Icy chogyeguksu at Baekje Dakgaejang, a Buyeo Korean restaurant

Where is Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo and what are its hours?

Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo is located at 378 Seongwang-ro, Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. It's open from 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM, with a break time from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, last order at 7:30 PM, and closed every Sunday.

We took a trip to Buyeo to celebrate my kid's birthday. My first impression of Buyeo is one I won't forget, haha. While trying to figure out where to eat lunch during our Buyeo trip, we landed on Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu! The sign has "Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu" written in big letters, so it wasn't hard to find at all.

If you search for places to eat in Buyeo, this restaurant comes up near the top, so I went to check it out myself, haha. The sign even boldly says "Best restaurant in Buyeo," which made me curious what kind of place it would be. This could be a good reference if you're looking for somewhere to eat during a Buyeo trip, or passing by near Buyeo Premium Outlets. I actually found it while browsing the outlets and searching for nearby restaurants, haha.

What is the dining room and waiting area like?

Walking into the building at Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo, you first come to a long hallway-style space, furnished with wooden benches and a black-and-white photo booth. The walls are covered densely with photos left by past customers, which gave off a bit of a long-established-restaurant feel.

There's even a photo booth to keep you entertained while waiting, haha. You just touch the screen and take a picture, so both little kids and grandparents can make a memory together 😊 (a small touch, but you could really feel the owner's thoughtfulness).

The dining room was bigger than I expected. With several tables set up, it looked like a good fit for family meals or groups visiting together. The overall wood-paneled walls gave it a cozy, simple atmosphere. One thing I noticed while traveling in Buyeo is that a lot of buildings use wood in their structures. Overall it felt warm and full of Korean sentiment, haha.

The menu board has dakgaejang from Buyeo along with dakgomtang (chicken soup), chogyeguksu, and bibim guksu, so it looked good for a group where everyone can order according to their own taste. There was a good range of menu items for people of all ages to choose from.

What's at the self-serve bar, and is the makgeolli really free?

A standout feature of Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo is the self-serve bar next to the kitchen, plus free makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and plum syrup at the entrance. The self-serve bar has bowls, side plates, a ladle, tongs, scissors, a kids' spoon, a fork, kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), and thinly sliced cheongyang chili. You can adjust the spice level to your taste!

At the entrance, makgeolli and plum syrup were set out free of charge... ♥ My husband and I are makgeolli lovers who drink it now and then, haha. Buyeo's makgeolli was less tangy and sharp than I expected, more of a mellow flavor. Right up my alley... free makgeolli?! My husband, who had to drive, didn't get to try Buyeo's makgeolli, poor thing. So I drank a full cup myself, hahaha.

Every table had an induction burner installed. Water, cups, condiment containers, and utensil holders were all set up as basics. The banchan (side dishes) of kimchi and kkakdugi were neatly prepared, which paired especially well with soupy dishes like dakgaejang or noodles. These broth-based dishes really do go better with kimchi or kkakdugi on the side. 😋

Menu and prices at Baekje Dakgaejang

How do the icy chogyeguksu, bibim guksu and native chicken salad taste?

We ordered three dishes: icy chogyeguksu, icy bibim guksu, and native chicken salad. We got chogyeguksu that our kid could eat, along with icy bibim guksu and native chicken salad for my husband and me to share.

Honestly, we'd worked up quite an appetite wandering around the outlets, so we... made a little mistake, haha. When you visit a restaurant for the first time, you're supposed to order the signature dish first, aren't you? (I'm using this as an excuse to plan another trip to Buyeo, hahaha.)

Here's what we ordered. The portions were generous overall, good for sharing between several people. I do regret not ordering a hot soup dish too, sigh...

The bibim guksu had chicken and vegetables mixed in with the noodles, giving it great texture, and the seasoning soaked into the noodles so well that my chopsticks kept going back for more. If you like spicy food, you'll really enjoy this one. (I can't handle spice well, so my face got a bit red, haha — I did add quite a lot of cheongyang chili though, haha.)

The icy chogyeguksu that came alongside had a completely different charm from the bibim guksu. The clean, refreshing broth was loaded with chicken and noodles, making it the perfect palate cleanser between spicy bites. Our picky eater ate two whole bowls 😊

Overall, the combination of generous portions, spicy seasoning, and mild chicken worked really well together, and it was nice for a family meal since the adults could have the spicy dish while the kid had the cold noodle soup.

Is there a wait at Baekje Dakgaejang?

We visited around an early lunch time of 11 AM, and slowly but surely, customers kept coming in until every table was full. We went on a Monday, so I'd guess there's a wait on weekends.

My husband loves spicy food, so he added plenty of cheongyang chili. The ingredients overall were fresh, and eating them with the noodles gave a nice crunchy texture.

Which dish is best for kids?

If you have kids, I'd recommend the chogyeguksu, dakgomtang, and dakkalguksu (chicken knife-cut noodles) at Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo. Every parent feels the same way, haha — seeing your kid eat well and sleep well is enough to make you happy. Our kid ate the noodles on her own, said they were delicious, and finished two bowls. The broth was mild with a rich chicken flavor soaked into the noodles, so she ate it right up.

The native chicken salad we ordered as a side dish came in a generous portion. This native-chicken dish mixed with coarse and fine chili flakes is a real specialty.

Final verdict on Baekje Dakgaejang & Chogyeguksu Buyeo

Overall, the food came out generously portioned and tasty, so it was a satisfying meal. More than anything, having my kid eat the chogyeguksu so well made this family outing even more satisfying. 👧🏻💕 A meal with both hearty portions and great taste! We had a wonderful time eating with our kid, and if we're ever in the area again, I'd love to stop by. 😊 If you're traveling in Buyeo, I definitely recommend visiting — it was a very satisfying meal, haha. Thanks for the food today.