Gyeongju Korean restaurant with aged kimchi rib stew: Hwangnam Dukkebi

National Heritage Media Art has been running at Daereungwon in Gyeongju since last week, so I took a trip to Gyeongju to see it too. Gyeongju is always so crowded whenever I visit, right? Hwangnidan-gil has lots of places to eat, but the popular ones come with long waits, so even choosing one lunch menu isn’t easy. After trying this and that dessert, I started craving something spicy and warming. That’s how I found Hwangnam Dukkebi Restaurant (황남두꺼비식당) Hwangnam Main Branch, which has aged kimchi pork back-rib stew.

Hwangnam Dukkebi Restaurant location and hours

It is at 16 Poseok-ro 1050beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, and there is no parking lot. Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00–17:00 and last orders at 20:30.

Everything we ordered, from back-rib stew to corn jeon

When you go to a restaurant with a big menu, it feels a little sad to leave after trying just one dish, doesn’t it? We ordered aged kimchi pork back-rib stew at ₩16,900 × 2 servings, Korean beef yukhoe bibimbap at ₩13,000, and golden corn jeon at ₩9,900.

What was the terrace seating like?

I liked the terrace seats right away. We sat on the terrace side. It was an enclosed, house-like space, but it didn’t feel stuffy, and it had that nice feeling of having a meal in Gyeongju.

Inside, there were decorative pieces that reminded me of mother-of-pearl cabinets, giving this modern restaurant a slightly old-fashioned feel. They suited the hanok houses of Hwangnidan-gil really well, too.

Aged kimchi pork back-rib stew bubbling on the burner

The aged kimchi pork back-rib stew arrived on a gas burner. Rather than eating it right away, we let it boil a little longer.

I kept lifting the kimchi upward as it bubbled so it would not sit on the bottom too long and burn.

The kimchi was deeply fermented and soft, and the meat came away from the back ribs easily with one bite. The broth was not just spicy; it had a touch of sweetness, too. Putting aged kimchi and back rib on a spoonful of rice completely cut through the richness from all the desserts we had eaten.

On a day like that, kimchi stew really was the answer.

Korean beef yukhoe bibimbap with kimchi stew

We ordered Korean beef yukhoe bibimbap too. The yukhoe bibimbap had Grade 1+ Korean beef. When yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) is not in good condition, you can sometimes notice the smell first, but this one was clean with none of that.

Mixing the crunchy vegetables and yukhoe together gave it a great texture. The yukhoe bibimbap was delicious on its own, but I also had bites of the aged kimchi pork back-rib stew in between. The spicy-sweet kimchi stew and mild yukhoe bibimbap worked nicely eaten alternately.

Be sure to try the golden corn jeon too

The dish I kept reaching for was the golden corn jeon. It was crisp outside, and the corn kernels popped with every bite. It had both sweetness and saltiness—exactly that sweet-and-salty combination. It would work so well as a beer snack, too. It is exactly the kind of flavor kids would love. Even once we were fairly full, we kept picking up one piece at a time from the middle of the table.

When you need a spicy meal after dessert

There are so many things you want to eat in Gyeongju that choosing one meal gets even harder, right? On days when you have had lots of desserts or snacks in Hwangnidan-gil, you might crave something spicy like I did. A spoonful of rice with the aged kimchi pork back-rib stew was just what I wanted then.

Adding the yukhoe bibimbap gave us more variety, and the golden corn jeon was easy to share alongside it. If you want a meal that is not rich around Daereungwon or Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju—and are also looking for dishes to share with children—this is a good place to come.

The aged kimchi pork back-rib stew was great with rice, and with yukhoe bibimbap and golden corn jeon on the menu too, both adults and children had an easy time choosing.