Changwon pork soup by the bus stop: Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap

A family lunch near Bukmyeon Hot Springs, reached by bus

That day, our whole family took public transportation to lunch near Bukmyeon Hot Springs for the twins' kindergarten mission: using public transit! We usually went to another pork soup place in Buk-myeon, but we'd heard that Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap was delicious too, so we decided to visit :)

Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap (명인돼지국밥)

We took public transportation, and the bus stop was right in front of the restaurant! There probably aren't many people coming by transit like we did, haha, but I thought it would be useful to know! There are also dedicated parking lots right in front of and beside the restaurant. They're very spacious, so you can come without worrying about parking!

The restaurant has wooden tables and chairs, with as many as 20 tables! It turns over quickly too, so although there were lots of customers, we could eat without waiting.

Unlimited somyeon at the self-service bar and a friendly first impression

There was a self-service bar too—and somyeon (thin wheat noodles)!!! You can have unlimited refills. Some gukbap places serve somyeon and some don't, but the twins love it, so we were very happy!

And my first impression when we entered was that the owner was sooo kind!!! He recognized each regular and greeted them, and he was incredibly kind to us even though it was our first visit. Just the cheerful smile and greeting as we walked in made for such a pleasant meal! On the way out, he sincerely asked whether we'd enjoyed it and took feedback too, which was lovely :)

A menu with all-sundae gukbap, and our order

• Pork gukbap
• Lean-meat gukbap
• Sundae gukbap
• All-sundae gukbap
• Offal gukbap
• Mixed gukbap
• Suyuk set meal
• Tasting sundae
• Tasting suyuk
• Sundae platter
• Suyuk
• Dumplings

One thing that is a little different from other gukbap restaurants is that they have all-sundae gukbap! If you don't like pork but only like sundae (Korean blood sausage), this would be a good choice. We ordered special lean-meat gukbap, special pork gukbap, tasting sundae, and tasting suyuk. We used to order just two special gukbaps and share them with the twins, haha—but they really have become kids with big appetites now, haha.

When we ordered suyuk (boiled pork slices), they brought out wrap vegetables to enjoy with it. The chives came dressed as spicy chive salad here too! Just Dad's style—he loves eating things red and spicy~

You know how the kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) are so important at a gukbap place, right? The kimchi and kkakdugi were tasty too~

Generous tasting suyuk and meat sundae

The tasting suyuk came out first! The portion was so generous that I wondered whether it really was just a tasting plate!!!! The normally sliced suyuk had a clean flavor with no porky smell, so it was delicious with any combination!

Then the tasting sundae came out! Isn't this a really generous portion too~ It comes with 100% meat sundae and offal, so my second child and I, who love meat sundae, were very satisfied, haha. Since it is sliced a little thickly for children, it might be a good idea to mention it in advance if you're visiting with kids!!

My husband put sundae on onion, dipped it in ssamjang (savory soybean dipping paste), and ate it—that combination was delicious, haha. I kept making onion wraps this way too!

Clear, clean special gukbap

Then the gukbap came out! It may have been because we ordered the special size, but there was really so much meat in the milky yet clear broth!!!! There was no meat smell, and it wasn't that funky style either—just a clean pork gukbap that anyone can enjoy!

We added chives and somyeon and tucked in properly :) Since we ordered the special size, the portions were big and we ate very generously :)

They also gave us whelk gangdoenjang (thick seasoned soybean paste)!!!! They said it was delicious with rice, so instead of mixing all our rice into the soup, we mixed some into the gangdoenjang and enjoyed it :)

They even had iced coffee with little floating ice crystals and hot coffee ready, so we could finish the meal neatly! There's always a reason a place has stayed in one spot for 10 years, right? With a kind owner, great service, and such generous hospitality, I think Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap in Buk-myeon is well worth visiting if you're looking for lunch near Bukmyeon Hot Springs :)