Rainy-day terrace at a Siheung charcoal grill house: Bulhyangjip

A real charcoal grill restaurant where the smoky flavor and care really shine! While looking for a proper restaurant by Mulwang Reservoir, my whole family ended up visiting Bulhyangjip, right by the lake!

46-2 Dongseo-ro 811beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do / Daily 11:00–20:30 / Closed every Monday (open if Monday is a holiday, closed Tuesday instead)

Parking and first impressions at Bulhyangjip Mulwang Lake Main Branch

Bulhyangjip Mulwang Lake Main Branch has a big open lot behind the restaurant. Even nervous drivers can visit comfortably without worrying about parking!

It was raining the day we visited, but the outdoor scenery blending Mulwang Reservoir and the lawn was really lovely and atmospheric~ There was a delicious smell wafting from the entrance, so we walked in with high hopes! There's usually a wait, so I recommend booking through CatchTable or Naver Reservation!

Floor-seating room, terrace tables and the pet policy at Bulhyangjip

Bulhyangjip has a clean, spacious interior with a private floor room~ (reservable if you're with infants/toddlers or a group of 6 or more!) Plus, pets are welcome, but only on the terrace seating!

We sat on the terrace, and even with kids, the space felt comfortable and roomy~ The wide, green lawn view outside was so nice that we were already relaxed before we even started eating~

How ordering works and what's on the handmade side-dish self-bar

A tip for ordering! At Bulhyangjip, the first order has to be 2 servings of the same menu item, and after that you can order other items from just 1 serving! There's a drink giveaway event for Naver receipt reviews, so make sure to join!

Side dishes and wrap greens come out as a base, and if you run out, you can freely grab more from the self-bar — that was really great!

The wrap greens were really fresh, and all the banchan (side dish) herbs were delicious, so even the kids ate them happily just piled on rice, no complaints haha.

Turns out it's all handmade at the restaurant, and you can freely help yourself at the self-bar. No wonder... the wrap greens were so fresh, and maybe because everything is handmade, all the side dishes tasted even better!

While at the self-bar, I got to watch them grilling the charcoal scallion bulgogi right there on the charcoal fire — fun to watch, and the smoky smell kept rising, so my anticipation kept building even before the dish arrived!

Three servings of charcoal scallion bulgogi and the kids' tray service

We ordered charcoal scallion bulgogi (3 servings), country grandma doenjang jjigae, and mom's-hand steamed egg.

What really impressed me was the owner's thoughtfulness! If you ask, they'll set up a cute kids' tray with a fork and spoon, plus seaweed — an eating-out essential. Such a nice touch...

Finally, today's main dish! The charcoal scallion bulgogi came out packed with scallions and bulgogi — I was impressed by the sheer amount first, and since it stays warm right at the table, we kept enjoying it right to the end!

The meat alone is clean and delicious, and it's also great dipped in the sauce that comes with it, but wrapping it with the various greens makes the smoky flavor fill your whole mouth — I strongly recommend eating it wrapped!

The bulgogi portion was quite generous, and eating it wrapped filled us up fast — but there was no giving up on the side dishes!

How were the steamed egg and the country grandma doenjang jjigae?

The steamed egg we ordered together was truly a masterstroke! I wonder if there's some special secret — it was so much deeper, nuttier, and softer than other places that I kept thinking about it the whole way home~

The doenjang jjigae was spicy and savory, and I was surprised at first because the tofu pieces were bigger than at other places! A big bite of tofu with the broth was pure happiness... we ate it mixed into rice, and also with tofu, meat, and scallions, cleaning the bowl.

The steamed egg and doenjang jjigae are both dishes I strongly recommend! Honestly, since we were at a well-known Siheung restaurant, I really wanted the bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles) too, but we were too full to order it, sadly. Next time I'll definitely order Bulhyangjip's bibim guksu along with everything else!

What to order next time at Bulhyangjip, and the verdict

The table next to us was eating the gochujang bulgogi, and the spicy smoky smell looked really tasty~ Next visit, I'm going to try the gochujang bulgogi too! You can get complimentary dessert coffee on your way out, so be sure to try that!

A restaurant whose smoky flavor keeps coming to mind~ Also a perfect stop for a scenic drive, Bulhyangjip by Mulwang Reservoir in Siheung comes highly recommended! Great meat is a given, and with easy parking, it's a perfect place for family gatherings, dates, groups with little ones, and pets alike~