Kalguksu near Dongbaek E-mart, Yongin: Saturday lunch, parking

Whenever the weather turns chilly or I just start craving something warm and soupy, I somehow end up wanting kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup). So this time I headed over to Baekcheongu Kalguksu's Dongbaek branch in Yongin.

It's near Dongbaek E-mart, so it wasn't hard to find, and I'd heard the mandu jeongol (dumpling hot pot) was just as good as the kalguksu, so I went for lunch :)

Location and hours of Baekcheongu Kalguksu Yongin Dongbaek Branch

• 📍 Location: 19 Pyeongchon2-ro 1beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–21:00 (until 20:40 on Sat/Sun)
• Group seating / baby chairs / parking available

Where to park on weekends?

If you visit on the weekend, you can just park right in front of the restaurant! I parked with plenty of room myself.

There's a big sign out front, so even on my first visit I found the place easily. The exterior had a clean, comfortable feel overall, and the menu was posted near the entrance so I could check what they served before going in, haha.

Saturday lunch atmosphere and seating

The dining room was bigger and cleaner than I expected. The tables were spaced out well, and the window side let in a view of outside, so it never felt cramped. There were a lot of families having lunch too, and when I visited on a Saturday, the place was already full! I'd recommend booking through Naver Reservations.

The order — seafood kalguksu for two plus half-and-half steamed dumplings

The menu was simpler than I expected. Seafood kalguksu, seafood & dumpling hot pot, kongguksu (chilled soy milk noodles), mandu — mostly dishes built around doing kalguksu and mandu really well.

Seafood kalguksu for two + steamed dumplings (half-and-half) = ₩35,000, ordered!

Barley rice and kimchi come out first

Something I really loved about Baekcheongu Kalguksu ♡ — while you wait, they bring out barley rice first. You mix in yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) and bean sprouts with a bit of gochujang and sesame oil, and it's surprisingly delicious. You'll finish a whole bowl of barley rice before the main dish even arrives :) (Both the napa cabbage kimchi and yeolmu kimchi were great too!)

Portion and broth of the seafood kalguksu for two

Here comes the main event 🦐seafood kalguksu🦐!

Once the clam broth comes to a boil, the owner personally adds in all the ingredients! It's hard to believe this is just a portion for two, right?

Since it's cooked bubbling away right at the table, the seafood aroma starts rising as it boils, and you just can't wait to dig in! While it simmered, the dumplings I'd ordered (half meat, half kimchi) arrived too!

Half-and-half steamed dumplings: meat mandu vs. kimchi mandu

I really recommend ordering the dumplings. You'll know from the first bite that these aren't store-bought. The kimchi mandu in particular was so, so good. A hint of spicy kimchi aroma rises up, and the filling inside is generously packed — truly delicious.

The meat mandu was mild with a juicy, savory bite, while the kimchi mandu had that distinctive kimchi umami with a pleasant kick of spice. Next time I visit, I'm planning to order kimchi mandu again and get some to take home too!

Noodles and broth

Once the seafood had fully infused, I tried the broth first, and it was clean yet refreshing. The kalguksu noodles get cooked right in the broth, and they had a nice chewy texture, soaking up the broth beautifully. What I loved most was that the broth wasn't overly seasoned or harsh, so I kept scooping up spoonful after spoonful, haha.

With plenty of seafood, chewy noodles, and that genuinely delicious kimchi piled on top, it was the perfect finishing touch. I really appreciated that there was no harsh MSG flavor either.

Who is this good for?

The dumplings were generously filled and went great with the kalguksu. At first I thought the portion might be too much, but somehow the pot was nearly empty by the time we finished, haha. Above all, this felt like a great spot to come with family or friends for a hearty, easygoing meal.

I'd recommend it as a great place to visit when you're craving something warm and soupy, or just kalguksu, in Yongin's Dongbaek area :) I think I'll be back myself the next time I get a craving, haha.