Namyangju Korean restaurant lunch with kids: Gojip Tongmuneo

Menu

While looking for a good lunch spot in Namyangju and Byeollae, I did some searching because I needed somewhere I could take my child. Since I like soupy dishes, I saw that there was a kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant with octopus and cuttlefish, so we headed to Gojip Tongmuneo Kalguksu Byeollae Byeolgaram Station Branch (고집통문어칼국수 별내별가람역점) near Byeollae Byeolgaram Station. I think this will be helpful for anyone looking for a lunch place with a child, or a Korean restaurant for a date in Byeollae.

The address for Gojip Tongmuneo Kalguksu Byeollae Byeolgaram Station Branch is B1, 450-31 Sunhwagung-ro, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, and it is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Break time is from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., and it is regularly closed every Wednesday.

It is about 675 m from Exit 3 of Byeollae Byeolgaram Station, so it was walkable. There is also a dedicated parking lot behind the restaurant, so we did not have much trouble finding it by car either.

When to avoid the wait at Gojip Tongmuneo Kalguksu near Byeollae Byeolgaram Station

They do not take reservations, so I went expecting a wait. Seating is first come, first served, so getting the timing right matters; I had looked up beforehand that there would be less of a wait around the 11:00 a.m. opening time or around 5:00 p.m.

Once we got there, though, I learned there was one more condition on weekends. We were told that you have to be seated by 2:00 p.m. to order. Since break time is from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., you need to get a table before then. They also took advance orders while we waited in the waiting area after taking a number ticket, which was convenient.

We arrived right at 11:00 a.m. If you go at opening time, you only wait about 20–30 minutes, so I recommend arriving at 11:00. Keep in mind that weekend dining time is one hour, including ordering time. Still, perhaps because tables turn over quickly, the wait itself was not as long as I expected.

The broth and clam quality in the whole-octopus kalguksu

The kalguksu we ordered arrived, and I started by taking a spoonful of the broth. It was rich and deeply flavored, which I loved.

There was plenty of octopus and clams too, and the moment I bit into them, I could tell they were fresh. Maybe because they use fresh octopus and cuttlefish, the broth had none of that fishy smell. I had heard somewhere that the clams are kept fresh in a tank rather than frozen, and after actually eating them, I understood why people said that. The noodles had a pleasantly snappy bite and went well with the broth.

Fried squid and dumplings we ate with a child

Kalguksu alone felt a little incomplete, so we also ordered fried squid. My child really enjoyed it. The mayonnaise-like dipping sauce that came with it was a great match for the fried squid too.

We tried an order of dumplings too, but honestly, they were more ordinary than I expected. My child still ate them happily, so they were not a problem for a child's palate at all. The fried squid was more memorable, while the dumplings ended up feeling perfectly fine.

It was nice that they gave us mouthwash as we left after the meal. The restaurant felt spacious and clean, and I noticed the country-of-origin sign as well, since it is designated as a safe restaurant. It seemed like a suitable space for group gatherings or family get-togethers too.

If you are looking for a good lunch spot in Namyangju or Byeollae, this is somewhere you can eat without much inconvenience as long as you time the wait well. That said, make sure to check the 2:00 p.m. weekend seating cutoff and break time before you go. It was good for a date too, but tables turn over quickly, so I would allow plenty of time if you want to sit and talk at a relaxed pace.