Kongguksu, also known as cold soybean noodles, is a summer speciality in Korea. It’s not the dish you’d think of when it comes to Korean food, but locals love it, especially on hot summer days.
The dish is typically served cold, sometimes with ice cubes in the milky soybean broth, together with noodles. Sometimes, it’s topped with sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes for colour, and even a whole boiled egg.
It’s not easy finding a good bowl of Kongguksu, as it’s really challenging to execute the perfect bowl. The noodles have to be the perfect texture; they can’t toughen from the coldness of the broth, and the broth can’t be too diluted or too intense.
The previous time I had a really good bowl was in Jinju House, a restaurant located in Yeouido, Seoul.
Best Kongguksu in Korea
This summer, I found myself in Jeju, and a local introduced me to a restaurant called Tongil Garden (통일가든).
It’s located slightly East of Jeju, in a neighbourhood known as Jocheon.
The restaurant looks unassuming, but it is packed with locals waiting patiently outside for their turn.
All this for a bowl of Kongguksu?
It turns out that the restaurant is only open for roughly 4 to 5 months a year, with operations starting on April 22nd for the Year 2025. They only operate from 10:30 am to 3 pm, every day except Tuesday, and once the summer wave passes, the restaurant closes until next year.
Tongil Garden in Jeju
The restaurant is pretty old school, with diners having to request a physical queue ticket and wait for their number to be called.
It’s all in Korean, even the number calling, so be mentally prepared if you’re not well-versed in Korean.
There are stools scattered outside the restaurant, usually under trees for shade. I visited on a weekday around 1pm and waited for roughly 25 mins. The queue moves faster than I expected, as most tend to leave after finishing their noodles.
Menu at Tongil Garden
The menu here is straightforward. You can pick either the Black Soybean Kongguksu, priced at 13,000 won, or the Yeolmu Guksu, which is 11,000 won per bowl.
It’s served together with side dishes, stir-fried eggplant in perilla seed and yeolmu kimchi. The kimchi does have a kick to it, so take note, non-spice eaters.
The Kongguksu is made using black soybeans, which is reflected in the colour of the broth. It’s thick, nutty and has an almost sesame fragrance to it. Despite its consistency, I easily slurped down most of it and didn’t find it cloying.
You might be surprised by the colour of the noodles, which is green because they are made using broccoli leaves, making them more nutritious. The texture is chewy and resembles that found in Jjamppong, but it feels bouncier and smoother.
The pairing of each bite with a side of Yeolmu Kimchi, makes this bowl super easy to wash down.
On the other hand, the Yeolmu Noodles are served with a clear soup. The spice slowly builds up with each bite, but it proves to be a refreshing choice for the summer heat. However, the star of the show is undoubtedly their Kongguksu.
Jeju Restaurants
If you’re ever in Jeju during summer, definitely pay a visit to Tongil Garden. You don’t just get to try a summer speciality, but one of the best versions of it.
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Tongil Garden (통일가든)
제주 제주시 조천읍 조와로 14
14 Jowa-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si
Wed-Mon, 10:30am to 3pm, Closed on Tuesdays
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*This was an independent review by MiddleClass
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