Yongin Korean restaurant for a family meal near IKEA: Yubok Kalguksu

I visited Yubok Kalguksu Yongin Korean Folk Village Branch while looking for somewhere to eat with a child around Giheung. There were two adults and one child, and it was a place where we could all eat together. I especially recommend it as a good restaurant near IKEA or in Giheung if you are looking for a meal after visiting IKEA.

Parking and restaurant atmosphere

The address is 1F, 24 Minsokchon-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with last orders at 21:30 and no break time. Up to 20 cars can park in front of the restaurant, and Jigokcheon Bora-dong Public Parking Lot is free.

The parking area in front of the restaurant was well set up, so it was easy to visit! We went at lunchtime and it was completely full because there were so many people, but tables turned over quickly, so it did not feel insufficient.

The inside of the restaurant was spacious and pleasant, too. Best of all, I could see the clean kitchen.

What comes with the pufferfish seafood kalguksu set

We ordered the bokhaemul kalguksu set (pufferfish seafood knife-cut noodle soup), wang gogi mandu (giant meat dumplings), and a free child’s meal. The bokhaemul kalguksu set does not only come with kalguksu; it also includes barley rice and jjukkumi bokkeum (stir-fried webfoot octopus), making it a more generous meal than I expected.

What sets Yubok Kalguksu apart from other kalguksu restaurants is that it uses pufferfish broth! It is a restorative-soup-like broth flavored with prized pufferfish and fresh seafood rather than seasonings. I do not usually get many chances to eat pufferfish dishes, so at least I should have some pufferfish broth, haha. For reference, they also had all the benefits of pufferfish written out—it is supposedly very good for you.

Starting with stir-fried webfoot octopus and barley rice

I tried the jjukkumi bokkeum first. I mixed the webfoot octopus with barley rice and yuzu radish salad, and it had both bright tanginess and a spicy kick.

There was plenty of webfoot octopus and vegetables, and the rich sauce had soaked in well, making it just right with the barley rice. Even before the kalguksu arrived, it felt like we were properly starting a full meal.

Pufferfish-broth kalguksu loaded with seafood

Can you see all that seafood? There were plenty of clams to make the broth even more refreshing, along with oysters and mideodeok sea squirts. Above all, Yubok Kalguksu uses pufferfish broth, and with this much seafood added, it makes a truly clean, refreshing soup.

You put everything into the broth at once and turn over the hourglass; when the time is up, it is ready to eat. The wait was not boring because the jjukkumi bokkeum came out first, so we were not hungry while waiting!!

The broth had such a deep flavor, while tasting clean and mild, so it was great to share with a child! My child kept drinking the broth, haha.

The jjukkumi bokkeum was spicy and rich, while the pufferfish seafood kalguksu was clean and mild, so the two dishes worked beautifully together as a set meal.

Giant meat dumplings and a free child’s meal

We also added an order of four wang gogi mandu for the child. Four large dumplings came out, with wrappers that were not too thick and filling that was satisfyingly substantial, so they were lovely alongside the kalguksu.

One thing I loved about visiting with a child was that children under seven receive a free child’s meal! It was white rice topped with furikake, and it tasted like something I loved when I was little, haha. With dumplings and broth as well, my child had a filling meal!

There is also a dessert corner once you finish eating. There are old-fashioned Korean snacks, and you can have coffee, too.

A family meal near IKEA

Two adults and one child visited and ordered the pufferfish seafood kalguksu set plus giant meat dumplings. We were satisfied because we could enjoy a good variety of dishes, including the jjukkumi bokkeum. If you are looking for something a little different from typical kalguksu in Giheung, or a comfortable place to share a meal with a child, this is a restaurant worth visiting.

There are plenty of nearby places to enjoy, including IKEA, Lotte Outlet, and Korean Folk Village, making this a very good choice when you want a hearty Korean meal. With its refreshing pufferfish broth plus jjukkumi bokkeum and barley rice, Yubok Kalguksu is a place I would recommend for a family meal with a child.