Ansan kimchi jjigae with four sides and dessert coffee: Choburi Gojan

If you're Korean, kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) is one of those dishes you crave no matter when you last had it, right? It's one of my soul foods. This time I found a spot in Gojan-dong that hits my exact taste, so I'm rushing over to share it!🔥

The stew is simmered with very little broth, and it comes with freshly made stone-pot rice, so it's a filling meal. If you've been looking for a kimchi jjigae spot in Gojan-dong, pay attention to today's review!😊

Where is Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch, and where do you park?

Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch is located near the 25-hour plaza in Gojan-dong, part of the Gojan new town. If you're driving, you can use the public parking lot right in front of the store.

• 🚗 By car - Use the public parking lot in front of the store → free on weekends/holidays, building parking not available
• 🚇 By subway - Exit 2, Gojan Station + 15-minute walk

I just parked along the street nearby!

Is this Gojan-dong lunch spot big enough for groups?

The inside of Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch was spacious and clean, and tables could be pushed together, so it looked great for family outings or group meals. I got so excited thinking about the kimchi jjigae that I realized I forgot to take photos of the inside and outside of the restaurant...🤣

Turns out Choburi Kimchi Jjigae has been run by the same family for three generations.

On one wall there was also a certificate for Hanwoo/Hanu pork sales, saying the kimchi jjigae uses grade-1 domestic pork. Meat really matters in kimchi jjigae, right? Three generations of tradition plus premium domestic pork — I was already excited to see how good it would be!

Choburi Kimchi Jjigae menu and prices in Gojan-dong

I took a photo of the menu board for anyone planning to visit 👀 By the way, the raw pork skin-on kimchi jjigae can be ordered as a single serving too! For 11,000 won you get kimchi jjigae plus freshly made stone-pot rice, so it's totally fine to come solo, and honestly this is such good value...👍

What we ordered at Choburi Kimchi Jjigae

• Raw pork skin-on kimchi jjigae (with stone-pot rice) ₩11,000 ×2
• Hanwoo pork, skin-on, 120g ₩5,000 ×1
• Grandma's fragrant perilla oil fried egg ₩5,000 ×1
• 30cm extra-large Bongpyeong buckwheat & chive pancake ₩8,000 ×1
• Ramyeon sari, unlimited refills ₩1,000 ×1

I thought about just having the kimchi jjigae, but since I love meat and was curious about the sides, I went ahead and ordered generously!

There's also a no-lose review event going on!

How to cook and eat Choburi's kimchi jjigae at the table

Finally, the kimchi jjigae I ordered arrived! Since it's simmered with very little liquid, there wasn't much broth at first.

The Hanwoo pork I ordered, side dishes, and the silver ear mushroom that comes with the Naver reservation perk all arrived together. Now let's really get it simmering!

On the table there were instructions for how to best enjoy Choburi Kimchi Jjigae. I added all the extra meat and silver ear mushroom into the base stew, set it to level 6-7 as instructed, and let it bubble away!🔥

You can't just sit there waiting while the stew simmers, right? In the meantime, I scraped up the freshly made stone-pot rice and added water to make sungnyung (scorched rice tea)!

How does Choburi's thick-simmered kimchi jjigae taste?

After a bit of waiting, the lightly simmered kimchi jjigae was ready!🥘 There was so much stuff in it that the solid ingredients caught my eye before the broth even did.

Silver ear mushroom, skin-on pork, kimchi, tofu — every spoonful came up loaded with ingredients..

It wasn't sweet — sour and spicy in a way that tasted like home cooking, totally my style. The chewy-textured silver ear mushroom was a nice touch too! And the added Hanwoo pork especially was chewy with zero gaminess, which made me really glad I added it. More meat is always better, right? 😋

Kimchi jjigae with a perilla oil fried egg: does it work?

Grandma's fragrant perilla oil fried egg also arrived.🍳

There was so much perilla oil on the plate that the fragrant smell drifted over right away. And true to form(?), the owner cooked it to a perfect soft-yolk finish.

Pop the yolk, add a ladle of kimchi jjigae into the stone-pot rice, mix it all together... and you get a rich, nutty, perfect bite!

The 8,000 won 30cm Bongpyeong buckwheat and chive pancake

Next came the 30cm extra-large Bongpyeong buckwheat and chive pancake. The name already says it's extra-large, but seeing it in person, it was really, really big,,,😳

Instead of crispy, it had a soft and chewy texture with a nutty aroma, and the bits of chive you bit into now and then were great!

Finishing with 1,000 won unlimited ramyeon noodles

Once you've fully enjoyed the lightly simmered kimchi jjigae, it's time for ramyeon sari (instant noodle add-in)~🍜

After adding extra broth from the self-serve bar (you're not supposed to break the noodles apart..), I dropped the whole block in! Drizzle a little broth over the noodles, cover it to cook through, and you get perfectly chewy ramyeon sari!

Noodles soaked in real kimchi jjigae broth — even full, I couldn't resist this part.. And since it's 1,000 won for unlimited refills, ramyeon lovers can really eat until they're stuffed!

Dessert at Choburi: self-serve ice cream and Paul Bassett coffee

Everyone has a separate stomach for dessert, right? On the way out, there was a solid lineup of ice cream, Paul Bassett drip coffee, and instant mix coffee. A hearty meal finished off properly with a cup of coffee!

Is Choburi worth it for kimchi jjigae in Gojan-dong, Ansan?

I went for just kimchi jjigae but ended up properly enjoying sides, ramyeon, and dessert too at Choburi Kimchi Jjigae! Generous portions, and it's an easy place to visit whether you're eating solo, on a work lunch, or in a group — I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a place to eat in Gojan-dong.

It also seems like a good spot to fill up before heading out to Daebudo or Oido. If I'm ever craving kimchi jjigae in the area again, I think I'll go back and pay out of my own pocket! If you're looking for a good restaurant in Gojan-dong, keep Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch in mind.. Another delicious meal today!