Milyang set-meal restaurant a 5-year-old loved: Ilpum Irojeong

How long is the weekend wait at Ilpum Irojeong in Milyang?

Ilpum Irojeong is a hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal) restaurant specializing in loach soup on Baengmin-ro in Milyang, and when we went at 1pm on a weekend there were about 5 groups waiting ahead of us. We waited about 15 minutes after registering with a table-booking app before getting seated.

From loach soup to grilled mackerel, steamed pork, and beef seaweed soup — a hearty hanjeongsik spread. We stopped by Ilpum Irojeong for lunch during a weekend trip to Milyang.

I found this place while searching for lunch spots in Milyang, and it turned out to be popular, probably because it was weekend lunchtime. We visited around 1pm on a weekend and there were about 5 groups waiting ahead of us.

Still, the wait was worth it, so I wanted to introduce it to anyone looking for a hearty meal in Milyang.

Inside Ilpum Irojeong: private rooms and kiosk ordering

Ilpum Irojeong turned out to be bigger than I expected, with private rooms for family gatherings. Ordering was simple, done at a kiosk.

Walking in, the space felt larger than I'd expected. Even with plenty of weekend lunch customers, it felt clean and orderly rather than crowded. There were private rooms for family gatherings too. It seemed like a lot of people come here to eat with their parents or as a family in Milyang. The tables were generous, so even with a spread of many dishes, the table never felt cramped.

Part of the kitchen was open, so we could glimpse the food being prepared, and it looked hygienic.

Ordering was simple via kiosk.

We ordered the steamed pork + mackerel sanghwang loach soup set for ₩20,000 (serves two) and the beef seaweed soup for ₩11,000.

What comes with the ₩20,000 loach soup set for two

The Ilpum Irojeong loach soup set came with steamed pork, grilled mackerel, southern-style loach soup, turmeric rice, and a variety of side dishes. The table was set with fried loach, fried sweet potato, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), diced radish kimchi, salad, kimchi, and marinated wood ear mushrooms.

Not long after ordering, warm steamed pork arrived along with a variety of side dishes.

Along with the steamed pork, there was a wide variety of side dishes — crispy fried loach, fried sweet potato, japchae, diced radish kimchi, salad, kimchi, and marinated wood ear mushrooms.

With the table filled up, it looked hearty just to see. The warm steamed pork was delicious, but what my husband and I kept talking about while eating was the mackerel.

This is better than the mackerel at a dedicated grilled-fish restaurant.

That's what my husband and I said the moment the mackerel arrived — that's how satisfying it was. There was almost no fishy smell, the outside was crispy, and the inside was moist and clean-tasting. Personally, the mackerel was one of the most memorable dishes I had that day.

Then came the southern-style loach soup and turmeric rice served alongside it. The deep, savory flavor of the loach soup paired with the turmeric rice made it feel less like a meal and more like a proper restorative feast.

Adding minced garlic and cheongyang chili peppers made it even more delicious ☺️ It wasn't strongly seasoned but felt like a warm, hearty health food, the kind of dish you'd want to bring your parents to try. I'm thinking of coming back to Ilpum Irojeong with my parents next time we visit Milyang. It was that hearty and healthy a hanjeongsik meal.

Beef seaweed soup, ₩11,000: the dish to order with a child

Ilpum Irojeong's beef seaweed soup is ₩11,000, and my 5-year-old son ate almost an entire generously-sized bowl of it. Since it was hot, I poured some into a dish to cool before giving it to him.

The seaweed soup came out bubbling and delicious 😀 My son said, "The seaweed soup is so, so good!" and gave a thumbs up. 😂

Choosing a menu when eating with a kid is always a bit of a struggle, so having a dish like this made it a great pick for a family outing :)

Why Ilpum Irojeong works for a family lunch in Milyang

There was a wait when we visited at 1pm on a weekend, but after eating, I understood why it's so popular. Warm steamed pork and a variety of side dishes, mackerel grilled crispy with no fishy smell, and deep, savory loach soup with turmeric rice. The southern-style loach soup was deep and really, really delicious.🤎

Overall, after finishing the whole spread, you naturally end up saying "that was a good meal." With such a variety of dishes and nothing too heavy or strong-flavored, it seems like a good hanjeongsik-style place in Milyang for taking your parents out to eat. And with the beef seaweed soup on the menu, it's also great to visit with kids.

If you're looking for a hearty lunch in Milyang

• Milyang loach soup restaurant
• Milyang Korean restaurant
• A restorative meal spot in Milyang for parents

this is a place I'd recommend. Our family ate well and left happy. :)