Mangpo, Suwon barley rice set meals: no-wait early dinner, Boriook

Where is Boriook Main Branch and what is the atmosphere like?

Boriook Main Branch (보리옥 본점) is a barley rice set-meal restaurant on the first floor of a building on Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, in the Mangpo area of Yeongtong-gu, Suwon. My husband and I are really into Korean set meals (hanjeongsik) these days~ We wanted a proper Korean meal in Yeongtong, Suwon, so we searched around and went to Boriook Main Branch, which is supposedly hot right now.

It's in the Mangpo area, and maybe because it hasn't been open long, the whole place was very clean and calm. The moment we walked in I thought, this place is good!

Boriook Main Branch location, parking and hours

• Address: 99 Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, 1st floor, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi (Yeongtong-dong 1123), on the first floor of a building near Mangpo Fantasium and Mangpo No Brand
• Parking: in front of the restaurant or at a nearby parking lot
• Hours: daily 10:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Last order: 20:30

Boriook Main Branch menu and prices

• Barley rice set ₩13,000
• Barley rice mackerel set ₩15,000
• Barley rice gochujang pork set ₩16,000
• Barley rice soy sauce pork set ₩16,000

Is there a wait at an early dinner?

We visited Boriook Main Branch at an early dinner time and got in right away with no wait! Places like this usually have a wait these days, so it seems another plus is that if your timing is right, you can walk straight in. After some debating, we ordered the barley rice mackerel set and the gochujang set~ Since they're set meals, everything comes as a full table spread, and honestly the lineup surprised me a little.

How does the grilled mackerel in the Boriook mackerel set taste?

The main of the barley rice mackerel set, the grilled mackerel, is seriously something else. The outside is grilled crisp but the inside is moist, so it's not dry at all, and the thick flesh melts softly in your mouth with a rich, nutty flavor and no fishy smell.

It's good with rice and good on its own, the kind of thing you keep eating.

What's at the barley rice namul self-bar?

At Boriook Main Branch you can help yourself to as much namul as you like at the self-bar, so it's practically a buffet!! There's a wide variety: bean sprouts, spinach, seasoned radish, zucchini, bracken and more, and everything felt fresh, so you can tell right away they care about their ingredients.

The key to bibimbap: Boriook's gochujang

When you make bibimbap (mixed rice), what matters is the gochujang (red chili paste) and the sesame oil, and Boriook Main Branch's gochujang!!! is really good.

It's not too salty or harsh, just pleasantly spicy with a deep savory punch, and mixed with sesame oil it adds nuttiness too, so from the first bite you just keep eating. Honestly, two bowls is totally doable. The cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) that comes with it was also so good.

Is Boriook's cheonggukjang okay even for people who can't handle the smell?

The cheonggukjang at Boriook Main Branch doesn't have a strong smell, so even people who can't usually eat it can have it without any trouble. Cheonggukjang tends to divide people because of its distinctive smell, but this one was nutty and moderately salty, perfect with rice haha

Fritters, salad, side dishes and dessert

One more point I quietly loved at Boriook Main Branch: there are fried items, salad and other side dishes too, so it's not just a plain Korean set meal but actually fun to eat!

You grab a little of this and that, and even when you're really full your hand keeps reaching for more lol

We finished with dessert too! Coffee, plum drink, peach, puffed rice crackers (ppeongtwigi), nurungji tea (sungnyung), even japchae (glass noodles). It has everything~

Is Boriook Main Branch good for taking parents or for a date?

The restaurant is spacious, clean and tidy, so it works for a family meal or for bringing your parents, and it's not awkward at all for a couple's date either, with a nice atmosphere! I think having tea on the outdoor terrace after your meal would be great too.

The staff were friendly overall too, so we left feeling good.

Boriook Main Branch overall verdict

• Grilled mackerel quality is very good
• The namul self-bar lets you control your portion (highly recommended for big eaters)
• The gochujang and sauces lift the quality of the whole meal
• The cheonggukjang is made so that fewer people dislike it
• Solid lineup for the price

If you want a clean Korean meal in Yeongtong these days, I'd really recommend going to Boriook Main Branch at least once~~ I'm planning to go again next time for the pork set. A day I ate until I was stuffed.