After a picnic or bike ride at Ttukseom Hangang Park, you’ll want something cold and satisfying — and there’s a makguksu spot right there that does the job perfectly. Bongpyeong Memil Makguksu sits directly in front of Jayang Station Exit 1, a short walk from the park, and it’s exactly the kind of honest, comfortable Korean noodle house locals go to after a day by the river.
First — what’s makguksu?
Makguksu is a Korean cold noodle dish made from buckwheat (memil), a summer favorite. It comes three ways here, and it’s worth knowing the difference:
- Mul-makguksu — in a chilled, refreshing broth (the classic; start here)
- Bibim-makguksu — tossed in a sweet-spicy sauce, no broth
- Deulgireum-makguksu — dressed with nutty perilla oil, mild and savory
If you’ve only had the more famous naengmyeon, makguksu is its rustic, buckwheat-forward cousin — chewier, earthier, and just as cooling on a hot day.
The location (why it’s perfect for the park)
The restaurant is right in front of Jayang Station Exit 1, and very close to Ttukseom Hangang Park — ideal for a meal after a picnic or a bike ride along the river. (Google Maps)
Inside, it’s roomy with big tables and lots of seating — the warm, familiar feel of a classic noodle house, and enough space for groups.
The menu
The stars are the three makguksu, but the menu runs deep: perilla-seed kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), perilla sujebi (hand-torn dough soup), potato ongsimi (chewy potato dumplings), buckwheat kalguksu, yukgaejang, and ttukbaegi bulgogi. Sides include buckwheat jeon (savory pancakes), buckwheat and potato dumplings, and bossam. Everything is available for takeout — handy if you’d rather eat by the river.
There’s no English menu, but here’s the easy workaround: the restaurant’s Naver Map listing shows the menu with photos, so you can see the dishes before you go or point to what you want. (New to Naver Map? See my guide to navigating Korea without Google Maps.)
We ordered mul-makguksu, deulkkae gamja ongsimi, and a plate of suyuk.
Mul-makguksu (11,000 KRW)
Cold, clean broth with chewy, springy noodles and well-judged seasoning — the kind of bowl you keep going back to. Generous portion, too; one bowl is a full meal.
Deulkkae gamja ongsimi (12,000 KRW)
Chewy potato dumplings in a rich perilla-seed (deulkkae) soup — nutty, fragrant, and comforting. The dumplings are big and satisfyingly chewy, and there are plenty of them. A great warm counterpoint to the cold noodles.
Suyuk (15,000 KRW)
A plate of tender boiled pork — the perfect add-on when noodles alone won’t cut it. Well-cooked with no gaminess, soft, with a good balance of lean and fat. Eat it with the pickled radish it comes with for double the flavor.
Details
- Address: 67 Ttukseom-ro 34-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Jayang Station Exit 1)
- Hours: 10:30am–9:00pm daily
- Price: mains 11,000–15,000 KRW; card accepted
- Everything is available for takeout.
Verdict
This is exactly the kind of place you want near Ttukseom Hangang Park: unpretentious, generous, and genuinely good. Cool, clean mul-makguksu, nutty perilla ongsimi, tender suyuk — not a weak dish among them. Pair it with a picnic at Ttukseom or a Han River bike ride, and you’ve got a perfect low-key Seoul afternoon. When the weather’s hot and you want something refreshing, this makguksu spot is worth the stop.
