Bucheon Korean set meal, 6 diners on 2 waitlists: Gim Myeongju

I don't even live in Bucheon, but I've now been back to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (김명주뜰안채밥상), a Korean set meal restaurant in Jak-dong, Bucheon, for the 7th time with my parents. The price isn't a burden at ₩10,000-range per person, and it's only a 20-minute drive from Incheon, so it feels like a little outing. My reservation tips are below, so have a look.

Where to take your parents for Korean food in Bucheon?

Taking parents out for a meal comes with a lot of worries. They don't eat spicy pasta or pizza, and they only look for easy-to-digest Korean food.

On top of that, I'm going with a child, so a big, easy parking lot is a must. And since I look for places in the suburbs not far from home, I always end up going to the same few spots.

Why I returned to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Main Branch a 7th time

Thanks to its ₩10,000-range set meals and a refillable self-bar, the Bucheon Main Branch is one of the Bucheon restaurants I, an Incheon resident, have already revisited 7 times. Part of why it's so easy to come here is the price and the generosity.

The ₩10,000-range set meal is great even on its own, and even if you add a main dish, it's only in the low ₩20,000s per person to stuff yourself haha. There's a self-bar inside with 12+ side dishes you can refill as you like.

The stone-pot rice (솥밥) comes out first, but you can also refill plain rice and the cheonggukjang stew (fermented soybean stew).

Maybe that's why there are as many older guests as young ones. (If people the age of my mom and dad come, haha, that means it's a truly local favorite.) It's close to the city but tucked under a mountain, so the atmosphere is quiet and feels like an outing. (It's a 20-minute drive from Incheon, or even 15 minutes if traffic is light.)

It's a standalone building, so there's no parking stress.

How to book a group table at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (phone only, no Naver)

Reservations at the Main Branch are by phone only, for 5+ people on weekdays and 9+ on weekends. It's so popular that you'll have to wait at mealtimes, weekday or weekend, so if you're coming with 5+ people on a weekday, I recommend reserving ahead. Note that there are no private rooms! It's a seat reservation, not a room reservation.

Naver reservations aren't available; just call and they'll help you. Around Parents' Day, year-end, New Year, Seollal and Chuseok, reservations pile up, so you need to ask at least 1 month ahead to get a seat~

No reservation? How to cut the wait with two waitlists

The Main Branch has no break time, so even without a reservation, if you avoid mealtimes you'll only wait a little and eat soon. Turnover is faster than you'd think. (When you wait, enter your phone number on Catch Table at the entrance!)

One more tip: if 6 adults show up, a spot for 6 together may not open up. In that case, split into groups of 3 and enter them on Catch Table, and you'll get in faster haha.

How to order at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang for the best value

First-timers may be confused and wonder whether they have to order the full set meal.

Just remember one thing. You don't have to order a main dish for every person! If you eat lightly or will use the self-bar, order one set meal per person and add just 1–2 single dishes, and that's plenty.

We were 3 adults and 1 baby, so we got 3 set meals plus one extra single order of grilled mackerel. The mains aren't only fish; there's also soy sauce marinated crab, borigulbi, seasoned cockles and grilled pork, so you can choose to taste. Ordering like this is economical and still plentiful.

Weekday 2 p.m. lunch with my parents at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang

Last Thursday at lunchtime my parents came to visit, so we went to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang for the first time in a while. We got there around 2 p.m. expecting it to be quiet, but there were still lots of customers haha.

The rice comes in a stone pot, so it took a while after ordering. For my fussy child, I'd already fetched rice from the self-bar and fed them with side dishes first.

After a short wait, a full table arrived: freshly cooked, piping hot stone-pot rice, 12 side dishes and cheonggukjang stew.

My picky mom honestly almost never asks to go back to a restaurant I take her to. But with Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang, she's so satisfied that she says every time, "Let's come again." My stoic dad also seemed to like the mild side dishes and the cheonggukjang stew, because he ate two bowls of rice.

The golden grilled mackerel was clean with no fishy smell, perfect as a side dish for the child too.

We finished with sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) poured into the stone pot!

Who Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang in Bucheon is best for

• Anyone looking for a Bucheon restaurant serving neat Korean set meals
• Anyone looking for a Jak-dong restaurant to take their parents to
• Anyone looking for a Korean restaurant in Bucheon that can host group gatherings