Dinner at Myeongdong Kyoja

Myeongdong Kyoja

Myeongdong Kyoja is a famous restaurant in Myeongdong area and has been around for more than 40 years. It was established in 1964 and was originally known as Myeongdong Kalguksu in 1966. However, due to copycats who used similar names, the restaurant finally settled on the name Myeongdong Kyoja in1978. The restaurants claims to be the founders of the handmade Kalguksu noodles, which literally means noodles made by cutting flour dough into thin slices by the knife.

The restaurant has 2 branches within close proximity to each other within Myeongdong, and relatively easy to find (that is if you do not get distracted by the countless of beauty-fashion shops along the way).

We managed to visit their main restaurant which occupies a 3-storey shop-space, and it was already very crowded and somewhat chaotic. The menu is somewhat limited with only 4 items, with free flow house-made kimchi on the side:

Kalguksu (chopped noodle soup) - ₩8,000
Bibimguksu (spicy noodle soup) - ₩8,000
Mandu (steamed dumplings) - ₩10,000
Kongguksu (noodles in cold soybean soup only available between April and October) - ₩8,000

We ordered two bowls of Kalguksu and one Mandu.

The menu

Kalguksu: The broth had a deep rich (chicken) flavor and a thick consistency. The noodles were slippery smooth,but much too soft and mushy for my liking.

Mandu: 10 little plump delights of fresh pork and vegetables folded in a thin translucent skin with almost perfect folds.

For me, the highlight was the mandu and the broth, not so much the noodles. That said, Myeongdong Kyoja is well-loved by both locals and tourists alike. So it is definitely worth a trip down if you happen to be in the Myeongdong area.

Klook.com

Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자)

Address: 29, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Phone: +82-2-776-5348 / +82-2-776-3424 (Branch)

Opening Hours: Everyday (10.30 AM – 09.30 PM)

Website

Getting there:

Main Branch: Take exit 8 of Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4). Upon exiting the station, turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight about 150m to arrive at Myeongdong Kyoja (명동교자) on the right.

Myeongdong Kyoja Branch No. 1: From Myeongdong Station (Exit 8), turn left onto Myeongdong 10-gil Road. Go straight about 280m to arrive at the restaurant on the left.

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