Paju dumpling spot: bibim noodles in mung bean pancake – Bubyeokjeong

A chilly evening and a hot table full of dumplings. This is the story of Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu, a restaurant I visited near Paju Lotte Outlets.

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu Paju: break time, parking and waiting

• Name: Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu (부벽정평양만두) Paju Publishing District Heyri Village Ilsan branch
• Address: 129 Jimok-ro, Ra-dong 1st floor, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Break time: weekdays 14:30–17:00; no break time on weekends and public holidays
• Parking: private lot in front, 100+ spaces, register your car after the meal
• Waiting: on-site waiting only
• Takeout: available

The air got pretty chilly once evening came. On days like this I crave a meal of dumplings sunk into hot broth. Thinking of hot mandu soup, I headed to Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu, the Paju Publishing District Heyri Village Ilsan branch. This time I had the spicy Pyeongyang mandu hot pot (jeongol) with mung bean pancake (bindaetteok) and Pyeongyang bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles) on the side. For anyone looking for a Paju Lotte Outlets restaurant and checking parking too, I'll walk you through it starting with the place itself.

Is the Bubyeokjeong parking lot big?

In front of the restaurant is a private lot that fits 100+ cars, and you need to register your car after eating. In the dark evening, the brightly lit Bubyeokjeong sign caught my eye beyond the wide lot. The long, horizontal building and big windows made it easy to spot from far away.

When you drive to a meal, parking is the first worry, so seeing all that open space put me at ease. Since registration is needed after the meal, be sure to take care of it when you pay.

The takeout and dessert zones by the entrance

Looking inside from the entrance, the restaurant was bigger than I expected. Bright floors and calm wood-colored tables made for a tidy feel overall. Seating runs all the way to the back, so you can sense the size at a glance.

Takeout is available too. There are lidded containers and packaging sets ready, so it's worth knowing if you want to eat at home. Eating hot in the restaurant is a joy, but it's nice to be able to take it home when you want to relax.

One corner is marked "Dessert Zone." Several kinds of snacks sit lined up, which would be nice to browse while waiting or after your meal.

The misutgaru (roasted grain powder) slush is worth noting too. A sign says the misutgaru and desserts should be enjoyed outside or in the dessert zone, so check where you can have them. It was a nice spot for a little finish after a warm meal.

Going with a kid? Baby chairs and the self bar

Bubyeokjeong's Paju branch had several baby chairs ready. It's something you always check when eating out with a child, and families with little ones will likely be glad to see it. Together with the spacious interior, it's a facility worth noting.

At the self bar, the things you need for the meal were neatly gathered on one side. A "self corner" sign hung above, so it was easy to find. If you need extras, just check the notice and help yourself.

We checked the menu and ordered on the tablet

The menu introduced Pyeongyang mandu hot pot, Pyeongyang mandu soup, mandu jjabagi (a braised dumpling stew) and more. It showed not only photos but also the order to eat in, which helps on a first visit. For the hot pot in particular, it says to add vegetables and bean sprouts first once the broth boils, and to add the dumplings in batches rather than all at once.

Here is what we ordered this time.

• Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 2, spicy
• Mung bean pancake
• Pyeongyang bibim makguksu

We ordered on the tablet at the table and could check our order on the screen. It's a set built around the hot broth, with a pancake and spicy noodles alongside.

As the dishes arrived one by one, the table filled up. The hot pot in the middle, vegetables and dumplings beside it, the mung bean pancake, and the bibim makguksu too! If you're hunting for a Paju Unjeong restaurant and want to enjoy several dishes together, try this combination. With a broth dish, a pancake and spicy noodles together, it's fun to alternate between them.

The dumplings for the hot pot came on a separate plate, so it was easy to add them a few at a time in the suggested order.

The mung bean pancake, golden at first glance

Bubyeokjeong's mung bean pancake came round on a plate, its edges cooked a deep golden color. Vegetables and red chili showed on the surface, which made it look appetizing. It was the first thing our hands went for while the hot pot came to a boil. With a golden pancake next to the hot broth, the dinner table looked even more filling.

Wrap the Pyeongyang bibim makguksu in the mung bean pancake

The Pyeongyang bibim makguksu came neatly in a white bowl. Red sauce, white shredded radish and an egg sat on top of the curled noodles, with plenty of sesame seeds scattered around. It's a bowl you want to photograph before mixing.

After mixing the sauce evenly and lifting the noodles, the red seasoning had coated them all the way through. Pairing cold spicy noodles with a hot pot changes the flow of the meal.

I came to Paju for dumplings, but adding makguksu made the table even more varied.

Wrapping the bibim makguksu in the mung bean pancake is a treat too~ haha

Spicy yet mild Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for a chilly day

The Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 2 (spicy) came with the vegetables on a separate plate. Bean sprouts, napa cabbage, leafy greens and mushrooms were piled high, so it felt generous even before going into the pot. I spotted shiitake, wood ear and enoki mushrooms among them. It was fun to look over the ingredients one by one.

Wide dumplings and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) came too. The color of the filling showed faintly through the wrappers, and I wondered how they'd look once cooked. When the dumplings were nearly done, I carefully fished one out. It came up heavy on the spoon, soaked with hot broth. It was hot, so I took my time and cooled it bit by bit.

Following the suggested order, it was easy to add vegetables, dumplings and noodles a little at a time. With vegetables and mushrooms laid over the red broth, the pot quickly filled up. The yellow of the cabbage, the white of the sprouts, and the green of perilla leaves and bok choy made it a warm-looking pot. It was a day when the chill had me craving hot mandu soup, and watching the hot pot bubble at the table, I was glad I came.

From meat and vegetables to a kalguksu finish

With Pyeongyang mandu hot pot, there's fun in scooping up meat and vegetables, not just the dumplings. Picking meat out from among the sprouts and cabbage and pairing it with broth made each spoonful fuller. It's a dish for eating slowly with the pot in the middle. And at the end, the noodles! Lifting them out with a little kimchi, the finish of the meal looked hearty too. Dumplings, vegetables, then noodles: it was a set that suited my wish for a warm dinner.

What is the Pyeongyang mandu filling like?

When I split a Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang dumpling open, the inside was packed with vegetables and filling. Green bits showed here and there, so even the cross-section looked tempting. Dipped in the clean-tasting broth, it's even more~~~ mmm~

Why I picked Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu on a chilly evening

A chilly evening, and a hot broth meal on my mind. At Bubyeokjeong I built the meal around the spicy mandu hot pot, with mung bean pancake and Pyeongyang bibim makguksu too. With the big parking lot, roomy interior and baby chairs, it would be a good reference when choosing a family dinner spot. If you're looking for a Paju Lotte Outlets restaurant or a Paju Unjeong restaurant, check out Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu on a day you crave hot dumplings. 😊

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu Paju: frequently asked questions

• Is there parking? There's a private lot in front for 100+ cars. Remember to register your car after the meal.
• When is the weekday break time? From 14:30 to 17:00. If you're visiting on a weekday, check the time.
• Is there a break time on weekends? No, there's none on weekends and public holidays.
• How does waiting work? On-site waiting only.
• Is takeout available? Yes. The restaurant also had takeout containers and related notices.