Hello everyone! 안녕하세요! We’re proud to present our special series on Halal makan places we visited during our recent trip to Seoul! This round – Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom 강화손칼국수 본점!
We were extremely honoured to be invited by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia) to visit South Korea again (we went to Busan and Jeju the last time) and also be a part of the launch of Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019! More information about that at the end of the post so let’s start on the makan no – 나 배고파!! 
(BTW – head down to our Instagram profile page and watch all the IG Stories from the trip!) 
Yes, that’s a giant bowl of Kalguksu ?
After arriving at Seoul Incheon Airport and settling down on our plans for the rest of the day, our group was ushered onto the bus. By then, we’d had a light breakfast but after our first stop, the weather got cold and wet and we got hungry again 😛
The next thing we know, we’re at Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom 강화손칼국수 본점!
“What exactly is Kalguksu??” you might be asking right about now… But tahan a bit more okay we start with the appetizers/side dishes first okay 😀
Kimchi is always a welcome guest at any table (and in my tummy) of course. Be sure to also treat yourselves to an excellent serving of Fried Prawns. Coated with Panko breadcrumbs + given the #DeepFriedGoodness treatment = SHIOK! And before you can say “Clam Kalguksu!” – it was all gone LOL
We also enjoyed a rather interesting version of Pajeon (파전). This popular Korean pancake traditionally consists of Scallions aka Green Onions (did you know the ‘Pa’ in Pajeon translates to Scallion?) as the main ingredient but this eatery used Leeks instead! So technically, this was a Leek Jeon 😀
Okay lah so Leeks and Scallions like macam the same family a bit but they make it a little differently at Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom 강화손칼국수 본점. Besides mixing the Leek leaves as a topping, they also incorporate it into the batter which gives it this beautiful and vibrant green hue. Topped off with some chopped nuts for texture and this was a winner in my books!
Okay so Kalguksu (칼국수) literally translates to ‘Knife Noodles’. The name refers to the roughly-cut noodles served in broth. The wheat flour noodles are thick (very similar to like Ban Mian!) and a little chewy but are perfect with hot, flavourful broth (often seafood based).
Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom 강화손칼국수 본점 is famous for their Clam Kalguksu (조개칼국수). You may have seen them in South Korean media publications and TV shows too. You can enjoy their specialty dish – Clam Kalguksu – served based on the number of people enjoying the dish. Best enjoyed together!
So that serving in a giant bowl you see is actually supposed to be good for 2-3 people but I think 3-5 also can whack lah. There was a generous amount of clams which added immense flavour to the rich yet light broth! The weather was still cool and it had just stopped raining so these hot noodles really hit the spot 😀
And in case you’re wondering, yes – they have a spicy Kimchi-based broth too!
They do have individual servings lah but if you’re in a group, enjoy one giant bowl and share. It’s a great experience and makes the food even tastier when you eat together 🙂 Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom 강화손칼국수 본점 was a great start to our adventure in South Korea!
A quick chat with the owner confirmed that there is no alcohol/animal derivatives used in any of their dishes. However, like a lot of eateries in South Korea, they do serve alcoholic beverages FYI!
A Quick Word About Halal Food In South Korea
So in case you’re wondering, it’s (thankfully) getting easier to find Halal food in South Korea these days. Across the country, Halal food and Muslim-friendly options are becoming more readily available. This is in part thanks to the efforts from organizations and events like Korea Tourism Organization and Halal Restaurant Week Korea!
You may see some of these labels when you visit restaurants that are suitable for Muslims to visit. They have 4 main categories that determine the ‘Halal-ness’ of an eatery. This is to be expected lah I guess especially where the Halal food scene is still developing and depending on which part of South Korea you’re visiting.
The 4 categories are;
- Halal-certified (safest as the eatery is certified Halal by the Korea Muslim Federation)
- Self-certified (basically means eatery is Muslim-owned)
- Muslim-Friendly (serves Halal food but may serve alcoholic beverages) *most common*
- Pork Free (eatery does not have Pork but may serve non-Halal meat and/or alcoholic beverages)
It may seem complicated with 4 categories but as always, we can simplify it. Do your due diligence and do not be afraid to #AskTheQuestion especially since you’re travelling. Halal is an individual responsibility so get the info and make an informed decision. Look for these labels at the door. If there is any doubt at all, best to give it a miss 
Our advice is to check out the Halal Restaurant Week Korea website where you can not only find a listing of Halal/Muslim-friendly eating options in South Korea but also enjoy some perks and discounts too! This year’s Halal Restaurant Week Korea 2019 is being held from 1st September til 31st October (longer than a week lah :P).
Check out this handy micro-site – www.hrwkorea.or.kr/coupons/coupons.php – for more details on how to get your coupons okay! Thank you Korea Tourism Organization for taking the initiative to spread more information about Halal / Muslim-travel in South Korea! ??
Ganghwa Son Kalguksu Bon Jeom
강화손칼국수 본점
678 Ganghwanam-ro, Yangdo-myeon,,
Kanghwa, Incheon, South Korea
Tel: +82-032-937-8707
Operating Hours:
CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS
This meal was part of a trip organized by the Korea Tourism Organization (Malaysia). We visited all kinds of cool places and plenty of Halal makan places including this one! All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
