Cheongju restaurant by Musimcheon Stream, no long wait: Ttukbangjip

Ttukbangjip: charcoal gochujang pork served only 4 hours a day by Musimcheon Stream in Cheongju

Ttukbangjip is a Korean restaurant serving charcoal-grilled gochujang pork, located right across from Mochun Stream in Sajik-dong, Cheongju. A friend of mine who works out regularly recommended it as an amazing must-visit spot, so we went together.

Apparently there's still a place in Cheongju that grills gochujang pork directly over charcoal briquettes. 'Wow, there's still somewhere doing charcoal grilling?' — with that curious, delighted feeling, I headed there without hesitation. This place is unusually a hidden gem that's only open for a 4-hour lunch window each day, so I hurried over since the opportunity had come today.

Parking and waiting at Ttukbangjip — can you get a seat quickly when every table is full?

Ttukbangjip sits right by Mochun Stream, so there's plenty of parking space around the restaurant and along the stream, making it really convenient if you're driving. I arrived right at peak lunchtime, and sure enough, the inside was already completely full of customers!

Luckily, the food came out fast and the turnover was smooth, so I didn't have to wait long before being seated. As soon as we sat down, we immediately ordered the restaurant's signature dish — charcoal gochujang pork for two — along with two bowls of rice.

Ttukbangjip's homestyle side dishes and self-serve wrap bar

After ordering, a neat, thoughtfully prepared spread of side dishes was set on the table.

• Sweet and tangy, crunchy pickled onion and cucumber
• Savory, nutty sautéed zucchini
• Appetizing stir-fried fish cake
• Umami-rich, crunchy kimchi

The side dishes still had warmth in them like they'd just been made, so my mood lifted from the very first bite! The lettuce and perilla leaves served with them were also very fresh. What made it even more convenient was that the basic lettuce, perilla leaves, and side dishes could all be freely refilled as much as you wanted from the self-serve bar set up on one side of the restaurant, no need to feel shy about asking.

How did the charcoal gochujang pork and cheonggukjang taste?

Before long, the main dish — charcoal gochujang pork — arrived grilled to a golden brown! Just the fact that I could taste real charcoal grilling with that faint smoky aroma, in this day and age, was moving in itself.

I laid the meat on fresh wrap greens, added a generous helping of well-seasoned scallion salad, and wrapped it up for a big bite. The deep charcoal aroma blended with the tender meat, and the moment I took a bite, I couldn't help but exclaim out loud.

Along with the meat, a hot pot of cheonggukjang, which is good for you, came out bubbling. The rich, savory cheonggukjang tasted exactly like the deep, homestyle flavor my mother used to make with care back in the day. The meat, side dishes, and cheonggukjang were all seasoned just right, not overly strong or sharp — it was a perfect match for my taste!

Is Ttukbangjip worth it? Verdict on this Cheongju charcoal-grill lunch

It was such a satisfying meal that I hardly know how to put into words how delicious it was. I'd give it a perfect 100 out of 100!

Owner~~ I'll spread the word to everyone around me. Next time I'll come back for kimchimari guksu (cold kimchi noodle soup)!

That's what I happily said to the owner on my way out after finishing the meal. If you want to experience that special, heartwarming smoky flavor available for just 4 hours a day, I highly recommend visiting this true charcoal gochujang pork gem near Mochun Stream!

Ttukbangjip address, hours and parking at a glance

• Location: Right by Mochun Stream in Cheongju (plenty of parking)
• Hours: Open only 4 hours a day, lunchtime only
• Recommended dishes: Charcoal gochujang pork / cheonggukjang (hot pot included by default)
• Highlights: Fast turnover even when full / homemade side dishes and self-serve bar / clean, homestyle flavors that aren't overly seasoned