Cheongju Korean BBQ where staff grill hanwoo bulgogi for 3: Ojangdong

If you're looking for somewhere good to drive out to on the outskirts of Cheongju for a meal, I'd recommend Ojangdong Heungnamjip in Nam-il-myeon. Honestly, this is a place I visit fairly often as a regular — this time I came back through a sponsored campaign, so I took my time enjoying it a bit more slowly than usual.

Where is Ojangdong Heungnamjip Cheongju Branch, and is there parking?

Ojangdong Heungnamjip sits just outside downtown Cheongju in Nam-il-myeon, so it's never crowded. It's actually near my house.

The parking lot in particular is huge, so whether you're visiting with family or coming as a bigger group, you don't have to worry about parking. It seems like a solid choice for anyone looking for a Cheongju family dinner spot, a Cheongju group gathering place, or a Cheongju work dinner venue.

Inside the spacious dining room

The interior overall is pretty spacious, so it never felt cramped.

Near the entrance there are autographs from celebrities hanging up, which gave the sense that this has been a popular spot for a long time.

Also, if you show your receipt from Heungnamjip, you can apparently get 10% off at the nearby Ecklogue café. It's convenient to head straight to the café after your meal, so this could work well as a family outing course.

Ordering the hanwoo bulgogi for 3

The menu ranges widely, from hanwoo bulgogi to naengmyeon (cold noodles). What we ordered that day was the signature hanwoo bulgogi for 3.

The big bulgogi pan came out generously loaded with hanwoo bulgogi along with mushrooms, onions, scallions and more. The portion of meat looked plentiful, so I had high expectations from the start.

How the staff grill the bulgogi for you

What I liked most was that the staff put the bulgogi on the pan and grilled it for us themselves. At first they grilled about one serving's worth, then kept adding more meat to match our eating pace, which made the meal really easy and relaxing.

Since you don't have to keep an eye on the grilling yourself, it seems especially convenient when dining with your parents or with kids.

The banchan (side dishes) were all clean-tasting and delicious.

If you run low on banchan, you can grab more from the self-serve bar.

Dipping the hanwoo bulgogi in the broth

The way Ojangdong Heungnamjip's bulgogi works is that the meat cooks in the center while vegetables and mushrooms simmer in the broth around it. As the meat cooks, its juices naturally mix into the broth, and the flavor of the broth gets richer and richer.

Well-cooked bulgogi eaten together with enoki mushrooms or vegetables was a great combination of tender meat and crisp veggie texture. Especially when you dip the bulgogi lightly in the broth, it gets moist and savory-salty, which was really delicious. You could really taste the distinctive richness of the hanwoo, too.

I also loved pairing it with kimchi. The tangy kimchi added to the slightly sweet bulgogi kept me eating without ever feeling greasy.

Wrapping the beef in fresh vegetables

The bulgogi is delicious on its own, but I'd also recommend wrapping it with fresh vegetables. Piling plenty of bulgogi onto a lettuce leaf let the meat's flavor shine while feeling much fresher. If you're looking for a good bulgogi restaurant in Cheongju, I'd suggest trying the hanwoo bulgogi with the vegetables together.

The banchan overall were clean-tasting too. It's a lineup of napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi, and pickled vegetables that go well with bulgogi, and none of it was too strongly seasoned, so I kept reaching for more.

Don't skip the rice mixed in at the end

By the time we'd nearly finished the bulgogi, it would have been a shame to leave the remaining broth untouched. The flavor drawn out from the meat and vegetables had fully soaked into the broth, so eating it with rice was a whole different treat.

Mixing warm rice together with the bulgogi and broth felt like a proper way to finish the meal. Personally, I was more satisfied finishing with rice mixed in than eating just the meat alone.

Why Ojangdong Heungnamjip suits a family meal in Nam-il-myeon, Cheongju

Ojangdong Heungnamjip is a place I'm already familiar with since I visit it often, but coming back this time reminded me once again why I keep returning.

With a spacious parking lot and plenty of room inside, it's easy to visit as a family, and having the staff grill the hanwoo bulgogi for us meant we could enjoy the meal at a relaxed pace. Beyond the bulgogi itself, the banchan were all clean-tasting too, making this a fine place to bring your parents.

If you're looking for a naengmyeon spot in Cheongju, a restaurant near Daecheong Dam, a family dinner place in Cheongju, a Korean restaurant in Cheongju, a place to eat near Daecheongho, or a restaurant in Sangdang-gu, give Ojangdong Heungnamjip a try. If you love hanwoo bulgogi especially, you'll get a filling, delicious meal.

Like I did, following up your meal with a visit to Ecklogue café is even better since you can enjoy both a meal and a café in one trip. 😊