Weekend couple's meal at a Gyeongsan Korean restaurant: Bapeul Jitda

A cousin of mine who lives in Gyeongsan has been raving about this place until her mouth went dry, so I'd wanted to go for ages! After a refreshing workout in the morning, I finally headed over for lunch feeling light on my feet, haha.

First impressions and parking at Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch

Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch (밥을짓다 경산본점) is a hanjeongsik restaurant on Samseonghyeon-ro in Gyeongsan. The clean white building stands out from far away and looks just like a pretty café.

See how big the parking lot is? With such a spacious site, even beginner drivers can visit without worrying about parking!

Inside, big windows open onto fresh green scenery, and the sense of openness was amazing.

It's big enough to take group reservations for up to 88 people, so it's perfect for family gatherings too!

Spring Set for one at ₩25,000, starting with the starters

Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch serves only set menus on weekends, so it's worth checking ahead. My husband and I both love bibimbap, so we ordered the Spring Set for one (₩25,000) without a second thought!

Before the main, tot (hijiki seaweed) stone pot bibimbap, arrived, a whole spread of starters was laid out, and my eyes went wide.

The beef brisket mushroom hot pot is packed with fresh vegetables and boiled until bubbling. Dip it lightly in the hot pot sauce and it melts in your mouth~

The crunchy Caesar salad has egg, bacon, puffed brown rice and vegetables topped with Grana Padano cheese. It really got my appetite going, and the ingredients were so fresh and crisp.

The slow-cooked sous-vide cold pork is made from Korean pork shoulder, and it's tender with no gamey smell at all. Kids would eat this up too. Eat it with garlic sauce and chive salad (geotjeori) and the flavor goes up another notch~

My husband, who loves potatoes, ate the cheese potato balls stretching the cheese out, and I, an eggplant lover, wrapped gracilaria seaweed and fried eggplant in textured gamtae (곱창김, seaweed sheets), topped it with seasoned sauce and enjoyed it so much, hehe. Every starter was neat and went down so easily that we cleaned them all up before the main even came out, haha.

Why the tot stone pot bibimbap is mild, and the paprika gochujang

The tot stone pot bibimbap at Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch is on the mildly seasoned side. The owner's parents suffered from diabetes, so he researched healthy food that isn't harsh or strong, and ended up opening the restaurant.

Finally, the tot stone pot bibimbap! It's loaded with fragrant chamnamul (pimpinella greens) and seaweed, and smelled strongly of the sea.

Honestly, I was puzzled at first by how mild the seasoning was, but it turns out the owner's parents suffered from diabetes. When I put the sweet and spicy grilled deodeok (bellflower root) right on top of the bibimbap, the flavor came together really well! The bitter aroma of the deodeok and the popping texture of the tot make you feel healthier just eating it.

Even so, my husband insisted on adding gochujang (red chili paste)!! I asked a staff member and they brought some. And it was a healthy "paprika gochujang" made with paprika and tomato. You can feel the care that goes into even the gochujang. Knowing the owner researched non-harsh healthy food for his parents and ended up opening a restaurant, I could taste that sincerity. We cleaned the starters out so thoroughly that I left some bibimbap, which is a shame, haha.

There's also a neatly prepared coffee and tea area for after the meal, which showed the owner's good sense.

Featured on TV, and why I want to come back

When I paid, a staff member proudly told me the restaurant had been featured that very morning on "Kookju's Hanguk-ja" on SBS biz Oh! Good Day! A place approved by Lee Guk-ju, so I'll definitely look up how it was introduced, haha.

I confidently recommend it to anyone tired of harsh, heavily seasoned food or looking for a neat, tidy restaurant in Gyeongsan. If you want to treat your parents to a healthy meal, you won't regret visiting Bapeul Jitda Gyeongsan Main Branch! I'm planning to come back soon with my mother-in-law on a Gyeongsan outing and dig into the abalone porridge too, haha. I hope you visit this place that gets both health and flavor right with someone precious and make some happy memories!