Suyuk barley rice set for 3 in Danyang: Heukmaneul Boribap

There are some travel spots you never get tired of, and places where eating the same thing every single time still feels great — Danyang is exactly that for me. I always go back to the same old favorites and try something new too, and every trip satisfies me, so I keep coming back.

The concept for this Danyang trip was, as always, eat well and play well!! Like every time, I went back to a spot I always visit in Danyang. For lunch near Gugyeong Market in Danyang, I decided on Heukmaneul Boribap.

Heukmaneul Ssambap vs Heukmaneul Boribap: what's the difference?

Heukmaneul Boribap is the second-story restaurant from Heukmaneul Ssambap, famous around Gugyeong Market. If you know, you know — the concept and menu are different enough that it's not really a chain in the usual sense. If you want ssambap (lettuce wrap rice), go to Heukmaneul Ssambap; if you want barley rice, come here to Heukmaneul Boribap.

Weekend lunch wait at Heukmaneul Boribap: browse Gugyeong Market while you wait

The wait at Heukmaneul Boribap during weekend lunch peak hours is really long. I have to mention the waiting situation — on weekends there are a ton of people, especially those coming for lunch near Gugyeong Market. My tip is to put your name down first and then go browse the market, but note they don't call you by phone — they call your name in the restaurant, so you need to keep an eye out and come back at the right time.

Menu, prices and whether Heukmaneul Boribap works with a child

The menu is super simple!! Black garlic suyuk barley rice set is 17,000 won, black garlic jeyuk barley rice set is 14,000 won. Jeyuk (stir-fried pork) can only be ordered from 2 servings up, while suyuk (boiled pork) seemed available even as a single serving. Lots of people bring babies here for lunch near Gugyeong Market, and there's a high chair, so you can come with your little one without worry.

Our family — 3 adults and 1 child — ordered three black garlic suyuk barley rice sets. After ordering, a bit of time passed and the side dishes started arriving one by one.

The side dishes you mix into the barley rice

True to the restaurant's name, a variety of side dishes for mixing into the barley rice appeared. Since this place is so popular, the side dishes turn over fast, so everything came out fresh.

White rice for the baby, in the restaurant's high chair

I figured barley rice might be too much for the baby, so I asked if they had white rice — they did, so I ordered it. The baby ate the rice, quail eggs, and later the suyuk with great enthusiasm. Kids really do have a sixth sense for what tastes good.

The main dish: black garlic suyuk for three

The main black garlic suyuk from Heukmaneul Boribap, a well-known lunch spot near Gugyeong Market in Danyang, arrived. It's a 3-person portion, and I thought it was generously plated — the sauce was heaped onto just one of the three rows.

If you look closely, the sauce is a bit different from the garlic suyuk you might be used to, because it's black garlic. Loaded with the black garlic that Danyang is known for, it takes on a deeper color than the usual yellowish tone — and tastes even better for it.

I wondered why this place is so popular and the wait so long, and I think it's the combination of 17,000 won per person and a table that ends up completely full.

The doenjang (soybean paste) stew was right up my alley — so rich that I kept slurping the broth, and honestly, if I hadn't been driving, it was a guaranteed day-drinking situation.

I eat here every time I come to Danyang, and somehow it's delicious every single time — this suyuk in particular is so appealing. Eaten plain, it's mild and clean enough to give even a baby, but paired with the black garlic sauce, the savory depth is on another level.

Mixing the barley rice and finishing with lettuce wraps

Time to mix all the side dishes into the barley rice and dig in enthusiastically. It never tastes this good at home — barley rice always somehow tastes better at a restaurant.

Even piling a piece of well-mixed barley rice with suyuk on top, the mild suyuk seasoning makes it perfectly balanced.

Topped with black garlic sauce and a bit of ssamjang (dipping sauce), it also made for a great lettuce wrap.

The radish kimchi that comes alongside was tasty too, so we cleared the generous pile of wraps completely. Heukmaneul Boribap is already famous as a lunch spot near Gugyeong Market in Danyang, and the wait alone should tell you it's worth it — I really hope you get to try the black garlic suyuk at least once.