Yongin kalguksu restaurant for a hangover cure: Jangwongap Giheung

Gomae-dong kalguksu in Yongin: what Jangwongap Kalguksu Giheung is

Today I want to introduce a great spot in Gomae-dong, Yongin. I went to Jangwongap Kalguksu Yongin Giheung Branch, which is super famous in this neighborhood. There are all kinds of restaurants around Gomae-dong, but when it comes to kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) lineage, this Jangwongap is the top dog.

It's written right outside: their philosophy of kneading the dough a thousand times to create dense, soft noodles. Having tasted it myself, I can vouch for it. Best of the best.

Right in front of the main entrance there's a customer satisfaction event going on too, and since waiting is a daily occurrence here, there's a waitlist kiosk.

Jangwongap Kalguksu hours, parking and what's nearby

• 90 Gomae-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (1st floor)
• Very spacious parking (ground-level lot)
• Daily 10:30 AM to 9 PM (break time 4–5 PM)

I happened to drink a lot yesterday and needed a hangover cure, and my kid was asking for kalguksu. This place popped right into my head. The interior is spacious enough for no issues with groups, and the parking lot is huge too, no problem there. Best of all, it's a ground-level lot, so it's convenient.

For reference, there's a convenience store right next door and a screen golf place upstairs, so the convenience factor here is really good.

The 7-ingredient broth and Uiseong garlic kimchi

The foundation of kalguksu is the broth. Jangwongap apparently uses a whopping 7 ingredients to brew their broth, including dried pollock (dried pollock, kelp, anchovy, shrimp, radish, green onion, garlic).

Another mark of a great kalguksu restaurant is the kimchi. They source Uiseong garlic directly and make their own kimchi — perfectly flawless. It's delicious even on its own, but it's an even better match with the shabu shabu!

Turns out the mushrooms are sourced directly from farms too, and they use premium rice — a truly healthy restaurant.

Chadol and minari wrap shabu kalguksu with galchisokjeot and sesame oil

What we ordered today: Jangwongap's signature chadol-minari wrap shabu kalguksu (thin-sliced beef and minari/water dropwort wrap shabu noodle soup), plus whole-shrimp seafood pancake. Making wraps out of chadol (thin-sliced beef brisket) and minari, dipped in a special sauce, is fun — this signature dish covers both health and taste.

I wonder who came up with dipping this in galchisokjeot (fermented hairtail innards) and sesame oil — you'd think it wouldn't work, but once you try it, you nod along. The sesame oil seems to be the key point especially; if the sesame oil weren't good, this deep, nutty flavor wouldn't come through. The meat feels very fresh and tender too — love it.

House-made noodles: 5 textures depending on how long you cook them

The wraps are delicious, but once you've had your fill of those, you add the noodles — and the secret to the chewiness is the self-made noodles! You can just eat it all at once, but they also introduce a way to enjoy 5 different textures depending on the time you eat them.

There's nothing done half-heartedly at this Gomae-dong, Yongin favorite, Jangwongap.

The chadol and minari pair really well together, and the mushrooms had a standout freshness too.

Is the whole-shrimp seafood pancake too spicy for kids?

The whole-shrimp seafood pancake is always delicious — tastes amazing every single time. But it seems too spicy for kids. The portion was big enough to easily feed 3 adults, and the flavor really lets the original character of the ingredients shine.

Misugaru, coffee and old-style snacks for dessert, plus sesame oil to buy

If you enjoyed your meal, on your way out you can wash it all down with misugaru, coffee, and old-style snacks. Coming to Jangwongap, you really have to have the misugaru. A lot of people linger for a simple tea time or some old-style snacks right after the meal too.

You can even sample the old-style snacks and buy them too — once you try them, your urge to buy shoots way up. (There are several kinds, which makes it even better.)

The sesame oil was so tasty, and since they sell sesame oil and perilla oil separately, when I bought sesame oil, I got a free bag of old-style snacks too. Truly the best kind of service.

If you're headed to Giheung Lotte Outlet or you're around Dongtan and want a healthy meal with a warm, refreshing broth — or if you just really want great kalguksu — I think it's well worth stopping by this Gomae-dong, Yongin favorite, Jangwongap Kalguksu :)