Yangju budae-jjigae restaurant for ramyeon noodles: Choi Budae Jjigae

I headed to Choi Budae Jjigae, a Yangju Okjeong favorite. Since I live up in northern Seoul, it took about 30 minutes. The weather was lovely, so I drove out to the outskirts for a little outing and to soothe my insides at Choi Budae Jjigae!

What did I order at Choi Budae Jjigae?

There were set menus, so I got one set and added one serving of budae-jjigae.

• Bujji-mal-i = budae-jjigae + small gyeran-mari (rolled omelet) set, ₩14,900
• Bubok-mal-i = budae-bokkeum (stir-fried army stew) + small gyeran-mari set, ₩15,900
• Gimjji-mal-i = fresh pork kimchi-jjigae + small gyeran-mari set, ₩14,900
• Hoho Mom's order: Bujji-mal-i ₩14,900, budae-jjigae ₩11,000, extra ramyeon noodles ₩1,000

There were glass noodles in it already, and we said we'd check the portion before ordering more. But it was so delicious, and this broth could only get better with ramyeon noodles..... Even though we were full, we ended up adding more broth at the end and clearing the ramyeon noodles too. Diet failed again today. There are just too many delicious things in the world, and my taste buds are alive.....

You can't add noodles to the budae-bokkeum later. You have to order them all at once with your first order. I suppose that's because it's a stir-fry, so keep that in mind when ordering ^^ Guests in elementary school or older need to order one main dish each, haha. I feel for moms whose kids don't eat much, but thinking of my Hoho kids who eat well, it makes total sense.. hahaha

Basic sides and a plump rolled omelet

Such simple but perfectly fitting sides: dried shredded radish and stir-fried fish cake! I love both, so I nearly finished my rice before the budae-jjigae even came to a boil....

I ate it thinking, “An egg roll is just an egg roll, right?” But this little gyeran-mari had charm, haha. It was really substantial. Delicious too, and so beautifully rolled, hahaha. Maybe it had lots of eggs in it?? So next time, I’m ordering the large!!!!

I thought the Hoho kids could just have the egg roll, rice, and fish cake, haha. If that wasn't enough, I could order dumplings or beef-bone broth tteok-mandu-guk (rice-cake and dumpling soup), while my husband and I had the budae-jjigae because we love it, haha. Can you see the heat rising from the egg roll? A warm egg roll made with care by someone else! Hahaha. Food someone else makes automatically gets extra points, hehehe.

Budae-jjigae broth that is spicy without being greasy

Sometimes budae-jjigae leaves a heavy aftertaste, but this broth was clean. One spoonful of that furiously bubbling broth and my insides just uncoiled!!! There was plenty of tofu, ham, kimchi, rice cakes, and glass noodles inside. It felt so good to have that substantial hot broth going down.

There were so many types of ham, making it fun to choose what to eat. Choi Budae Jjigae looked even more abundant with all those different hams generously piled in, haha.

The self-service station and unlimited rice

“Help yourself~~ haha.” “Okayyy~~ hahahaha.”

You can feel how serious Choi Budae Jjigae is about food, and how generous it is. You know Sindongjin rice, that famous top-grade rice, right? The rice tasted so good that I nearly had two bowls ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I had to work hard to restrain myself. The men were definitely having two bowls each, haha. My husband could probably eat two or three bowls too.

You can refill the stir-fried fish cake and dried shredded radish yourself, and the rice is unlimited too~ Unlimited delicious rice with budae-jjigae—such generosity, I was touched touched.

Aprons are neatly stocked at the self-service station. Side plates too! Anyone who needs them could grab them as soon as they come in, haha.

I served myself big chunks of tofu, glass noodles, ham, and kimchi on a side plate and happily munched away. Here comes Hoho Mom, the good eater.

We went for an early lunch and were the first customers, but around 11:50, male customers started pouring in. There was a group with a reservation, maybe from a nearby company, and men dining alone too; it filled up quickly. Choi Budae Jjigae really is popular! I thought, “We found the right place!” haha. I think my husband would really love it, and it would make the perfect course to stop here with the kids and then head to a café!!

Finishing the broth with ramyeon noodles

The older sister I went with and I told each other we were dieting, so we'd eat just a little and show restraint—but you can't give up ramyeon noodles in budae-jjigae ㅠㅠㅠ And the broth really felt like a perfect match for ramyeon noodles ㅠㅠㅠ As expected, that feeling wasn't wrong... Once the ramyeon noodles went into the bubbling budae-jjigae, the broth became even richer, haha. I think adding them later made it even tastier! The advantage is getting to enjoy both versions of the flavor!! Such a good finish.

The beef-bone broth tteok-mandu-guk would be great to order for kids. The poster had such a neat, pretty table setting that I took a photo :)”

Hours and conveniences for dining with children

Choi Budae Jjigae is closed on Saturdays! Weekdays are 10:30–21:00, and Sundays are 11:00–15:00. Being closed Saturday was interesting, haha. Sunday is lunch service only too! Keep that in mind before visiting.

“If we skimp, we go under too!!”

That really resonated with me. Customers notice right away when a restaurant skimps on ingredients, and if portions are small, they stop coming. When ingredients are generous, the stock and broth become richer and blend better, making everything taste better!!! Truly... I’m so grateful for restaurants like this.

A great budae-jjigae restaurant with high chairs. It can be difficult to take a baby to a budae-jjigae place, but Choi Budae Jjigae has high chairs, beef-bone broth dumpling soup, good Sindongjin rice, and fish-cake sides~ I recommend it as a Yangju restaurant to visit with a baby. On top of that, the restroom is inside the restaurant, which makes it so convenient.

The restroom was extremely clean. You can see the kitchen on the way there, and I was surprised at how clean it was too. So I took a photo. Cleanliness included!

An interior filling up from early lunch

Since we were the first customers, click click, I got photos while no one else was there. Opening at 10:30 on weekdays is truly early. It would be great for moms to come for a late breakfast after dropping the kids off too.

As lunchtime approached, the tables gradually filled. The men kept going back for rice, seriously. Since you can order an individual budae-jjigae, there were solo diners, reserved tables, families, and military customers too, haha. Such a diverse mix of guests!! Budae-jjigae really is the best lunch menu, hahaha.

The tables were widely spaced, there were lots of them, and the ceiling was high, so the restaurant never felt cramped. When I come to Yangju Okjeong, this is where I’m fixing my budae-jjigae choice. Satisfied, satisfied, totally satisfied~ It is a budae-jjigae flavor nobody would dislike. Adding it to the Hoho family’s favorite restaurant list.

Another good choice today. Successfully conquered Choi Budae Jjigae, the Yangju Okjeong favorite!!!

Post-meal maesil tea and parking

The maesil tea was incredibly concentrated. It wasn't just the kind of maesil tea that comes in a can. The absolute best palate cleanser. We both drank it and went, “Ohhh~~” at the same time. Such a clean finish ^0^

You can park behind the building, and since there are still vacant retail spaces, people were currently parking along the side too~ The restaurant's own parking area seems to fit about five or six cars.