Bucheon Korean restaurant, 3 eggplant fritter refills at 2pm: Gim

I went back to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang, my go-to spot in Jak-dong that I keep revisiting. My family gathering was held here last time, and this time I went with my uncle and mom!

What time can you eat at Gim Myeongju with no wait?

Going to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch just after 2pm meant no wait at all. There's a wait during the 12–1pm peak, so if you hate waiting, I recommend going late like me or doing an opening run!

A table for three: Tteuranchae Bapsang set plus grilled mackerel

Since there were three of us, I ordered the tteuranchae bapsang set for 3 plus a single dish, grilled mackerel! You could also order the set meal for 3 instead, but we just went with the grilled mackerel, haha.

Rice, stew and every banchan refillable

The biggest strength of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang is that rice, stew, and every banchan can be refilled! Just ask a staff member for stew and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) refills and they'll bring them right over. Every single banchan is delicious, so you end up refilling no matter what, haha.

Ten minutes for the stone-pot rice, then 12 dishes at once

Since it's stone-pot rice, the wait is about 10 minutes. Waiting for the rice is such a happy time! As soon as the rice was ready, the whole spread came out fast, haha. A full 12 banchan. You'd need at least this much to earn the title of best restaurant in Jak-dong, haha.

Grilled mackerel the size of your face

The mackerel comes out as a whole fish too, and I'm not exaggerating — it was the size of my face. (For reference, my face is pretty big, lol.) I felt full just from the mackerel alone, ㅠㅠㅠ why is it this big!!

If you love Korean food, this place will really satisfy you! It's not just a lot of dishes — each one is delicious, so it was hard to decide what to eat first. From namul (seasoned vegetables) to stir-fries and mixed dishes, the banchan are packed with things that go well with rice, so picking your favorites was genuinely fun.

Stone-pot rice instead of a plain bowl, with cheonggukjang stew

The stone-pot rice is amazing~ Stone-pot rice is love. The rice came out piping hot in a stone pot instead of a regular bowl, which made it even more satisfying. Freshly cooked, glistening and delicious on its own, it was heavenly with just one banchan on top! Korean food really needs warm rice done right, and this place nailed it from the rice up.

Along with this comes hearty cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), and yes, that's refillable too! Nutty yet rich, perfect for mixing into rice. It's not overly seasoned but has a strong savory flavor, so it would really hit the spot for parents or older visitors. I'm becoming a cheonggukjang lover myself as I get older!

One thing to watch when making sungnyung (toasted rice tea)

After scooping out the rice, I poured in water, and the pot was so hot the water started boiling furiously. I was a bit startled, haha. Be careful, it's hot!!

The eggplant fritters I refilled three times on my own

These eggplant fritters were absolutely magical. So good I ended up refilling 3 bowls all by myself...! Crispy outside, soft eggplant inside — it's pure art. It was so delicious I refilled like crazy, lol. Just the banchan alone earns this place its Jak-dong best-restaurant title!

Parking at Gim Myeongju and the final verdict

The banchan spread is so full and every single dish is delicious that you don't even need a main dish — you can finish a whole bowl of rice on banchan alone. Piling warm stone-pot rice with a banchan at a time, adding cheonggukjang here and there, makes for a truly filling meal! This is the place I want to return to whenever I crave a hearty spread and home-style Korean food. I'm now officially a regular at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang, the Jak-dong favorite where every single banchan was delicious. You should all definitely visit once~

Oh, and the parking lot is really spacious with a parking attendant on duty, so it's very convenient~ haha!!