Jeonju restaurant with spicy kimchi refills: Eonyang Dak Kalguksu

I tried the chicken kalguksu (칼국수, knife-cut noodle soup) and spicy chicken gomtang (곰탕, chicken bone broth) at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Songcheon-dong Eco City Branch, a Jeonju Hoseong-dong restaurant.

Half a chicken in a hearty bowl, thick chewy noodles, a nicely balanced amount of perilla powder, and deliciously spicy kimchi — here's my honest review of this Jeonju Hoseong-dong restaurant.

I wanted a warm, filling meal with hot broth, so I went to Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Songcheon-dong Eco City Branch. That day I ordered chicken kalguksu, dumplings, and spicy chicken gomtang.

What we ordered at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu and what it cost

That day at Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Songcheon-dong Eco City Branch I ordered chicken kalguksu (large) + 4 dumplings for ₩14,500, chicken kalguksu for ₩11,000, and spicy chicken gomtang (large) for ₩13,000. Total: ₩38,500.

You can upgrade to a large portion for just ₩1,000 more, which gets you a much more generous serving.

Chicken kalguksu served with a big half chicken

Eonyang's chicken kalguksu feels hearty from the broth alone.

Above all, a big half chicken sat in the bowl, which made it look really satisfying. With that much chicken, one bowl of kalguksu alone would fill you up.

And what I liked most was the noodles.

They're not thin and light — they're on the thicker side, which gave a nice bite and chewy texture.

Even though I'd ordered spicy chicken gomtang, I ended up stealing these noodles from the other bowl the whole time because they were so good. I think I ate most of them, so the unexpected star of the day turned out to be the chicken kalguksu.

Perilla powder that is nutty without taking over the broth

The chicken kalguksu broth here has perilla powder mixed in.

The perilla flavor wasn't so strong that it turned thick and heavy, but it also wasn't so faint that you couldn't taste it.

It hit a good middle ground — nutty but not overwhelming. Since I got the large portion, there was too much noodle to add rice, but the broth was tasty enough that I think it would go well with rice too.

Is the spicy chicken gomtang really spicy?

The dish I'd originally come to eat was the spicy chicken gomtang. It comes as a stone pot with rice already mixed in, and when it first arrived the broth looked surprisingly white, making me wonder, 'Is this really the spicy one?'

But my mind changed the moment I took a spoonful.

The broth isn't very red, but once you taste it, there's a definite, subtly sharp spiciness.

It's noticeably spicier than it looks, which made it great to eat piping hot.

With rice already mixed in, it was a filling, satisfying bowl on its own.

The self-serve kimchi is fiery, and worth a refill

I have to mention Eonyang's kimchi. It's quite spicy.

The heat hits hard enough that you naturally reach for water, but oddly enough it's not just spicy for the sake of it — it's a deliciously spicy style that kept pulling me back for more.

I drank a lot of water because of the spice, but I still kept picking up more kimchi. Eaten with the kalguksu, the spicy kimchi paired well with the nutty broth too. In the end, I refilled it from the self-serve bar.

Chicken kalguksu or spicy chicken gomtang: which to order

This Jeonju Hoseong-dong restaurant offers a large-size option, so I could eat generously. Since it's only ₩1,000 more than the regular size, going large is a great choice when you're hungry.

In particular, the big half chicken, the thick house-made noodles, and the well-balanced perilla powder all combined to make the chicken kalguksu quite impressive.

Like me, you might end up ordering spicy chicken gomtang and then constantly stealing noodles from the person next to you.

The noodles were so much tastier than I expected that I kept reaching for them. Being house-made noodles, the thick, chewy texture was especially good. If you love noodles, don't do what I did and covet someone else's bowl — just order the kalguksu instead of the gomtang from the start.

If you're a noodle lover, I'd recommend going with the chicken kalguksu.

Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Songcheon-dong Eco City Branch: hours, parking and address

Hours are 11:00 - 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 - 17:00.

There may be biweekly closures on Mondays in addition to the regular schedule. If you're planning a Monday visit, it's best to check with the restaurant beforehand.

There's a dedicated parking lot, so parking is convenient. You can park easily and enjoy your meal without hassle.

The address is 230 Songcheon-jungang-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk-do, South Korea (Songcheon-dong 2-ga 489-1) — this is Eonyang Dak Kalguksu Songcheon-dong Eco City Branch, a Jeonju restaurant. The restaurant is located in Songcheon-dong, Jeonju. Since Songcheon-dong is right next to Hoseong-dong, it's also a convenient stop for anyone searching for a Jeonju Hoseong-dong restaurant. It's also close to Jeonbuk National University Hospital and Jeonju Zoo, making it a good option if you're looking for a restaurant near Jeonbuk National University Hospital or Jeonju Zoo.