandu-guk, 10,000 won: three dumplings and a very big bowl

Kalmandu-guk, 10,000 won, came out first! This dish is kalguksu with dumplings added in.

The broth was clean but had real depth, and the seaweed flakes and chives scattered on top were surprisingly charming.

The noodles are made fresh in-house, so they were even chewier and more delicious!

Eating this with that delicious kimchi is a total knockout... Daejeon kalguksu really is incredibly good.

There were 3 dumplings in it, and they felt a bit bigger than the regular steamed dumplings — maybe from soaking in the broth? The crunchy napa cabbage kimchi was really delicious alongside it! Between the generous noodles and the large dumplings, one bowl of kalmandu-guk was seriously filling.

Bibim kalguksu, 10,000 won: about as spicy as Shin Ramyun

Bibim kalguksu, 10,000 won, piled high with perilla leaves! It's on the spicier side, so if you really can't handle spice, I'd recommend a different dish (I think it was about as spicy as Shin Ramyeon haha).

Since bibim kalguksu has no broth, the noodles felt even chewier than the regular kalguksu. If noodle texture matters to you, I highly recommend this one — the noodles are genuinely great!

It's on the spicy side, but in an addictive, delicious way, so I kept eating more!

Since it's spicy, they give you a side of kalguksu broth to drink along with it, which was such a nice touch haha.

Steamed dumplings, 9,000 won: kimchi dumplings packed with meat

Steamed dumplings, 9,000 won, our last dish! Honestly, if two people already order two dishes and then add steamed dumplings on top, the portion is a lot...! Each dumpling was so big it was hard to eat in one bite. Since each one is so large, biting in gives this amazingly satisfying, full feeling haha.

They steam it right after you order, so it comes out piping hot, hoo hoo.

They only sell kimchi dumplings — no choice between meat and kimchi — but even so, the filling is packed with meat!

Full of meat! And with kimchi chopped in throughout, it had this crunchy, juicy flavor that was really delicious! Dipping it in the pickled onion juice or eating it together with the onions was really tasty too!

Is Yongja 1 worth it for lunch in Gwanpyeong-dong?

That's my review of Yongja 1 Gwanpyeong Branch, a lunch spot in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon! The house-made noodles gave the dish a completely different level of texture! The broth was clean yet deep, which made the whole meal really enjoyable! On top of that, the portions were so generous that we ended up unable to finish the dumplings and had to pack them to go. With such generous portions and great taste, I highly recommend this for lunch in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon!