Cheonan Korean lunch set with smoky squid stir-fry: Bomae Hansang

These days even hanjeongsik (Korean full-course set meal) or baekban (everyday home-style set meal) isn't cheap anymore. It's a bit sad how few good-value baekban places are left. But in the middle of all that, I found a Korean restaurant with home-cooked-style skill that felt like a lifesaver.

Where is Bomae Hansang Cheonan Ssangyong Main Branch, and where do you park?

Bomae Hansang Cheonan Ssangyong Main Branch is at 26 Mira 7-gil, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam, unit 102. There's a small parking space right in front of the store, but the alley is narrow. I just parked in a nearby side street and walked over.

If you're lucky you can grab a spot right in front of the store, but during peak hours the lot fills up fast. Especially if you drive a bigger car or you're a new driver, I'd strongly recommend just parking in an open spot on a nearby street before even entering the alley, and walking a bit. I did that myself and it was much less stressful.

Inside Bomae Hansang: seating for solo diners and groups

The interior at Bomae Hansang has a lot of tables but doesn't feel cramped. Even though I went after the lunch rush, there were still quite a few people. I heard it gets really packed during lunch hour.

I went a bit past lunchtime, around 3pm, and there were a few local neighborhood regulars there.

The signature menu posted on the wall. Pork stir-fry with ssambap (lettuce-wrapped rice) and doenjang with river snails is basically the national go-to combo for office worker lunches, if you ask me.

The owner clearly knows how to use the space well, so there were a lot of tables without feeling tight. It looked great for eating solo and also good for groups without feeling chaotic.

Bomae Hansang menu and lunch set prices

Bomae Hansang's signature lunch is the pork stir-fry or pork bulgogi + doenjang with river snails set for ₩14,900. Most people order the full set meal, which comes with a main dish + stew + side dishes + house-made ssamjang (dipping sauce) + ssam greens.

• Pork stir-fry
• Pork bulgogi
• Squid stir-fry
• Grilled mackerel

There are these four main dish options. The set composition was great and you can also add extra mains — nice touch. Once you pick a main, you get a fixed full-table spread.

Nine kinds of unlimited ssam greens at Bomae Hansang

A total of nine kinds of ssam greens are provided unlimited.

Lettuce, kale, perilla leaves, cabbage, and more. There were also chili peppers, ssamjang, and garlic.

I brought over a reasonable first plate.

Pork stir-fry and squid stir-fry: the double-red combo

I usually try to pair one red dish with a dish of a different color, but I'd heard Bomae Hansang's squid stir-fry has such great smoky wok flavor. That said, could I really give up the pork with its ssambap? So I just ordered the red-red combo.

The stew comes as standard and the side dishes seemed homemade. I heard regulars order the doenjang with river snails set the most, but I went with the regular full spread instead — pork and squid stir-fry. The squid stir-fry's smoky wok flavor was the real deal. The aged pork was good too, but personally I kept reaching for the squid more.

Squid on the left, pork on the right — the squid's smoky flavor is amazing!! But flavor-wise the pork had more going on. They call it the soul food of the Y chromosome, but is there anyone who dislikes pork stir-fry? Not me, at least.

Highly recommend this for a Monday lunch. Get the pork ssambap set meal. It's not the kind of place that stuffs you with heavy, greasy food — it's just a genuinely healthy meal. My stomach felt clean and light afterward, no bloating, which was great. Big eaters can add an extra main dish and wrap up giant ssam bites to their heart's content.

Coffee and traditional snacks after the meal

If you leave a receipt review, they give you ice cream for dessert, free coffee, and the owner even pushes a handful of snacks on you as you leave — a really generous, no-holding-back kind of place.

A place where you can handle lunch and coffee all in one spot — Bomae Hansang Cheonan Ssangyong Main Branch. They have traditional snacks like tteokbbeong (rice crackers) and sora-gwaja (shell-shaped snacks) on hand. I do love tteokbbeong...

Is Bomae Hansang worth it? Final verdict

Bomae Hansang Cheonan Ssangyong Main Branch shows what a good-value hanjeongsik really looks like. If you want to eat healthy with a home-cooked feel, if you're looking for somewhere to take your parents or an elder, or if vegetable prices have been scaring you off ssambap lately — if any one of these three applies, just go. I think that says it all.

• Squid stir-fry: personally the most satisfying dish. The moment the plate hits the table, a deep smoky aroma hits your nose, and the squid isn't chewy at all — it's plump and has a great bite. The sauce isn't overly sweet or spicy, blending well with the smoky flavor for an addictive taste.
• 24-hour aged pork stir-fry: thanks to the 24-hour aging, the meat isn't dry at all and has no gamey smell, staying tender. The seasoning soaks all the way into the meat, making it perfect as a side with rice.