Myeongdong Gyoja(명동교자) is one of the most popular restaurants in Myeongdong. As a restaurant selected by Michelin’s Bib Gourmand, it is famous for kalguksu and dumplings, and is visited by many foreign tourists as well as Koreans.
It is a restaurant with a history that opened in 1966, and kalguksu and dumplings are representative menu. There are restaurants in Myeong-dong and Itaewon, which are frequented by tourists, so accessibility is good. Also, there is a separate seat for one person, so it is a good restaurant for eating alone.
Location
Myeongdong Gyoja has a total of 3 stores. Two stores in Myeong-dong and one store in Itaewon. The main restaurant is located in Myeong-dong, and the other branch restaurant is located very close, a 1-minute walk away. There is a wait at any store as it is always crowded with customers. The rotation of the restaurant is very fast, so the wait time is short.
The Main Restaurant of Myeongdong Kyoja – 29, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
The Branch Restaurant of Myeongdong Kyoja – 8, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
Itaewon Branch of Myeongdong Kyoja – 136, Noksapyeong-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Hours
10:30~21:00 (20:30 last order)
(Itaewon Branch only 15:30~17:00 Breaking Time)
Kalguksu(칼국수) : 10,000 won
Dumplings(만두) : 11,000 won
bibimguksu(비빔국수, Mixed noodle) : 10,000 won
Kongguksu(콩국수) : 10,000 won(Summer only menu)
(Kongguksu is a cold, savory soup made from finely ground beans, served with noodles. It is a popular Korean dish in the summer, and this dish also goes well with kimchi.)
What kind of food is Myeongdong Kyoja’s kalguksu?
Kalguksu is a Korean noodle dish that means noodles cut with a knife. It is a dish eaten with noodles in a warm broth. Myeongdong Kyoja’s kalguksu is characterized by thick chicken broth topped with meat and dumplings with a wide dumpling skin. The broth is thick and delicious, so it goes well with soft kalguksu noodle, and it is very delicious even if you take extra rice and put it in the soup. Kalguksu’s dumplings are small inside, but the skin is wide, so the texture of the dumpling skin was good.
Myeongdong Kyoja’s Kimchi
Myeongdong Gyoja’s kimchi is impressive with a clean and strong taste, as it using garlic and spicy red pepper powder. Therefore, it is perfect to eat with kalguksu. Kimchi can be refilled for free, so if you run out of kimchi, feel free to ask for it. However, if you have difficulty with spicy, try a little and decide if you want to eat kalguksu together.
Dumplings and Spicy Noodles
Dumplings have a good taste with a lot of meat, so it’s good to order and eat when only kalguksu isn’t enough. These dumplings are filled with pork, chives and sesame oil and are characterized by thin dumpling skin. Also dumplings has delicous full of gravy. Like kalguksu, it goes well with kimchi.
Bibimguksu is also a favorite food of Koreans. It is a menu to eat cold noodles with spicy and sweet gochujang sauce. It is traditional food that Koreans are like to making and eating at home. It’s also not too spicy, so if you can eat a certain amount of spiciness, it’s a good menu. There are sliced cucumbers on top of the noodles, so you can feel the crunchy texture.
Free Refill
At Myeongdong Kyoja, kalguksu noodles and rice are refilled for free when you order food for the number of people. If the amount of food is small, please feel free to refill the noodles and rice.
How to order
There is always a wait line at Myeongdong Gyoja Restaurant, but the line tends to shorten quickly, so you don’t have to wait long. The store is basically prepaid, so you have to sit down, decide on the menu, and pay for the food right away when you place your order. Then the food you ordered comes out with almost no wait.
