Feel Your Seoul with This Korean Noodle Soup

Finding Myoung Dong Kahl Gook Soo in Lougheed is tricky because there’s no English restaurant sign. This casual Korean joint is located inside the unassuming Korea Plaza, and the hassle of finding it is worth it for their Mandu Kahl Gook Soo alone. This Korean soup comes with three giant Korean dumplings known as mandu, and their specialty Korean knife-cut noodles, or kalguksu.

When I went on a weekday morning, the place wasn’t busy and I ordered right away at the cash register. Though most items on their menu have English translations, the Mandu Kahl Gook Soo doesn’t have one. Luckily, I’d seen pictures of it online so I knew to order it. When my Korean soup was ready, they called me to pick up a tray holding the generous bowl, as well as a side of bright red homemade kimchi and a special sauce.

The broth of the Mandu Kahl Gook Soo was a translucent, off-white colour. It tasted light, clean, and slightly salted, reminding me of homey chicken noodle soup but more complex. Ground pork, sweet onions, carrots, and green onion in the broth added a hint of sweetness and meatiness.

The slightly scraggly knife-cut noodles were flat and about a ¼-inch thick. Soft yet chewy enough, these noodles were a nice texture that wasn’t mushy.

On the side, the kimchi provided acidity and spice to contrast with the milder soup. To add a small explosion of flavour, I recommend the homemade sauce. This soy-based sauce featured green and red chilies, and had hints of fermented anchovy. The sauce was quite strong, but I loved it. To mix things up, I alternated having some bites plain and some with this sauce.

Feed your soul with the Mandu Kahl Gook Soo. You’ll feel like you’re in the home of a Korean grandmother when eating at Myoung Dong Kahl Gook Soo.