Byung-ik Ahn, CEO of Siksin
Koreans have adored kalguksu for generations — it’s the ultimate comfort food. Steaming broth and hand-cut, rope-like noodles, slurped together, deliver a plain but deeply satisfying flavor that feels more soulful than it looks. Making kalguksu is delightfully simple: a basic wheat dough is rolled thin, cut into ribbons with a knife, and dropped into a simmering broth made from anchovies, chicken, beef, or seafood. Pair it with a plate of bright, spicy geotjeori (fresh, unfermented kimchi), and you’ve got a meal that can rival a banquet.
The dish traces back to jeolmyeon — knife-cut noodles — recorded in the Joseon-era cookbook Gyugonsiuibang. The method remains humble: roll the dough, slice it evenly, and cook the noodles in broth. Broth styles vary by region and taste — anchovy, kelp, clam, perilla seed, dried pollack, or even pufferfish — but every bowl shares one essential ingredient: care.
Regional influences have turned kalguksu into countless variations. In Seoul and Gyeonggi, chicken-broth versions are common; Seoul and Andong are known for beef-bone (sagol) styles. You’ll find clear-broth hand-cut noodles, Chungcheong’s mulchong and spicy takes, West Coast clam and seafood bowls, Gangwon’s ongshimi (potato-dumpling) and jang-style kalguksu, and Gyeongbuk’s nureun guksu, which gets a yellow tint from soybean powder. Jeju serves gogi guksu (meat noodles). There are also red bean, perilla, mushroom, bomal (sea-snail), and yukgaejang-style versions — so many choices for curious eaters.
Kalguksu is a symbol of everyday cuisine and aligns with Michelin’s philosophy of honoring the dishes locals love. This year, Michelin’s Bib Gourmand included Myeongdong Kyoja, Hwangsaengga Kalguksu, and Lim Byung-ju Sandong Kalguksu.
Even as food trends come and go, kalguksu still holds its spot on neighborhood corners. Plain noodles, warm broth, a plate of geotjeori — that’s everything you need. Here’s hoping your troubles unwind as effortlessly as those silky noodles.
- [Exclusive] Prosecutors probe Samsung semiconductor lines, boosting expertise in tech-leak investigations
- “Grab pizza, then go to service” fills a New York cathedral — Gen Z is reshaping American churches [Park Si-jin’s Global Pick]
- Owners agonize: “If I report it, I lose 2,000 KRW (approximately $1.50)”
- Will July’s special land measures and fair-market values change? More listings could hit the market in the Gangnam 3 districts [Kojubu]
- Korea’s version of SpaceX edges closer to reality — Hanwha to buy more KAI shares by year-end [Biz-Plus]
- Regulation cools housing-price forecasts, but the Seoul metro area still expects prices to rise
- No drugs, no vaccine: breathing stops and organs fail — suspected human-to-human spread sparks global alarm
- [Exclusive] Science talent awards budget cut from 2.1 billion KRW (approximately $1.58M) to 1.6 billion KRW (approximately $1.20M) — “We can’t even cover judges’ travel expenses”
- 2028? 2029? When will wartime operational control transfer? Lee: “We must be ready to operate independently” [Lee Hyun-ho’s Military! Talk]
- The 5th-generation health insurance trims non-severe coverage and lowers premiums — set to launch on the 6th
