Kal Guk Si

I have been wanting to come here since I got back from LA almost a year ago lol. First attempt was a fail because they were closed to do some reconstruction, I think.
The menu could use a little improving. If you’re not Korean, or with someone who knows what they are ordering, you might have a difficulty navigating through the menu to figure out what is what. Everything is in Korean with little hints here and there of what the food is.
Got the ox bone kalguksu and the anchovy kalguksu. which is the original.
If you have never ate kalguksu before, like my boyfriend, eat it WITH the kimchi and kaktugi that is served with the noodles. It adds flavor and taste. otherwise… you’ll be left thinking why people would bother eating bland noodles.
After the boyfriend figured out that part, he devoured his meal. We both left SO full, and content, that we wanted to go home and take a nap. Lol.
The waitress was super friendly, too. She was nervous that my boyfriend wouldn’t like the meal because she realized that he wasn’t Korean, and that it was his first time trying kalguksu, and was relatively pleased when he said he enjoyed it. :]
Definitely be back. especially since this is PERFECT during this season.

This restaurant now has a different name, romanized as Maet Dol («Noodle and Dumpling House»). It sounds like «Medal,» when said with an American accent. «Maet Dol» is a grinding stone or mill stone. Anyways, it is still a kalguksu place with a new name. Located in the same plaza, directly next door to, Scissorhands.
The bowls of guksu are large enough to feed a family of three people, or myself and my husband. We ordered the oxbone broth with hand pulled noodles. The noodles are the perfect «chulgit chulgit» texture, the broth is hearty and creamy, and vegetables are fresh. An excellent meal after a long night of partying.
They also have other popular Korean foods and stews, but I decided to order the specialty.
The staff is nice, especially if you speak Korean. However, the menu also has very clear descriptions in English.

Uh, I love the chicken kalguksu from here… Get it. And love it.
Seriously, I am no Korean cuisine expert (even though I live in Koreatown), but this place churns out really scrumptious chewy noodles. Toss them in the white creamy broth that this culture has perfected and I can think of few other stick-​to-​your-​ribs bowls of soup that makes me feel so happy and satisfied.
The first time, I had the ox bone variety, which was very good and I ate the whole thing. But by the end, when the top button of my jeans was holding on for dear life, my sister offered me a sip of her chicken soup. I thought, «What the hey!» and I dived in. So good. Maybe because I’m not a seafood fan (shoot me, Asian community), I liked this one more, as my bowl had a more noticeable fishy «je né sais quoi» to it.
I got this for lunch a couple weeks ago and ended up saving more than half of it for dinner. So much food and so yummy. Ask for the noodles separate (I’m sure they’d do this anyway).

Since I go to the hair salon next door, I’ve been seeing Kal Guk Si many times but never had gone until my friend suggested it.
FOOD: I had the noodle with anchovy broth which was so good. Plenty of chewy noodles in a tasty broth. This dish would be good in a cold day. I also had their shrimp fried rice which was bland but edible.

Good stuff. I appreciate that the noodles are handmade… not some mass produced bullshit and the taste proves it. Big portions. If you get this to go ask for the noodles separate from the soup. Will work out better for you, trust me. It’s been a while so I can’t remember everything, but I believe I got the dumpling soup with rice cake as one of the items, the dumps were great.
Yet another Duluth spot that you can’t complain about. If only ITP restos had as much diversity as OTP restos. Oooohhhh not allowed to say that on Unilocal!

Today we shared a bowl of the «ox bone broth» Kal Guk Soo ($ 7.99) — I think because Sarah E and I said we were sharing a bowl, they gave us a bigger portion than when I had the bowl to myself last wknd. See for yourself in the photos and compare the chicken vs. ox bone soup — we were glad we decided to share a bowl … we couldn’t even finish the one bowl. I actually liked the «ox bone broth» better — and we both agreed the broth got thicker and more flavorful over the course of our lunch.
We also shared the Dduk Bokki ($ 6.99) — it was pretty good but not the best I’ve had. Still, the spicy dish (and the fresh kimchi) was a nice complement to the Kal Guk Soo, and the perfect combination for today’s cold weather.
Next time I’m definitely trying the «spicy broth and seafood» Kal Guk Soo. Oh — and the service is very friendly here :)