Cheonan budae-jjigae restaurant at the 11am opening: Cheongwon Sikdang

Today my husband and I went to the hospital, and afterward I was craving a spicy budae-jjigae (army stew) for lunch, so we headed to Cheongwon Restaurant: Cooking Budae-jjigae, Cheonan Dujeong Main Branch, a well-known budae-jjigae spot in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan 😊 We waited before opening time and went in right at 11am, and sure enough — true to its reputation — people came pouring in the moment it opened! So here's my review after digging into their signature Cheongwon budae-jjigae with two generous bowls of rice ⋆◡̎⋆

Cheongwon Sikdang in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan: hours, address and the basics

• Address: 1487 Dujeong-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
• Parking: 3 spaces available in front of the store
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00, last order 20:30

Where to park at Cheongwon Sikdang: 3 spaces out front

The lot was already full before opening time, haha. Dujeong-dong is notorious for places with no parking at all, so having even 3 spots felt like an oasis in the desert 😌 Parking is such a pain around here that just a few spaces feel like a blessing, haha. Still, it's on the small side, so it might be worth using the roadside or a nearby paid lot too!

Inside Cheongwon Sikdang and the 10-stamp reward

Walking in, the first thing you see is the coffee machine. Gotta finish off spicy budae-jjigae with coffee, right? Haha. Ground coffee or the mix vending machine — take your pick 😊

There are about 10 tables inside, and lots of families come here too. Plenty of couples like us dining together as well!

Cheongwon runs a stamp event — get 10 stamps and you get free ham and sausage sarie worth ₩5,000! You just save your phone number at checkout to earn stamps, so convenient, lol.

The country-of-origin display is clearly posted, and there are disposable aprons hanging in two spots — just grab one nearby ⋆◡̎⋆

I heard Cheongwon's budae-jjigae actually uses 1++ Korean beef mince 😃 Takeout gets you ₩2,000 off, so eating it at home cheaply is also a great option!

Menu and prices: Songtan budae-jjigae vs Cheongwon budae-jjigae

Cheongwon has two signature dishes! Songtan budae-jjigae uses 1++ Korean beef mince for a deep, classic broth flavor, while Cheongwon budae-jjigae has beef brisket and cheongyang chili for a spicier kick. We were craving something spicy, so we ordered the Cheongwon budae-jjigae 😊

There's also pork cutlet on the side menu for kids, plus various sarie (add-in) options.

The fridge is stocked full of alcohol and drinks too. A drink with spicy budae-jjigae — ahh, so good 😉

Self-serve bar with unlimited rice and ramyeon noodles

The self-serve bar has rice, ramyeon noodles, seasoned bean sprouts, and cabbage kimchi.

If the rice and side dishes served run out, you can freely refill them, and the ramyeon noodles are unlimited too 😍

There's even a baby chair and a fan, so you can enjoy budae-jjigae comfortably even in the hot summer 😀

Honest review: Cheongwon budae-jjigae for two with glass noodles and cheese

This is the basic table setting — spoons, chopsticks, napkins, and paper cups, and if you write a Naver receipt review, they'll give you a free egg roll ✨

Our order — Cheongwon budae-jjigae for two — arrived. We added glass noodle and cheese sarie! It comes out with the lid on, and the staff tell you not to lift it until they come over, haha. Let's be patient for a tastier result (?)

Cheongwon budae-jjigae comes with beef brisket, plus a very generous amount of ham and sausage sarie included by default. Once it starts boiling, staff come by to mix it all together like this! Here it is with the glass noodles stirred in too. So hearty, right??

Spicy, hearty, and loaded with sarie — this Cheongwon budae-jjigae 🧡 There's a lot of cheongyang chili in it, so it's spicy but not overly harsh or aggressive. Ramyeon noodles are usually a must in budae-jjigae, but the glass noodles were chewy and delicious too. Best of all, the beef brisket, ham, and sausage sarie were so plentiful that the flavor was rich and the portion was huge. We polished off two bowls of rice in no time, haha.

Here's the egg roll we got from writing a Naver receipt review. It was really thick and generous. Topped with ketchup, it was even more delicious! If you write a receipt review, make sure to get your egg roll 💛

If you're in Cheonan looking for a budae-jjigae with rich, deep umami made with 1++ Korean beef mince, I highly recommend Cheongwon Restaurant: Cooking Budae-jjigae, Cheonan Dujeong Main Branch 👍👍