Tag: Bibim Guksu

If you only eat one bowl of noodles in Jeju, it should probably be gogi guksu, the island’s pork noodle soup. We drove out to Aewol on the northwest coast this summer with our two kids and had lunch at Handam Guksu, a bright little noodle shop where you slurp your noodles while looking out at the sea.

What surprised me was that my favorite bowl wasn’t the famous pork soup at all. It was the spicy bibim guksu with a bowl of cold radish kimchi broth on the side. Here is everything we ordered, plus how to skip the lunch queue.

Quick facts

Finding it

Handam Guksu is in Aewol-eup, on the west side of Jeju City, right on the busy coastal road. Look for the big cream signboard with four black Korean letters, 한담국수, and the red awning. It is about 10 m from Randy’s Donuts and Fizz Burger, so if you are already walking the Handam coastal path or hopping between the Aewol cafes, it is only about five minutes away.

We came by car, which is how most people get around Jeju. There were spaces right in front of the shop. If those are full, the restaurant covers 1 hour at the Aewol Handam lot beside Randy’s Donuts or the Handam Walking Trail lot beside Olive Young. Note that Handam Parking Lot 1 and 2 are not included.

📍 Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol (한담국수 곽지애월점), 1F, 33 Aewol-ro, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si · Naver Map · Google Maps

Inside, the dining room is clean and bright, and the whole front is glass. From our table we could see the sea over the treetops, which made the noodles taste even better on a hot day.

Along one wall there is a tidy self bar with kimchi, pickled radish, green chili peppers and ssamjang (dipping paste). Take as much as you like. I really appreciated the baby forks and kids’ bowls stocked there, so we didn’t have to ask staff for anything.

What is gogi guksu?

Gogi guksu (고기국수) means “meat noodles.” It is a Jeju specialty: thick wheat noodles in a cloudy pork bone broth, topped with slices of boiled pork. It is not spicy, which makes it a good first Korean meal for kids or anyone who avoids chili.

What we ordered

1. Dongchimi bibim guksu (동치미 비빔국수, dongchimi bibim guksu)

This was my number one. The noodles come mixed with a sweet and spicy red sauce and topped with a big pile of lean pork that has been shredded by hand. On the side you get a bowl of dongchimi broth, the cold, tangy liquid from radish water kimchi.

Eat it as spicy mixed noodles first. Then, halfway through, pour the dongchimi broth over and stir. It turns into a cool, slurpable noodle soup, and the sweet heat of the sauce with the cold broth was exactly what I wanted on a summer day. Chewy noodles, spicy sauce and clean-tasting pork together just kept me going back for more.

2. Dombe naengsuyuk (돔베냉수육, dombe naengsuyuk)

We added this as a side. Dombe is Jeju dialect for a cutting board, and this is thin-sliced pork belly with the skin on, boiled and then served chilled on a wooden board. Cold pork can carry a bit of a porky smell, and I won’t pretend it has none, but for chilled pork this one was very clean. Put a dab of wasabi on top and eat it with a mouthful of noodles. The texture is great and the pork flavor comes through nicely.

3. Gogi guksu (사골 고기국수, sagol gogi guksu)

The signature. The broth is made from pork bones, yet it had no gamey smell at all, even with all that meat in the bowl. It wasn’t greasy either. It tasted clean and light but still deep, and it clung nicely to the thick noodles.

We ordered the large size, and the portion was huge. Unless you are a big eater, the regular is plenty. Our younger child loved this one, which made it the bowl the whole family shared.

4. Salkogi gukbap (살코기국밥, salkogi gukbap)

If you prefer rice to noodles, get this. It is the same rich broth with rice and lean shredded pork. Once the rice soaked up the broth, I put a piece of kimchi on top of each spoonful, and it was a very filling bowl.

Menu and prices

Dish	Price
Pork noodle soup in bone broth (signature) 진한 사골 고기국수	₩10,000 ~$7.10
Pork noodle soup, large (July kiosk) 사골 고기국수 (곱빼기)	₩11,000 ~$7.90
Spicy mixed noodles with dongchimi broth 동치미 비빔국수	₩10,000 ~$7.10
Mala pork noodle soup with peanut sauce 마라 고기국수	₩11,000 ~$7.90
Rice soup with lean pork 살코기국밥	₩10,000 ~$7.10
Chilled sliced pork 돔베냉수육	₩15,000 ~$10.70
Steamed rice (July kiosk) 공깃밥	₩1,000 ~$0.70

*USD figures are rough estimates at about ₩1,400 to $1. Prices are from Naver Place (menu updated October 2026); the items marked July kiosk are from the ordering screen at our visit and are not on Naver’s list. Prices can change.

Tips for visitors

• Book on Naver. Lunch is the rush; on a Friday at noon many people were already waiting through CatchTable, while we walked straight in with a Naver booking.
• It is a daytime shop. Open 10:00 to 16:00 with last orders at 15:30, so plan it for lunch.
• Order at the table. Each table has an ordering tablet, and it has a LANGUAGE button.
• Share two noodles. One gogi guksu and one bibim guksu gives you mild and spicy, hot and cold.
• Think twice about the large size. The regular is already generous.
• Ordering phrase: “Gogi guksu hana, bibim guksu hana juseyo” (고기국수 하나, 비빔국수 하나 주세요) means “One pork noodle soup and one bibim noodles, please.”

Is it kid-friendly?

Very much so, in our experience. The gogi guksu is mild, and our younger child ate it happily. The bibim guksu is spicy, but it is a pleasant level: our 7-year-old said it was spicy and still wouldn’t put her chopsticks down. Baby forks and kids’ tableware are at the self bar, and Naver lists high chairs and group seating for 6 to 24. No pets, though.

My verdict

Handam Guksu is an easy, satisfying lunch stop on an Aewol coastal day: a clean bone broth that even our kids loved, a bibim guksu with a clever cold broth twist, sea views from the table and simple parking. Book on Naver, order both noodles, and then walk it off along the Handam coastal path.

Handam Guksu Aewol FAQ

Where is Handam Guksu Aewol, and is there parking?

Handam Guksu Gwakji Aewol branch (한담국수 곽지애월점) is on the ground floor of 33 Aewol-ro in Aewol-eup, on the west side of Jeju City. It sits on the main road about 10 m from Randy’s Donuts and Fizz Burger, a 5-minute walk from the Handam coastal walk and the Aewol cafe street. There were spaces right in front when we went. The restaurant also covers 1 hour of parking at the Aewol Handam lot next to Randy’s Donuts and the Handam Walking Trail lot next to Olive Young, but not at Handam Parking Lot 1 or 2.

What are the opening hours of Handam Guksu Aewol?

Handam Guksu Aewol is open every day from 10:00 to 16:00, with last orders at 15:30, according to Naver Place in October 2026. It is a lunch spot, so do not plan it for dinner.

What should I order at Handam Guksu Aewol?

Get one gogi guksu (pork noodle soup in bone broth) and one dongchimi bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles with a cold radish water kimchi broth) and share. Both are ₩10,000. The bibim guksu was my favorite. Add the dombe naengsuyuk (₩15,000, chilled sliced pork) if there are three or more of you.

Is Handam Guksu Aewol good for kids?

Yes, in our experience. Our younger child happily ate the mild gogi guksu, and our 7-year-old kept eating the bibim guksu even while saying it was spicy. The self bar has baby forks and kids’ tableware, and Naver lists high chairs. Pets are not allowed.

Do I need a reservation at Handam Guksu Aewol?

It helps a lot at lunchtime. When we arrived around noon on a Friday, many people were already waiting through CatchTable, but we had booked on Naver beforehand and walked straight in. Naver booking takes parties of 2 to 16.

Spending a night near the airport? My other Jeju pick is Pork80 for thick-cut black pork BBQ. Craving noodles back in Seoul? Try Sammi Tantanmyeon in Sinchon. All island guides: Jeju restaurant guides.

Visited: July 2026. Prices and hours last checked: October 29, 2026, on Naver. Please check Naver Map before you go.

This post is based on my own visit and photos. I used AI tools to help with the English wording.