Haeundae Haemul Kalguksu In Gijang | A Famous Oceanfront Restaurant In Busan
This is where you'll taste one of Busan's many proud local dishes, haemul kalguksu (seafood noodles), with a panoramic ocean view and the relaxing sounds of the waves.
Head northbound of Haeundae, Busan, you'll find completely different sea vibes in the peaceful district of Gijang.
New and exciting attractions like the new Lotte Magic Forest, Lotte Tower and luge park are set to be completed as early as 2021, making the oceanfront Gijang area even more worthy of visits!
In this tranquil Busan district sits a social media-famous restaurant serving up local's delight of haemul kalguksu, or seafood hand cut noodles, along with stunning panoramic views of the beach.
Korean netizens were raving that taking a big bite of the fresh seafood noodles with the sounds of ocean waves was a one-of-a-kind experience in Busan so we knew we had to try this place out in person.
Find out if it lived up to its hype!
Information
Address: 부산 기장군 장안읍 해맞이로 270
270 Haemaji-ro, Jangan-eup, Gijang, Busan
Hours:
Tue-Sun: 11:00-21:00
Weekday Break Time: 15:30-16:30
Weekend Break Time: 15:00-17:00
Mon: Closed
Transportation: 10-minute taxi ride from Ilgwang Station (around 9,000 won)
Menu
Haemul Son Kalguksu, or seafood hand cut noodles, is their signature.
Order add-ons when you initially place the order as they cannot be added on later!
MENU | PRICE (KRW) |
Seafood Hand Cut Noodles 해물손칼국수 | 9,000 / portion |
Chive Pancake 땡초부추전 | 12,000 |
ADD-ON | PRICE (KRW) |
3 Scallops 가리비 | 4,000 |
Small Octopus 낙지 | 13,000 |
Extra Noodles | 3,000 |
DRINKS | PRICE (KRW) |
Soju | 4,000 |
Beer | 4,000 |
Soda | 2,000 |
Review
The restaurant opens at 11am, we arrived at 10:50.
To our surprise, the parking lot was already almost full.
Hungry customers had already punched in their phone number into the automated waiting system and were waiting their turn.
The podium labelled "Tabling" is the automated waiting system, which is also available in English.
Put down your number and it'll notify you on KakaoTalk when a table opens up.
Thankfully because we got there before they opened, we were able to get a table at around 11:10am.
Walking down the alley towards the oceanfront seating area, we were filled with excitement and anticipation!
Just look at the view!
There are two areas that are situated on either side of the main hallway of the restaurant.
One area of the restaurant is occupied with wooden furniture, giving the space a calm feel.
Another area of the room is decorated with colourful tables in yellow and red, giving it a more vibrant atmosphere.
Unfortunately, it seemed that we don't get to choose which area to sit.
After we sat down, the rest of the tables started filling up really quickly and the restaurant had a different vibe from restaurants in Seoul as many people spoke with a Gyeongsang-do satoori!
Upon ordering, it didn't take long for our order to be served!
We got the signatures that everyone seemed to be ordering.
Ddaengcho Chive Pancake (땡초부추전)
11,000 won
Ddaengcho, also called Cheongyang pepper, is a spicy pepper widely used in local cooking in Korea.
The chive pancake with ddaengcho inside may be spicy to some palates, but it nicely balances out with the mild seafood flavour of the kalguksu.
Haeundae Haemul Kalguksu (해운대 해물칼국수)
16,000 won (2 portions)
Busan very likely has restaurants that serve up kalguksu as deep in flavour and delectable as this one, but you don't get to enjoy it with a wide ocean view elsewhere!
Can we talk about how generous the two portions of kalguksu is?
It needed both of our hands to cover the entire bowl!
The server will give you tongs and scissors with the pancake.
Cut it nicely into big bite size pieces.
Grab a chopsticks full of kalguksu along with fresh clams.
The seafood may be subject to change depending on the season, but this also shows that they only use fresh ones for their food.
The two different types of kimchi also make the eating experience here that much more diverse.
The radish kimchi is as spicy as Shin Ramyeon, so it was manageable for us.
However, the cabbage kimchi was extremely spicy and we were tearing up after one bite!
It was probably as spicy as Buldak noodles.
So take caution when it comes to the two kimchi!
After your belly is filled and happy, take the stairs up to get a view of the ocean from higher up.
Although not for dining, it has nice seating areas where you can enjoy the sea breezes before or after your satisfying meal.
Take some time to also take a walk on the beach right outside the restaurant!
The beach area occupied by the restaurant is usually decked up with fun items like lounge chairs and surfboards, but there was severe weather warning on the day of our visit, so all the props were tucked away.
Regardless, the short walk on the beach was a great way to digest the food because the portions surely were generous.
Oh, and if you want to grab coffee or dessert after the meal, stop by Waveon Coffee, a paradise-like cafe designed by the famous architect Kwak Hee-soo.
The outdoor lounge area of Waveon Coffee
Many customers of Haeundae Haemul Kalguksu (including us) seemed to head straight over to Waveon Coffee, which is right next door, to further enjoy their leisurely day.
If you're looking to explore a different area of Busan aside from Haeundae and Gwangalli, head north and explore the lesser-known Gijang area filled with great food, amazing nature scenes and pleasant surprises.
How To Get There
Given its remoteness, the restaurant is not accessible by public transit.
We highly recommend getting to the Northernmost subway station (Ilgwang Station) and taking a taxi from there.
It's a 10-minute ride from the station and the taxi ride will cost around 9,000 won.
We hope you can enjoy a delicious seafood meal by the beach at Haeundae Haemul Kalguksu! If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below or send us an email at help@creatrip.com! You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to stay updated on all things Korea!
