Weekday lunch clam hot pot for 3 at 55,000 won in Daejeon: Widaehan

I don't eat clam hot pot that often, but I really love clam kalguksu, and with the weather getting chilly I wanted some protein to warm up, so I went to Dong-gu for clam hot pot kalguksu~ Here's my honest review of 'Widaehan Jogae Jeongol,' a Dong-gu, Daejeon must-visit.

Widaehan Jogae Jeongol hours and parking

Hours daily 11:00–23:00 / break time 14:30–16:30 / closed 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month

🅿️ Parking for Widaehan Jogae Jeongol was available right behind the restaurant! They said street parking is also fine after 6pm.

I visited on a weekday at 12:30pm, and since lunch clam kalguksu is only ₩7,500, it seemed like everyone was having the kalguksu.

Apparently clams are rich in vitamin B1/B2, protein, taurine, and glycogen, so they're good for dieting, anemia, hangover recovery, and fatigue relief~ The inside was spacious and nice for eating clam hot pot!

Finding Widaehan Jogae Jeongol on Oh Sang-uk Street

I had no idea Daejeon even had an 'Oh Sang-uk Street,' but it turns out Widaehan Jogae Jeongol is right on it! So cool haha. There was even a signed autograph from athlete Oh Sang-uk there~

How much is the clam hot pot for 3? 55,000 won at a 'good price' shop

🦪 I ordered the clam hot pot for 3, ₩55,000✔️ Other places charged ₩50,000 even for 2 people, so this was clearly great value — turns out it's a 'good price' shop certified by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety💙

When I ordered, a genuinely huge hot pot came out~ The owner said he'd come back once the clams were cooked, so I just waited☺️

What banchan comes with it: silkworm pupae, sliced boiled pork, fried squid

The basic banchan (side dishes) were silkworm pupae, cabbage salad, and baechu kimchi, and

it seems the side dishes change a little day to day — the day I went, sliced boiled pork (pyeonyuk) came out! Hadn't had that in a while so I was glad haha, chewy and delicious.

Spring rolls and the squid tempura I'd been waiting for!

The real kicker was that instead of putting the squid legs into the hot pot, they fry them separately and serve them as tempura🦑👍🏻 Maybe because it had been a while, it tasted extra nutty and delicious~~✨

What's under the lid? Clams piled high, with fish cake and cheese

When the time came, the owner opened the lid and — visual jaw-drop~

It was packed with clams, and there was even fish cake and cheese in there!

The owner cut up the squid body into easy-to-eat pieces first! The cutting sound is so satisfying, listen to it in the video as ASMR haha😆

Next he cut the abalone into easy-to-eat pieces too~ It seemed like he timed it carefully, since abalone gets tough and loses flavor if it cooks too long✨

Maybe that's why the abalone was so tender yet chewy and genuinely delicious! It's probably also because it's live — there was actually a fish tank behind the restaurant👀

Scallops, bay scallops, Manila clams, hard clams and mussels in the pot

I filled a plate with scallops, bay scallops, Manila clams, hard clams, mussels, squid, and fish cake~

So fresh it was tasty just plain, and just as good simply dipped in wasabi and soy sauce.

Chojang (vinegared chili sauce) always works too~~ I really love squid, and sure enough it was chewy and delicious.

The cheese stretches out beautifully and it's sweet, so I bet even kids who don't usually eat clams would happily eat them dipped in cheese~ Of course, I ate plenty too🧀

Finishing with kalguksu noodles for 2,000 won

I filled up on clam protein, but you can't skip the kalguksu, right? I ordered kalguksu noodle sari, ₩2,000 x2 servings!! The noodles come pre-cooked to some extent so you don't need to boil them long, and it kept the broth from getting cloudy~

The napa cabbage was so good I was saving it, but after finishing all the clams I realized too late that there was a lot of cabbage layered at the bottom of the pot😅 The kalguksu noodles were chewy and delicious, so I ate them with kimchi too!! The kimchi was geotjeori (fresh unfermented kimchi), and it was surprisingly spicy — but in a good way~

After a while, I got to eat plenty of protein- and taurine-rich clams for a good boost, plus the kalguksu I always love, so I left full and happy haha. It's getting colder, and I bet this is even better in fall and winter! Recommending this Dong-gu, Daejeon kalguksu spot, Widaehan Jogae Jeongol🫶🏻