Live tank clams and abalone kalguksu near Yuseong Oncheon Station

I heard there was a delicious kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) place in Yuseong, so this time I went for seafood kalguksu! The place I visited was Choi Jiseong's Seafood Kalguksu.

Location and hours

Address - 42 Munhwawon-ro, 1st floor, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea Hours: daily 11:00 - 23:00 Last order 22:30

It's about a 10-minute walk from Yuseong Oncheon Station, and it sits between Chungnam National University's main gate and the station, so it's a great option for anyone looking for a place to eat in the Yuseong area.

The inside of the restaurant

The interior was bigger than I expected, with tables set up generously. There was also a table in the middle, but a gathering was going on there when I visited so I couldn't get a photo of it, haha, sorry.

The menu — there's even a taster-size seafood pancake

You can check the menu from the photo! What I especially liked was that there's a taster size of the seafood pancake (haemul pajeon). It's perfect for when you want to try the pancake but the full size feels like too much. And they also have whole fried chicken on the menu, which was kind of surprising haha. Looking at the menu, I also thought that adding the self-serve fried rice into the leftover broth would be really good!

Individual plates of vinegar-chili sauce, soy sauce, and kimchi

And here's a detail I personally loved! Vinegar-chili sauce (chogochujang), soy sauce, and kimchi were each served separately on individual little plates.

Having these individual side plates prepared for each person was also a nice touch hygiene-wise.

A seafood tank with live clams

There's also a guide on how to enjoy the dish best. They said you can ask for more broth anytime if it runs low. And looking further inside, there was also a seafood tank. The clams were kept alive in the tank, which was great since it meant you get to eat really fresh seafood.

Seafood kalguksu — loaded with dongjuk clams, abalone, and scallops

Not long after ordering, the seafood kalguksu arrived! At the bottom of the pot were napa cabbage and bean sprouts giving off a refreshing broth, and on top were dongjuk clams (surf clams), abalone, clams, scallops, and more — really loaded with seafood.

They let it simmer away, and I fished out the clams one by one to eat. There was a nice variety of seafood in there, so it was fun to eat. The squid was also cleaned and prepped in-house, and it wasn't chewy at all — nice and tender. I really think dishes like this need to be loaded with seafood to be satisfying.

The seafood pancake, crispy

And the seafood pancake I ordered alongside! It had a strong almost-fried, crispy texture. The portion was just right too, so it wasn't overwhelming to eat alongside the kalguksu. Personally, I loved taking a bite of the pancake and then a sip of the hot yet refreshing kalguksu broth — it felt like a clean finish each time. So if you're looking for good seafood pancake in Daejeon, I'd say it's worth trying the taster size first.

When do you add the noodles?

After you've eaten a good amount of the seafood, a staff member comes over and asks if you'd like the kalguksu noodles added. You just say yes then, or you can ask for them to be added whenever you want.

In summary

If you're short on side dishes or want wasabi, you can use the self-serve bar. Overall, the seafood was loaded generously, so the broth was refreshing and clean-tasting. The portions were quite big too, so it seemed like a good spot to visit with a group. If you want a hot broth packed with seafood in Yuseong, this place is worth a visit! Especially if you've been searching for good restaurants in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, or Daejeon kalguksu spots, seafood lovers should check this one out. Next time I'd like to try the spicy version too!