Kids' rib set and borigulbi cross-order: Suksudaega, Pyeongtaek

Let me write up my review of Suksudaega, a Pyeongtaek Korean set-meal restaurant we visited on a weekday evening for a special, delicious meal.

What do the hanok exterior and parking at Suksudaega look like?

Suksudaega has a gorgeous hanok (traditional Korean house) exterior with a pretty garden where a water wheel keeps turning.

There's also a spacious dedicated parking lot right in front, so we parked without any worries and walked straight in.

Why book a room at Suksudaega before you go

Every seat at Suksudaega is in a private room.

We had a reservation, so we were seated right away — at a 6-person table set with just 4 chairs, giving us plenty of room.

Just so you know, if you're running late without letting them know, your reservation can get cancelled — so definitely call ahead if you'll be late.

What comes in the Suksudaega set-meal course?

On the left came perilla leaf wraps — they had a texture almost like raw fish, and they were incredibly good!! This was honestly the best bite of the whole meal.

The salad with black sesame dressing was delicious too — even the salad felt upscale.

I thought it was just mung bean sprouts, but there was meat layered underneath.

It looked like a three-color namul (seasoned vegetable dish), but underneath was japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) packed with vegetables.

On the left, the dish with tomato, shrimp and tempura was really tasty too — eating it all in one bite gave a great mix of textures.

Mini Hanwoo (Korean beef) tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties).

Jeon (savory pancakes) came out too, but we were too full to eat them.

I think this was fried shiitake mushroom — the sauce was delicious.

How does cross-ordering the Beopseongpo borigulbi set work?

We originally wanted to order one borigulbi and one yellow croaker special, but we were told that either you order two of the croaker special, or for cross-ordering you can only mix one borigulbi with one braised rib set — the price tiers have to match.

So we just ordered two borigulbi sets instead.

Grilled a golden, crispy brown with a glossy sheen, it had that distinctive chewy, dense texture borigulbi is known for.

We scooped out some of the freshly-cooked sotbap (pot rice), poured in hot water to make nurungbap, and ate it with the borigulbi — not a hint of fishiness, just a great combo of nutty and salty.

Five side dishes also came out — stir-fried zucchini, bean sprouts, pickles and more.

Did the child finish the children's braised rib set?

Since our child is over 5, we ordered the children's braised rib set.

The ribs were thick and sturdy, and with just a light touch of the chopsticks the meat separated cleanly from the bone.

The meat was so tender that even cut into large pieces, our kid ate it happily. The seasoning wasn't sharp or too strong, just a nice sweet-and-salty balance soaked into the meat — she even mixed the sauce into her rice, saying the broth was delicious.

Dessert: plum tea with pine nuts

Plum tea with pine nuts floating on top came out for dessert.

At first I thought it was sujeonggwa (cinnamon-persimmon punch) and wasn't going to drink it, but it turned out to be such tasty plum tea that both my kid and I finished our cups in one go, completely satisfied.

The wine fridge in the hanok room

Near the register there was a stunning wine fridge, and looking inside I found a lineup ranging from premium bottles like Dom Pérignon to a fine wine heritage collection.

Wine in a Korean set-meal restaurant — isn't that a nice, romantic surprise? I thought it would be perfect for setting the mood over a glass on a special anniversary or gathering.

They're also running a review event, so if you're interested, stop by and take part.

Is Suksudaega worth it for dinner with kids?

Suksudaega in Pyeongtaek is a set-meal restaurant where you can enjoy everything from a pretty hanok garden view to friendly service, delicious food, and even wine.

Thanks to the salty borigulbi and the tender children's braised ribs, both the adults and the kid finished a thoroughly enjoyable dinner.

If you're craving a good Korean set meal, it's definitely worth a visit.