Whole crab shell pot rice at a Cheongju Seongan-gil restaurant: Sorori

Today I went to Cheongju and stopped by a place famous for its pot rice! It's Sorori Cheongju Main Branch, located near Seongan-gil in Cheongju. They have all kinds of pot rice, plus a pretty unique menu item — buckwheat gimbap — that I'd wanted to try for a while.

Where is Sorori Cheongju Main Branch?

Sorori Cheongju Main Branch is located on the 1st floor of 37 Jungang-ro, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk. It's close to Seongan-gil, so it's a good spot for a date or a meal after shopping there.

The exterior uses white walls and wood, giving off a clean but cozy vibe. The sign isn't flashy either — the whole feel is calm.

🚗 Parking and opening hours at Sorori Cheongju

If you're driving, the most convenient option is the Cheongju Urban Regeneration Hub Center underground parking lot. After your meal, the restaurant offers 1 hour of parking support.

Parking around Seongan-gil can be surprisingly tricky, so the parking support is a real plus for anyone coming by car.

• 📍 37 Jungang-ro, 1st floor, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk
• ⏰ Weekdays 11:00–20:30
• ⏰ Break time 15:00–17:00
• 🚗 Use the Urban Regeneration Hub Center underground lot
• 🚗 1 hour of parking support with a meal

What's the atmosphere like at Sorori?

Once inside, the space felt bigger than it looked from outside. Wood-toned tables and chairs give the whole place a warm feel. We got seated with no wait at all when we visited!

Sorori is also fun just to look around — there's retro decor everywhere, from old CRT TVs to a Super Famicom and video tapes haha.

There were also several LP records displayed on the wall. Familiar albums from Radiohead, Queen, Oasis and more made for fun browsing while waiting for the food.

Side dishes, self-serve bar and anchovy broth

Once seated, the basic side dishes arrive — diced radish kimchi, salted squid, pickled peppers and more.

You also get warm anchovy broth to go along with the meal. It has a savory, rich aroma and was nice to drink before or after eating.

The self-bar has mountain peppers, salted squid, diced radish kimchi and seaweed ready to go. If you run out of side dishes, just help yourself to more. Everything was kept clean and tidy, which I liked.

What we ordered at Sorori and the prices

This time we ordered three things: crab pot rice for 14,000 won, Hanwoo beef intestine pot rice for 15,000 won, and salmon buckwheat gimbap for 13,000 won.

Crab pot rice, 14,000 won: a whole crab shell on top

First up, the crab pot rice! Having a whole crab shell sitting right on top of the pot rice is a pretty striking sight haha. There was also a generous amount of crab meat scattered around it.

Lift the crab shell slightly and you'll find crab meat and sauce piled thickly on the rice. Mixing it all together... this dish had a genuinely rich, deep flavor. The savory taste of crab coats every grain of rice with a really intense flavor.

Not just crab — the shrimp had a solid presence too. It wasn't just a hint of crab aroma; the ingredients were generous enough that you could actually feel the crab meat in your mouth, which was satisfying. If you like the rich, savory taste of crab or crab preserved in soy sauce, you have to try the crab pot rice!

Hanwoo beef intestine pot rice, 15,000 won: spicy sauce makes it

Next, the Hanwoo beef intestine pot rice! Chunky beef intestine, chives and onion are piled on top of the rice, with crispy garlic chips heaped on top of that.

The beef intestine pieces were quite large. The outside was lightly seared with a smoky char, while the inside kept the chewy, fatty texture that's unique to beef intestine.

But you know how beef intestine can get greasy after a while? This is where the restaurant's real strength shows. The spicy sauce plays a genuinely important role. It reins in the fatty richness of the beef intestine so you can eat all the way through without getting sick of it. Personally, I think this sauce is the real kick of the Hanwoo beef intestine pot rice 👍

Salmon buckwheat gimbap, 13,000 won: buckwheat noodles inside

And the dish I'd really wanted to try at Sorori! Salmon buckwheat gimbap (seaweed roll).

The biggest difference from regular gimbap is that buckwheat noodles go in instead of rice! Inside there are generous chunks of raw salmon, egg, shiitake mushroom and more. At first I thought, "Does this combination actually work?"... but after one bite I understood why it's the signature menu item.

The clean, plain aroma of buckwheat pairs with the fragrance of shiitake mushroom, and the mayo sauce ties all the ingredients together smoothly. Inside that, the raw salmon has a plump, chewy bite, and the combination really worked. The pairing of mayo sauce and shiitake mushroom in particular left quite an impression.

Seaweed and butter are also provided to eat alongside the pot rice. You can enjoy it in different ways — mixing a bit of butter into the warm rice for a savory taste, or wrapping the rice in seaweed.

🤍 Verdict 🤍 Rich crab, beef intestine and buckwheat gimbap: all hits

Sorori Cheongju Main Branch was even more satisfying because the three dishes we ordered each went in a completely different flavor direction. The crab pot rice had a rich, savory taste with a strong crab aroma, while the Hanwoo beef intestine pot rice impressed with fatty beef intestine balanced by a spicy sauce that cut the richness.

And personally, the most surprising dish of all was the salmon buckwheat gimbap! Buckwheat noodles with raw salmon, egg, shiitake mushroom and mayo sauce... it was a combination I'd never tried in my life, and it really worked.

When we visited there was no wait at all, and the restaurant was spacious with a retro vibe, making it a decent spot for a date too. Most of all, after finishing everything, I found myself thinking, "I need to come back and try their other pot rice dishes too" haha. Chance of a return visit? Extremely high!!! 🍚🤍

If you're looking for a clean pot rice restaurant around Seongan-gil in Cheongju, or want to try something different from ordinary gimbap, Sorori Cheongju Main Branch is worth a visit!