Family lunch: mazesoba, tonkatsu, spicy shabu noodles in Yongin

Since there are so many hagwons (after-school academies) around here, I pass through this street a few times a week, and it turns out there's a place famous for its ramen right along it. It also has tonkatsu, rice noodle soup, rice bowls and more, so it always had customers of all ages. When my schedule changed and I started needing to eat around here regularly, I finally gave it a try :)

Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch hours and parking

• Hours: Daily 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM
• Last order: 8:30 PM
• (There may be a break time if ingredients run out)

Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch, where my family visited, sits right in the middle of the academy district, so there were plenty of kids, and being close to the station, plenty of adults too. There's no dedicated parking lot, so it's convenient to use the nearby Women's Center parking lot. It's free on weekends and, being a public lot, not too expensive otherwise. No parking support is provided.

There's a big menu board outside with photos, so it was nice to browse the options before going in. As you can see, the prices are really reasonable — such a good deal for these days.

Lunchtime seating, baby chairs, and the vibe inside

Since we came right at lunchtime, there were no group tables free, so the three of us squeezed into counter seats :) A little while later, even the two-tops and single seats filled up, and a line started forming 👍

Maybe because it has kid-friendly menu items like tonkatsu, this restaurant known for its ramen near Sujigucheong Station also had plenty of baby chairs. Phone chargers were placed around too, which was really convenient.

Ordering is done via the tablet at each table. They also run a Naver receipt review and Instagram review event, so check it out if you're interested :)

There were even more menu items than what we saw outside — too many to capture in photos, so I recorded a video instead, for reference. My family ordered handmade pork loin katsu, spicy shabu rice noodle soup, mazesoba, and 2 pieces of mozzarella cheese katsu as a side.

What's at the self-bar

Up front there's a self-bar where you can grab what you need. Everything for the rice noodle soup was stocked generously — sriracha, hoisin sauce, cilantro seed powder, broth, kimchi, and pickled radish.

There were even toothpicks and hair ties — you can tell Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch pays attention to the details! :) It's also a Save the Children supporting store, which was nice to see since our family has been donating for 14 years now 😊

Mazesoba, a generously topped kids' order

Our child's mazesoba arrived first. She'd actually said she'd order the famous ramen, but changed her mind at the last minute and ordered this instead. If I'd known, I would have ordered the ramen myself — so disappointing! 😂 The table next to us had it and it looked amazing haha.

But it wasn't disappointing at all — the mazesoba was piled high with ground meat, scallions, chives, egg yolk, and seaweed flakes, so generously topped that I could tell right away this wasn't a place cutting corners just because it had a huge menu 👍

Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch even served kelp vinegar with it, and the eating instructions were written out clearly, which was a nice touch. They said rice is free with one order per person, but our daughter was too full after finishing the noodles to mix in any rice 🤣

I stole a bite of my daughter's neatly mixed mazesoba, and it was as good as what you'd get at a proper Japanese specialty restaurant. The seasoning was just right, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. There was also plenty of sauce left for mixing in rice.

Side dish: mozzarella cheese katsu (2p)

There was quite a variety of side dishes, and we ordered the cheese katsu our kid loves. It seemed pretty much identical to the full-size version, just a smaller portion.

It had a thin crispy coating with meat wrapped around a thick layer of mozzarella cheese. The nuttiness of the cheese, the meaty aroma, and the crispy fry all came together really well. Our kid said she's ordering this set again next time 🤣

How was the handmade pork loin katsu?

My husband ordered the pork loin katsu. Its thin coating and thick cut of meat caught the eye right away haha. It came with two sauces — regular and spicy — which was a nice bonus.

Personally I love pairing salt with wasabi, and Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch had that option too, so this place really hit my taste in more ways than one 🤭

After tasting it, my husband said the loin felt like chilled, not frozen, meat, and like it was fried as a whole cut of loin. He said you shouldn't just come here for the famous ramen — you have to try the tonkatsu on the side too 🤣

I tried a piece too, and it had a real meaty flavor with no gamey smell, so I enjoyed it a lot. I thought this would be a hit with students especially.

Spicy shabu rice noodle soup — okay even if you can't eat cilantro?

I ordered the spicy shabu rice noodle soup. In the photo the broth looks clear, but the spicy seasoning settles at the bottom, so you need to mix it well. This is the basic version with no added toppings.

When I tapped the menu item, a list of optional toppings popped up, and I hesitated a bit, but since it was my first time at Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch, I ordered it plain — even the basic version came generously loaded with meat and bean sprouts.

And the portion was so generous — the amount of noodles was huge too, even though the bowl itself wasn't small :) It tasted great and the portions were generous, which made me understand all over again why this place is always packed.

I usually enjoy cilantro, but my husband can't handle spice herbs at all — and since this rice noodle soup is Koreanized with basically no spice-herb flavor coming through, I thought it would work for anyone regardless of preference. I ordered the spicy version, and it was refreshing yet rich and spicy, the kind of thing that would be great for a hangover. Myeonsikdang Suji Government Office branch left me thinking I need to come back next time for that famous ramen 👍