Nami Island lunch spot with hot-plate dakgalbi for 3: Jayeon Dakgalbi

Why we chose Jayeon Dakgalbi for lunch near Nami Island

While planning our Nami Island outing, I was trying to figure out what to eat for lunch when I remembered a good lunch spot with hot-plate dakgalbi that's easy to eat with kids. Since my 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son can't handle spicy food, we headed to Jayeon Dakgalbi (자연닭갈비), a dakgalbi restaurant with a soy sauce option. It's also close to the Nami Island ferry dock, so it was convenient to stop by during our family outing.

Jayeon Dakgalbi is located on Bukhangang-byeon-ro in Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. It wasn't hard to get there by car from the Nami Island entrance, and there was plenty of parking space in front of the restaurant.

The parking signage at the entrance made it easy to park and go straight in. Parking can be a subtle worry when visiting as a family, but this time we were able to park fairly comfortably.

Inside Jayeon Dakgalbi: two spacious floors and Bukhan River window seats

Jayeon Dakgalbi has 1st and 2nd floors, and the hall itself is quite spacious. The tables weren't cramped, and the overall atmosphere was clean and tidy, making it a good place to sit and eat with kids. Ventilation was well installed at every table, so cooking dakgalbi on the hot plate didn't cause much discomfort from smoke.

We sat by the window, and the Bukhan River view outside made the meal atmosphere even better. The kids didn't get bored waiting for the food either, since they were busy looking at the scenery outside. Being able to enjoy the view along with the food near Nami Island felt like one of Jayeon Dakgalbi's strengths.

What we ordered: soy sauce hot-plate dakgalbi for 3, kid's rice, makguksu and fried rice

The menu had both spicy dakgalbi and soy sauce hot-plate dakgalbi. We wanted to try the spicy one too, but since the kids can't handle spice well, we went with soy sauce. That day we ordered three servings of soy sauce hot-plate dakgalbi, a kid's rice ball, memil-guksu (buckwheat noodles), and finally one serving of fried rice. There were various types of sari (add-ins) too, but we decided to try the basic set first.

The basic banchan (side dishes) came with lettuce, garlic, ssamjang (dipping paste), and kimchi. It was a familiar set that goes well with dakgalbi, and it was convenient. The lettuce was fresh too, good for wrapping bites of dakgalbi in between.

We could grab more banchan ourselves from the self-bar. When eating with kids, you end up going back for more side dishes several times, and it was hassle-free being able to take as much as we needed. The area around the self-bar was neat and tidy too.

How the soy sauce dakgalbi cooks on the hot plate

After a short wait, a hot plate piled generously with raw chicken, cabbage, rice cake, and sweet potato was set on the table. Just seeing the ingredients loaded onto the big hot plate felt filling.

As the chicken, cabbage, and perilla leaves started to cook, the aroma of soy sauce seasoning rose up. As the cabbage released moisture and mixed with the seasoning, everything looked more and more appetizing than at first. The kids kept watching the dakgalbi cook on the hot plate.

Can kids who avoid spicy food eat this dakgalbi?

We tried giving the fully cooked soy sauce dakgalbi to the kids first. Since it was soy sauce flavor and not spicy, both kids ate it without any trouble. I liked that we could choose the soy sauce version when we need to eat with kids who struggle with spicy dakgalbi.

Trying a piece of chicken, the soy sauce seasoning was moderately absorbed and the flavor wasn't overpowering. There was a subtle sweetness too, which was fine for the kids to eat. The meat wasn't dry at all and chewed tenderly.

Rice cakes, sweet potato and lettuce wraps

The kids also ate the rice cake well. Cooked on the hot plate along with the seasoning, it kept its chewy texture and the soy sauce flavor naturally soaked in. The kids kept alternating between the chicken and the rice cake.

The sweet potato also went well with the dakgalbi. With the seasoning soaked in plus its own natural sweetness, eating it together with the chicken brought a nice change of flavor.

I put chicken, shredded radish, and ssamjang on a lettuce leaf and ate it as a wrap. Compared to just eating the dakgalbi plain, adding the crunchy vegetable made it a bit more refreshing.

How were the makguksu and the kid's rice?

Memil-guksu (buckwheat noodles), a good pairing with dakgalbi, came out too. The broth was refreshing and clean, and it came topped with cucumber, carrot, and other garnishes. Taking a sip of the noodle broth between bites of soy sauce dakgalbi felt cleansing.

The portion of noodles was quite generous too. There was gim (seaweed) flakes on top adding a savory note, and it paired well with the dakgalbi.

Having the cool memil-guksu alongside the meat meant we didn't get tired of eating all the way through.

We also ordered a kid's rice ball for the children. Mixed well with gim flakes, tuna, and sesame oil and shaped like a rice ball, the kids really enjoyed it.

Shaping the rice themselves seemed to add some fun to eating for the kids. It was also an easy pairing with the soy sauce dakgalbi.

Finishing with one serving of hot-plate fried rice

After we'd finished most of the dakgalbi, we added one serving of fried rice. The staff added the leftover ingredients and gim flakes, then stir-fried it right on the hot plate. Since the seasoning remained on the plate, the rice absorbed the dakgalbi flavor nicely.

Even though we were pretty full, we still had room for the fried rice haha. There was even a fun bit of scraping up the slightly crispy part stuck to the bottom of the hot plate, so we enjoyed it deliciously right to the end.

Is Jayeon Dakgalbi worth a stop in Gapyeong?

This is a dakgalbi restaurant near Nami Island that we visited with our kids during our outing. Three servings of soy sauce hot-plate dakgalbi plus kid's rice, memil-guksu, and finally fried rice left the whole family full and satisfied. I especially liked that the soy sauce flavor wasn't spicy, so both my 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, who can't handle spicy food, could eat together. With the spacious restaurant, parking, and the Bukhan River view from the window, it was a great match when looking for a place to have lunch with kids near Nami Island.