Namak, Muan lunch spot for handmade kalguksu and okdak: Miok Kalguksu

Hi, it's Jujueonni. I spent forever agonizing over what to have for lunch today and ended up landing on kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) haha. Honestly, Miok Kalguksu was a place that kept catching my eye every time I passed by. It's a self-made noodle place, and the menu is really short.

A short menu means they're that confident in it, right? I got so curious about that confidence that I went for lunch as my Muan Namak restaurant pick. Here's my Miok Kalguksu review!

Where is Miok Kalguksu, and what are its hours?

Miok Kalguksu is at 23 Daejuk-dong-ro, Samhyang-eup, Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, Unit 102. Hours are 11:00–20:00, break time 15:00–17:00, and last order is at 19:30.

They said they're open as usual during the Chuseok holiday!! Prices and hours can change, so I'd recommend checking before you go.

Parking in Namak: the part that matters

What really surprised me about Namak was how well set up the public parking is. There's a public lot right behind Miok Kalguksu, and pretty much every strip of shops around here has decent parking, so if you're driving, you really don't need to worry!! No hunting for some underground lot or anything!

A kind gesture from the Miok Kalguksu owner

For local children and teens at risk of going without meals, they apparently serve kalguksu free of charge!

Inside Miok Kalguksu: is it comfortable for solo diners?

First, the vibe of the place. Miok Kalguksu has only been open for about six months, so it was genuinely spotless. The floor, the tables — that fresh, brand-new-restaurant feeling was still very much there.

The tables weren't crammed together either, so I was comfortable the whole meal. There were solo diners and there were families, so the atmosphere felt easygoing either way.

Miok Kalguksu menu and prices

The menu is centered on kalguksu, so there isn't much to agonize over. Miok Kalguksu is ₩10,000, Miok Chogye Kalguksu is ₩12,000, and okdak is ₩4,000.

• Miok Kalguksu ₩10,000
• Miok Chogye Kalguksu ₩12,000
• Okdak ₩4,000

I ordered the Miok Kalguksu together with the okdak.

All the ingredients are domestic, the noodles are hand-pulled fresh every morning, and even the kimchi is made fresh every morning, they said. Hearing that instantly raised my expectations haha.

Table setting and barley sprout tea

Starting with the pre-meal drink — sprout barley tea — this was genuinely nutty and delicious!! I forgot to ask what it was!!! It was really good~! And that lid to keep dust off is such a nice touch from the owner!

Kimchi and the side dishes

I actually tried the kimchi first — it had that freshly-made geotjeori (unfermented kimchi) feel, crisp and tangy. That kind of kimchi is perfect with a mild-broth dish like kalguksu. The perilla oil sauce smelled amazingly nutty.

The kalguksu arrives

But what surprised me most was actually how you're supposed to eat it. Normally with kalguksu you just slurp down a bowl and that's it, but Miok Kalguksu was genuinely different. As soon as the noodles arrived, I took a spoonful of broth first, and the chicken broth flavor came through strong. It's not an in-your-face flavor — it's the kind of broth you just keep spooning up.

How to eat Miok Kalguksu in the right order

The eating method was actually written on the back of the menu, but try following it — it really shows off what makes this kalguksu different!!

Step one: perilla oil sauce

They told me to dip the noodles in the perilla oil sauce first. This was genuinely nutty and delicious.

Step two: chili paste (dadaegi)

The noodles are chewy, and combined with the perilla aroma, the flavor of the noodles themselves really comes through. Then you stir in the chili paste to make it spicier, and that's when the whole mood of the broth flips. Same bowl, but it feels like you're eating a second dish.

Step three: glutinous rice in the broth

At the end they bring out a pretty little bowl of glutinous rice separately, and mixing it into the broth gives you exactly that feeling of eating porridge after baeksuk (whole chicken soup).

One bowl, three different flavor stages, so I never got bored the whole meal.

Okdak for 4,000 won: chicken skin stuffed with dumpling filling

When I heard the name okdak, I just thought, what is this? haha. Apparently it's chicken skin stuffed with dumpling filling and fried. The outside is crispy, but the inside is packed with dumpling filling, so the texture is completely different from your usual dumpling. It's only ₩4,000, so it's an easy add-on, and it's also great to pick at while you wait for the kalguksu — I'd recommend ordering it together.

Why the restaurant is named Miok Kalguksu

The owner's mother's name is Miok. Named after her mother, using domestic ingredients and self-made noodles — I really love how hard the owner works and keeps improving things.

That's confidence in domestic ingredients.

Final verdict: is Miok Kalguksu worth a Namak lunch?

Miok Kalguksu is comfortable whether you're eating alone or coming with family. Even people who can't handle spicy food can join easily, since you can just skip stirring in the chili paste. It's a broth-based menu, so it's great on days when you want something easy on the stomach for Namak lunch. For anyone coming from nearby, it's close enough to work into a Mokpo lunch outing too.

Since break time starts at three, if you're planning a late lunch, make sure to check the hours before you go.

If you're hunting for a Namak restaurant and can't decide what to eat, this place is worth a try. Keep it in mind next time you're craving a warm bowl of soup for lunch in Namak. Next time I go, I'm planning to try the chogye kalguksu too haha.