Yangju Korean restaurant for low-smoke dakgalbi: Seorak Makguksu

Having dakgalbi near Nari Park and Lakewood CC

I visited Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch, a great place to go when you want delicious dakgalbi in Yangju. It seems like such a nice spot for anyone looking for a good restaurant near Lakewood CC or somewhere to eat around Nari Park, too!

It is located at 211 Mansong-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is also fairly close to Nari Park, so it was in such a great location for a meal after a family outing, like us when we have errands nearby or visit Nari Park often. The parking lot was nice and spacious too, making it very convenient to drive there.

Korean chicken thigh meat and pine-nut broth makguksu

Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch uses 100% Korean chilled chicken thigh meat and grills its dakgalbi over premium charcoal. I heard that the makguksu (buckwheat noodles) broth is made with Gapyeong pine nuts. Pine nuts are such an expensive ingredient, but perhaps because they do not hold back on them, the broth had a subtle, nutty pine-nut flavor. They also make and press the makguksu noodles to order, so I was excited because it seemed like a place that really cares about its food, haha. I guess it is a popular restaurant that plenty of celebrities visit too~~!

A spacious, spotless dining room and menu

The restaurant was super clean too~! There are lots of tables, so it would be great for family gatherings, but it also seems perfect for larger groups~~!

Here is the menu~! It was convenient to order at the table, and each table had a variety of sauces so we could pair them with the food however we liked. There was more variety than I expected, too. Along with charcoal-grilled dakgalbi and soy sauce dakgalbi, there were substantial side dishes such as makguksu, buckwheat crepes, and dumplings. They even have pheasant dumplings~~! There is a review event too, so do not miss it~~!

A comfortable meal with staff-grilled pre-seared dakgalbi

We ordered and waited excitedly, and wrap vegetables, seasoned shredded radish, and dongchimi (radish water kimchi) came out first as the basic sides. It was nice that we could easily get more side dishes from the self-service bar if we needed them.

And I really loved that the meat here comes pre-seared. Dakgalbi restaurants can get really smoky, right?? Here, they pre-sear it and there was hardly any smoke, which was so nice~~~!!! Best of all, the staff grilled it for us, so it was truly comfortable. We could relax and chat while eating instead of frantically turning the meat.

The soy sauce dakgalbi we had was sweet and savory, with the seasoning soaked right into the meat. It also had a subtle charcoal aroma, which gave it such great savory depth.

Since it was chicken thigh meat, it was moist and tender rather than dry, and I kept eating even though I was not hungry~!! Every bite was still juicy, and I thought, ah, this is why they use Korean chilled chicken thigh meat.

Makguksu that paired beautifully with dakgalbi

The makguksu we ordered to have alongside the dakgalbi was also better than expected. The broth was so nutty, not salty, and clean-tasting that I kept reaching for it with my chopsticks. After the rich flavor of the dakgalbi, a bite of makguksu felt like it cleared my palate, so they were just perfect together.

High chairs and ventilation facilities, too

At barbecue restaurants, smoke and the smell of meat can be a concern, but this place had good ventilation, so it was comfortable to eat without excessive smoke or odors. There were plenty of high chairs, and the women's restroom was inside the restaurant while the men's restroom was outside.

Perhaps because it has not been open for long, Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch had clean facilities and a spacious dining room. The staff were kind too, so overall it was a satisfying meal.

I actually remembered having a really delicious meal at Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi when I traveled to Gapyeong, and this newly opened Yangju branch was delicious as well. There must be a reason it has been loved for nearly 20 years with such consistent flavor. If you are looking for a place that does great dakgalbi in Yangju, I recommend Seorak Makguksu Chuncheon Dakgalbi Yangju Branch. You can enjoy both dakgalbi and makguksu, and with its clean restaurant, it was a nice choice for a family meal or gathering too :)