Olympic Kalgooksoo May 7, 2008
Kalgooksoo, or “knife cut noodles” is one of my favorite comfort dishes. When I need a fix I only need to drive for a minute to Olympic Kalgooksoo which specializes in this delicious fresh wheat noodle soup. I always order the chicken kalgooksoo which graces the table in a ginormous metal bowl filled high with soft fresh noodles, tender shredded chicken and comforting delicious chicken broth. I take each bite with a piece of their delicious gut churi (unripened kimchi). It’s not adorned as much as Ma Dang Gook Soo’s but trust me it hits the spot. I can’t say which ones better though since I don’t recall having the noodles at Ma Dang in recent years.
When you get your big bowl of noodles you can flavor with these two seasonings. One is a scallion, soy sauce and sesame oil mixture. The other is dadaegi which is a red chili -garlic-scallion seasoning paste.
Variety was the name of the game that day so I also ordered a tray of jjin mandu (steamed dumplings). My goodness their steamed dumplings are so delicious. I believe the dumpling mixture is made with both beef and pork. So tender and juicy are these little parcels!
Their kongnamul bap (bean sprout rice) is also a hit. It is served exactly like a bibimbap in a clay pot all sizzling away. Bean sprouts, shredded nori and bits of beef all to be mashed up together with a dollop of spicy gochujang and sesame oil. If you’ve ever had dolsot bibimbap you know the best part is the crusted rice on the bottom of the pot. Serious eats right there. You can get this to go and it will be packed mixed with the fixins. Although minus the toastiness it is still quite delicious.
Can’t forget about the accompaniments now. One the left is their dongchimi (pickled daikon). It’s a tad bit too sweet but it provides a nice bite in between all the hot savory foods. And on the right their very popular gut churi. It’s the perfect punch to a mild comforting bowl of kalgooksoo. I’m always so occupied with the chicken kalgooksoo I rarely give myself a chance to try other dishes. There’s a few more noodles to try and when I do I’ll update you! Meanwhile go give these a try if you need a little comfort in your day.
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That looks so good. Glad to know there is other places to eat other than ChoSun when I’m around that area.
Thanks
I’m not a big fan of kalgooksoo except for the kimchi kalgooksoo at ma dang. However, the kimchi at Olympic looks really good. I heard the place is great so I guess I’ll have to check it out for myself sometime…
That looks like perfect comfort food! Another reason to head out east…
Those translucent dumplings are so beautiful! And those chili sauces….droool…..
hi nhbilly,
what kind of korean food do you like to eat? i can make a few recomendations for you.
hi hannah,
yeah i used to be a kimchi kalgooksoo girl but one day i changed to chicken. i don’t know how. maybe i can have a kimchi chicken kalgooksoo someday.
hi dawn,
yeah you are sooo far! come out over here more often.
hi su-lin,
those dumplings are kind of my weakpoint it’s so easy to pop a bunch into my mouth. they are super tender and the perfect size too. my mouth is watering just thinking about them!