Gwangmyeong jjukkumi restaurant by AK Plaza with cheese fried rice

I was at IKEA Gwangmyeong and got a craving for something spicy, so I stopped by Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch.

It's in a spot that's easy to combine with Gwangmyeong Station, AK Plaza, and IKEA, so I wanted to share it with anyone looking for a restaurant near Gwangmyeong Station or near IKEA Gwangmyeong.

Where is Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch, and is there a wait?

When I arrived, the orange sign really stood out, and there was a Catch Table kiosk set up by the entrance. There were a lot of customers eating even when I visited, so I could tell it's a popular jjukkumi restaurant in Gwangmyeong.

When there's a wait, you can enter your phone number and get your turn notified via KakaoTalk, which seemed convenient!

Inside the restaurant and how ordering works

The interior of Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch was bigger than I expected, and the tables weren't cramped together. It was bright and clean overall, so it looked good for family meals as well as for eating with coworkers near Gwangmyeong Station.

If you need extra side dishes, you can request them via the tablet at the table, and since the table setup is served according to the number of people, they let you know that one menu item per person is required.

Hotplate jjukkumi piled with minari, plus black pork belly

When our order came out, the big hotplate caught my eye first. Thick pork belly slices were arranged generously around the edge, while the center was piled high with seasoned jjukkumi, vegetables, and fragrant minari (water dropwort).

Even before it was cooked, the sheer amount of ingredients had me excited.

The staff cooked it to just the right doneness, so we could wait comfortably and dig in right away. As it cooked, the jjukkumi seasoning soaked evenly into the pork belly and vegetables too, and the whole dish really came to life visually!

The plump jjukkumi had a great chew, and eating it together with the savory pork belly and fragrant minari worked really well. The fresh scent of the minari stayed alive even amid the spicy seasoning, so I kept reaching for more.

Side dishes and the complimentary steamed egg

For basic side dishes we got bean sprouts, tangy julienned radish, seaweed, and perilla leaves, along with a side of soft egg custard.

The egg custard was also given complimentary, and it was so soft and fluffy that it was great for taking the edge off between bites of spicy jjukkumi.

Perilla leaf and gim wraps: how spicy is the basic level?

Stacking pork belly, jjukkumi, bean sprouts, and julienned radish on a perilla leaf, adding a little sauce, and eating it in one bite gave a more varied texture and softened the spiciness even more.

Wrapping it in seaweed instead was also savory and a nice change of pace! I had ordered the mild spice level, and I didn't feel any spiciness at all. Next time I'll order the spicy level and try it with mayonnaise.

Finishing the meal with cheese fried rice

Eating it with rice was filling, and of course we finished off with fried rice. They finely stir-fried the leftover seasoning and ingredients on the hotplate, then piled on a generous amount of seaweed flakes and cheese.

After waiting a bit, the cheese melted and added even more spicy, savory flavor. Even when full, the fried rice was a must-eat.

Parking and what else to visit nearby

For parking, you can use the AK Plaza Gwangmyeong or Take Hotel parking lot, and you can also register in-store for 2 hours of free parking. It's great for a filling meal before or after visiting IKEA Gwangmyeong or AK Plaza Gwangmyeong, so it should also suit anyone looking for a restaurant in Iljik-dong.

If you're craving Gwangmyeong-style jjukkumi loaded with minari and pork belly, I recommend Jeongipum Jjukkumi Gwangmyeong 1st Branch!