Bucheon Korean restaurant, private rooms & 6+ booking: Gim Myeongju

Why I keep going back to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch (김명주뜰안채밥상 중동점) is a newly opened Korean set-meal restaurant in Bucheon, and this year alone I've already been back 6 times, haha. That's about once a month. I bring both sets of parents here, and I come often for family meals with my kid too.

The reason is simpler than you'd think. It's Korean food for around ₩20,000 per person, and the rice, side dishes and even cheonggukjang are all refillable.

How much does Gim Myeongju cost?

Prices are the same on weekdays and weekends, and the menu is split into the Tteuranchae Bapsang and the set meals (jeongsik). The difference: the bapsang has no main dish, while the set meal includes one.

The cheapest set meal is ₩28,000 and the Tteuranchae Bapsang is ₩13,000. Elementary school students and older need one menu each.

Bapsang or set meal: how should you order?

The set meal is better if you want a big spread in one go, and the Tteuranchae Bapsang is better for value. When my family goes, I usually order one bapsang per person and add just one extra main dish.

Among the main dishes, grilled mackerel is on the cheaper side, so I order it a lot. Quite a few people also go for barley-fed gulbi (dried salted yellow croaker) or pork.

Even with just that, you get 12 side dishes, rice and cheonggukjang as standard. At Gim Myeongju, everything except the main dish is refillable.

Where is Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch, and how many rooms does it have?

It's a 7-minute walk from Sinjungdong Station, right next to Lotte Department Store Jungdong, so it's handy to stop by after shopping.

It's a standalone building: the 1st floor is the parking lot, and the restaurant is on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Most guests use the 2nd floor, and it seems the 3rd floor takes reservations for large groups. The Jakdong branch has no separate rooms, which was a bit of a letdown, but this Jungdong branch has about 3 rooms.

Each room feels like it fits about 10 people, and even when the rooms are full, there are partitioned areas, so it works well for a cozy family meal or a group gathering. The rooms are only for guests who reserved.

How to reserve at Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch

Naver reservations weren't available here at first, but they've now opened. Every table can be reserved for parties of 6 or more (partition seats and rooms alike).

Lunch and dinner are peak times on both weekdays and weekends, and there's a wait. So if you have a group lunch or dinner planned, I recommend booking through Naver for the day of your event!

A family meal with a kid: how does Gim Myeongju taste?

Usually when the price is low, the portions are small, or if the portions are big and cheap, the taste is meh, right? But Gim Myeongju, which has been famous as a great Korean restaurant in Bucheon since it opened, nails all three, hahaha.

The prices are on the low side, the portions are generous, and above all the flavors are clean and neat, so both my parents and my in-laws loved it.

My picky mom in particular sometimes asks me what that place was called, hahaha, so I could tell it suited her taste.

Sometimes a new place gets hyped as a hot spot, and when you go it's all fame and not much flavor. Gim Myeongju is the real deal: there are plenty of young guests, but also lots of older ones.

Older folks won't come back if the food was bad once, haha. So having that many elderly guests means it's the real thing.

Doesn't pot rice take a long time?

Since it's pot rice (solbap), you'd think it takes long, but unless you arrive right after opening, the rice and side dishes are set out quickly.

The pot rice is made with yellow rice (hwangmi) milled in the store, so it tastes fresh rather than stale, and the rice shines even with just ordinary side dishes.

Grilled mackerel, cheonggukjang and plum tea

The grilled mackerel is nicely drained of oil, so when I pick out the flesh, my daughter happily eats it bit by bit.

And the cheonggukjang here isn't just funky-smelling; it has real depth and savory umami, haha. It's the kind that makes you ask for a refill.

Finish with the plum tea served as dessert, and your family meal is truly complete.

Who I recommend Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch to

• People looking for a Korean restaurant in Bucheon to take their parents
• People looking for a Korean restaurant in Jungdong, Bucheon to go with kids
• People looking for a private-room restaurant in Sinjungdong, Bucheon for group gatherings

Does Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch have parking?

Yes, the 1st floor of the building is the parking area. There are about 20 spaces, and staff on site help you park and leave, so it's easy.