Seohyeon lunch with soybean-scented gyoza dumplings: Gangnam Gyoja

What's good to eat for lunch when the temperature swings this much between morning and afternoon?! Kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), of course. It's a different kind of comfort food from ramyeon, the kind you remember longer the better the kimchi is — let me introduce Gangnam Gyoja Seohyeon Branch, a lunch spot near Seohyeon Station.

Where is Gangnam Gyoja Bundang Seohyeon Branch, and how far is it from Seohyeon Station?

Gangnam Gyoja Bundang Seohyeon Branch is only 1–2 minutes from Exit 5 of Seohyeon Station, on the AK Plaza side. It's on the 2nd floor of Dadu Plaza.

Gangnam Gyoja on the 2nd floor of Dadu Plaza is much cleaner and lighter than Myeongdong Gyoja, so I'd recommend it as a Bundang Seohyeon Station favorite.

Gangnam Gyoja Seohyeon menu and prices

• Kalguksu ₩10,000 — Gangnam Gyoja's signature noodle dish, a rich yet clean chicken broth paired with soft noodles
• Gyoza dumplings ₩11,000 — Gangnam Gyoja's signature steamed dumplings, bite-sized and filled with a well-seasoned secret-recipe stuffing
• Spicy kalguksu ₩10,000 — a noodle dish with a spicy yet deep flavor
• Spicy sujebi ₩10,000 — hand-torn dough with a chewy texture, spicy and refreshing thanks to the secret spicy seasoning
• Kongguksu (seasonal) ₩11,000 — traditional-style soybean noodle soup made with nutrient-rich chlorella noodles, deep, clean and nutty
• Chogyeguksu (seasonal) ₩11,000 — a summer specialty with chlorella noodles and chicken in a chicken broth that's cold to the bone, finished with a secret sauce
• Bibimbap ₩10,000 — fresh vegetables and savory stir-fried meat with a rich gochujang seasoning and sesame oil aroma
• Sagol tteok-manduguk ₩10,000 — rice cake and dumpling soup with a deep, clean flavor
• Dakgaejang ₩12,000 — Gangnam Gyoja's own spicy chicken soup, made by simmering fresh chicken for a long time and topped with various garnishes
• Seolleongtang ₩12,000 — milky broth simmered with care, clean brisket and chewy noodles
• Perilla sujebi ₩11,000 — hand-torn dough noodles cooked in Gangnam Gyoja's secret broth with nutty perilla seeds
• Gangnam bossam ₩18,000 — boiled pork, soft and clean, in a deep-flavored milky broth
• Bibim noodles ₩10,000 — low-temperature aged secret seasoning sauce with sweet-and-sour pickled radish, fragrant cucumber strips, and chlorella noodles
• Tteokgalbi ₩4,000 — made in-house, juicy and chewy

Given today's prices, a basic kalguksu at ₩10,000 and gyoza dumplings at only ₩11,000 make this a much better deal than Myeongdong Gyoja. Plus it's great for trying a variety of dishes to suit your taste — bibim noodles, spicy kalguksu, bibimbap, seolleongtang, tteok-manduguk, and more.

They even do seasonal menus like kongguksu and chogyeguksu — such a diligent restaurant. The staff were kind and the restaurant was spacious, so I could eat comfortably.

Free bowl of rice and a receipt review perk at Gangnam Gyoja

At Gangnam Gyoja Bundang Seohyeon Branch, writing a receipt review gets you tteokgalbi or a drink, and rice refills are free. Such a great Seohyeon Station lunch spot for a warm meal in fall and winter!

Basic kalguksu plus gyoza dumplings — how do the dumplings taste?

It was one of those days when I was craving dumplings even if I had to take leftovers home, so I ordered a basic kalguksu and gyoza dumplings at Gangnam Gyoja.

What is going on with this dumpling quality~~ Take one bite and there's a toasty soybean aroma just like injeolmi (sweet rice cake coated in bean powder)? Is that from the meat, or did they add bean powder??

A bite of dumpling that's clean, not greasy at all. The kind of taste where, if you let yourself go, you could probably eat two whole plates on your own.

Kimchi with the kalguksu, and a generous meat topping

You know that feeling when you put a piece of kimchi on Gangnam Gyoja's kalguksu noodles and take a bite — instant "this is it, this is it." Blow on it and slurp it down, and it's just so delicious, this Gangnam Gyoja kalguksu!

They're so generous with the meat topping on the kalguksu that it stayed plentiful all the way to the last bite of the bowl. Portion-wise, you'll never feel shortchanged — in fact they give you so much there's some left over, a truly generous-hearted place. Give Gangnam Gyoja Seohyeon a visit as your go-to Bundang AK Plaza Seohyeon Station restaurant :)