Cheongju Korean restaurant with a kids’ room: Jeju Badang

A relaxed Gagyeong-dong Korean meal with a child, near Cheongju OSCO

After spending time with our child at Cheongju OSCO, we looked for a good restaurant nearby in Gagyeong-dong and visited this Korean restaurant where we could eat comfortably together. This time we went to Jeju Badang (제주바당), a child-friendly spot in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju. It serves Jeju specialties and a neat, full Korean table setting, so it looked like a nice place for a family meal.

When choosing a restaurant with a child, the food matters, of course, but I also look carefully at whether there is a playroom, whether the child can eat the menu, and whether parking and the space are convenient. Jeju Badang was satisfying on those points too. It is easy to find if you come up from Gagyeong Xi Apartments toward Gagyeong I’Park Complex 5; it is on the second floor of the building with Hanyang Meat House on the first floor.

A spacious dining room and playroom for children

The restaurant had a spacious hall and an interior with a warm wood feel and a real Jeju atmosphere, so it felt clean and cozy overall. It was not at all intimidating for families, making it a nice place to come for a meal with a child.

What I liked most was that there was a playroom for children. When eating out with a child, they often get bored before we have even finished our meal,

but with the playroom, our child could play for a little while before or after eating, so we could enjoy our meal much more leisurely.

Boneless Jeju braised hairtail and grilled half mackerel

Jeju Badang says that its menu uses ingredients representing Jeju, including premium silver hairtail, okdom (Jeju tilefish), a specialty caught off the Jeju coast, and horned turban shells hand-harvested by haenyeo, Jeju’s women divers, from its clean seas.

A typical set comes with 12 side dishes, spicy stir-fried pork, wraps, sotbap (rice cooked in an individual stone pot), and soup, so it felt like having a properly complete meal.

We ordered the boneless Jeju braised hairtail and grilled half mackerel. The boneless Jeju set included braised hairtail, sotbap, and unlimited access to the salad bar, so I think it would suit anyone who wants to try a good variety of dishes.

The braised hairtail was boneless, which made it easy to eat and meant less fuss over picking out bones, so it was good to share with a child too.

We also ordered the grilled half mackerel with sotbap. The mackerel was tender and mild, making it lovely with rice. Our child especially ate the seaweed soup and mackerel really well. It can be a bit worrying when eating out with a child if there is no suitable menu for them, but Jeju Badang also had a separate children’s menu.

The children’s menu included grilled atka mackerel and rice, so it seemed easy to take care of a child’s meal separately.

A salad bar with side dishes—and chicken too

Another advantage of Jeju Badang was the salad bar. We could freely enjoy more than 15 Korean side dishes and salad-bar items, including chicken, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), rice crackers, assorted banchan (Korean side dishes), and wrap vegetables.

Rather than eating only the main dishes, it was nice to be able to bring back more side dishes easily from the self-service bar whenever we needed them. I was especially impressed that the chicken was unlimited too. When visiting with a child, having items they might like, such as chicken or rice crackers, is quietly a big advantage. With so many side dishes, it was fun to taste a little of this and that.

And with sotbap, you really have to finish with sungnyung (scorched-rice tea), right? We poured hot water into the warm stone pot of rice and drank the sungnyung as we wrapped up the meal, and it made my stomach feel so settled.

The seaweed soup and spicy stir-fried pork could each be refilled once, so we could enjoy more of anything that felt lacking. Overall, the spread was generous and the side dishes were varied, making it a great place for a hearty family meal. Above all, the owner was kind and welcoming, so we were able to stay in a good mood throughout the meal.

For a family meal with children in Gagyeong-dong

If you are looking for a place for a family meal in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, Jeju Badang could be a good choice. From child-friendly options such as boneless braised hairtail and grilled mackerel to Jeju specialties like grilled black okdom, there was plenty to choose from, and the salad bar and kids’ room made it especially convenient to visit with a child.

It is near Gagyeong Xi and Gagyeong I’Park, so access was decent, and parking was convenient too. I think it would work well for family gatherings or group meals.

If you would like a neat, full Korean meal in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, or are looking for somewhere comfortable to eat with a child, I think you could enjoy a hearty meal at Jeju Badang :)