Yeoju Korean restaurant after a workout: spicy cutlassfish, Nadeulmok

This is my triple-plus revisit review of Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap, the Korean set-meal spot in Yeoju that never fails 😋

Where is Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap, and where do you park?

Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is right near Yeoju IC, on the way to the Yeoju Outlets, so the location is great and it's easy to stop by on a Yeoju day trip. There are parking spots out front and an extra lot behind, so parking is super easy~~~

It's already famous as a go-to spot among Yeoju locals, so even though I came on a weekday lunch it was full and I had to wait a little ㅠ

How long is the weekday lunch wait?

At weekday lunch, Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap has you register your wait on a tablet. There were about five teams ahead of us and we got in after roughly 15 minutes. I was starving, but I browsed the menu while waiting, and it moved faster than I expected.

A main hall and three private rooms: book ahead for groups

Inside, Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap has a main hall and three private rooms. The hall was already set up, probably for a group of guests, yep. If you're coming as a group, I recommend reserving ahead^_<

Bulgogi set vs. braised cutlassfish set: which did we order?

I agonized between the bulgogi set and the braised cutlassfish set (galchi-jorim), but since I came after a workout and was craving something red, I ordered the cutlassfish set for 2 ❤

By the way, Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap has no separate bowls of rice, so if you want lots of rice, you must order an extra stone pot rice first!

Warm starters while the stone pot rice cooks

The stone pot rice takes a little time, so Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap thoughtfully sends out tasty appetizers first to tide you over ㅠ I started with the yummy lettuce salad to head off a blood sugar spike, then ate the cheongpomuk (mung bean jelly) and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry)~~~

The cheongpomuk and japchae were served slightly warm, so they were gentle even on an empty stomach, and they really get your appetite going before the meal ><

Aaah, and finally the whole table arrives ❤

Included in every set: seasonal namul, doenjang stew, stir-fried pork

Every set at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap comes with seasonal namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork) as the base. The sides weren't harsh and the seasoning was just right, and above all I loved that doenjang stew so much that with just that and kimchi I could polish off a bowl of rice, hehe

Stone pot rice freshly cooked with Yeoju rice

And on top of that, stone pot rice freshly cooked with Yeoju rice!! Compared with other Korean set-meal restaurants, the pot rice at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is really generous in quantity!! It's Yeoju rice, so I don't even need to tell you how good it tastes, right?

How does the spicy braised cutlassfish set at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap taste?

The main braised cutlassfish was pleasantly a little spicy, and the portion was so hearty that the two of us could have been satisfied with the cutlassfish alone! Add the side dishes, stir-fried pork and doenjang stew, and we truly ate our fill, haha

They must use good-quality cutlassfish, because the flesh was thick and the pot was packed with scallions and radish, which I loved >< I still think about that delicious sauce ㅠ

Pick out thick pieces of cutlassfish, put them on rice with a swipe of the sauce, and that taste you already know hits even harder, right ㅠ There was no fishy smell at all and the sauce was really good, a total rice thief, so true so true. If you come to Yeoju Nadeulmok, I absolutely recommend the cutlassfish!!!!

Finishing with sungnyung (scorched rice tea): still as good on a revisit

I finished with the golden rule: hot sungnyung (scorched rice tea) ❤ It had been a while since my last visit, but Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is still delicious and I still left stuffed to bursting. If you're looking for a stone pot rice or Korean set-meal restaurant in Yeoju, give it a visit, highly recommended! A Yeoju local genuinely recommends it!

++ Do the Naver review event and be sure to take home some Yeoju rice 💫