Seocho revisit: new mountain-pile clam buckwheat noodles, 2F group

I visited Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch, my go-to lunch spot near Yangjae Citizens' Forest, again a month later because they'd rolled out a new menu — off with the socks, let's yell about it~~ yyyyyyeeeeeee

Let me spoil you a little with what I ate today!

In the meantime, Yangjae's buckwheat market spot has gotten word-of-mouth buzz among people I know around here! The perilla oil makguksu and pollack sashimi-suyuk are genuinely delicious~~~~

I told friends nearby that a real must-try restaurant had opened near Yangjae Citizens' Forest, and when they tried it, they all agreed it was legit! I was so pleased!

Location and hours for Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch

• 2-minute walk from Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station Exit 2
• Open daily 09:00–21:00
• Separate men's/women's restrooms / group-friendly / parking in front (4 spots) / high chairs ⭕

The old menu — shabu baeksuk, seafood jjimdak, spicy chicken stew — is gone, replaced by clam buckwheat kalguksu!!! As a buckwheat specialist, I think it's right for them to lean into buckwheat!!!

There's a high chair at the entrance! And, actually, there's a second-floor space I hadn't noticed last time?

The 50-seat 2F space for group bookings and rentals

On the second floor there's a space that seats 50 for group reservations and venue rental! Here's the vibe up there

Seonbawi Memil Jangteo has apparently been on TV a lot!!! I'm so happy it opened near my house💛💛💛

There were already a lot of people eating around, so I only photographed the empty tables. It's an open kitchen, but the layout has a bend to it that keeps sightlines clean and tidy. Nothing had changed in a month except the menu, and the place was as spotless as ever👍👍👍

The new menu and prices

The perilla oil makguksu, pollack sashimi makguksu, and pollack sashimi-suyuk are all still there! And now there's mountain-pile clam buckwheat kalguksu and king mandu added!!! The clam buckwheat kalguksu can only be ordered for 2 or more servings! ₩26,000. King mandu is 4 pieces for ₩8,000. This is what I ate today!

If you come to Seonbawi Memil Jangteo Yangjae Branch, don't miss the survey & review event — be sure to grab the ₩3,000 discount coupon for suyuk (boiled pork)!!!!

Mountain-pile clam buckwheat kalguksu — it really was a mountain

Everything came out together, 5–10 minutes after ordering.

The clams came piled up like a mountain in a giant earthenware pot-sized bowl?!!

They also gave us dadaegi (spicy chili paste) on the side, saying to mix it into the broth according to personal taste!

It's been a while since I've seen a clam buckwheat kalguksu piled up like a mountain like this!

Nonstop gasps of admiration~~ I'd read a review before visiting and thought 'surely not that much'?? But it really did come out in a huge pile. Clams after clams, endless.

As you'll see in the video, all I did was gasp ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The moment they flipped it once with the ladle, this — clam aroma, I guess? — hit my nose~

You have to scoop with the ladle first! Even after piling a bowl full, it magically never looks emptied~

Now let's really dig in!

The taste of the buckwheat noodles and clam broth

There was dried pollack in there too. I took a spoonful of the broth first... with real clams in it, the broth was clean and cool, and the nutty, distinctive taste of the buckwheat noodles came through too. Wheat noodles can sometimes feel heavy, but thanks to the buckwheat, this felt clean and light, unlike a typical kalguksu. The noodles aren't especially thin, but they weren't stiff or heavy either — pleasantly chewy, and the combination of clams and buckwheat noodles was really great~

Tonight I once again had dinner with a kalguksu lover — specifically, a clam kalguksu killer. They ate it with real gusto~ shelling clams one by one meticulously.

Every time I eat this, I forget to shell them as I go, so I shell a bunch all at once and then eat them together with the buckwheat noodles in one big bite.

The king mandu with mushroom and meat filling — definitely add it

The king mandu was also really clean-tasting. The filling was minced pine mushroom (neungi) and meat together. The wrapper wasn't super thin, more of a medium thickness that was chewy, and the filling was generous enough that even eating 2 each per person, we were full. Since the buckwheat kalguksu is relatively light, pairing it with the mandu gave a nice change in texture — a great combo! If you're getting the buckwheat kalguksu, definitely add the king mandu as a side!!!

When's the best time to mix in the dadaegi?

As the owner suggested, I first tried the broth clear, and mixed in the dadaegi only at the end — it was noticeably spicier. If you're going to add dadaegi, don't put it in from the start; mix in just a little toward the end! You'll be surprised by the different flavor~

I took one more bite from the broth with the dadaegi mixed in, at the very end.

The clam shells kept piling up into a mountain too~ By about two-thirds through, I was getting full. I thought there was no way I could finish it all....?

But then!!! I finished the whole bowl!!! ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ I really cleaned it out, right? That's how good it was — good enough to empty completely!

And to finish, buckwheat tea!!! An absolute must!!!! Perfect for cleansing the palate at the end.

Who should try this

If you like buckwheat noodles' distinctive light, nutty flavor together with a cool, clean clam broth, this really suits a lunch near Yangjae Citizens' Forest. Recommended as today's lunch pick for office workers! Add the king mandu on top and it becomes an even more filling meal. With the weather turning nice and cool lately, if you're craving warm-yet-refreshing broth and noodles, I recommend this👍