Cheongju Korean restaurant with partitioned family tables: Jeju Badang

When I want a proper Korean meal with family in Cheongju, I always head to Jeju Badang (제주바당), my go-to Korean restaurant in Gagyeong-dong.

Located on the 2nd floor of the building next to Cheongdam April Language Academy, right by Gagyeong IPARK 5-danji, Jeju Badang is easy to reach from Gagyeong-dong as well as the rest of Cheongju, Sejong, and Daejeon. It's a real find for braised hairtail and grilled fish, and a great spot for family meals or group gatherings.

Where is Jeju Badang, and where do you park?

Jeju Badang is on the 2nd floor at 28 Seohyeonnam-ro, with plenty of parking in front of and behind the building. There are several other restaurants in the same commercial strip, but Jeju Badang is hands-down the best one in Gagyeong-dong.

Their signature dish is braised hairtail made with Jeju-caught hairtail, and even though the restaurant hasn't been open long, word has already spread about how good it is.

Partitioned tables and a toddler playroom: why Jeju Badang works for family gatherings

The interior is really clean, isn't it? Tables are set up for 4, 6, or 8 people, with plenty of room to spread out the roughly 15 dishes that come with a full spread.

Front and back seats are separated by partitions, but they're not fully closed off, so it doesn't feel stuffy — you still get a private feel for small group meetings or family meals.

There's also a well-equipped playroom for babies who come along with mom and dad.

Jeju Badang menu and prices

• Grilled mackerel rice set + pot rice — ₩17,000
• Grilled atka mackerel rice set + pot rice — ₩17,000
• Lunch special: Jeju boneless hairtail stew + pot rice — ₩23,000
• Lunch special: braised mackerel + pot rice — ₩18,000
• Bone-in Jeju silver hairtail stew — Medium (2–3 people) ₩64,000 / Large (3–4 people) ₩76,000
• Grilled Jeju giant black tilefish — Medium ₩38,000 / Large ₩54,000
• Grilled Jeju silver hairtail — Medium ₩60,000 / Large ₩74,000
• 4-person set: boneless hairtail stew (M) + grilled giant black tilefish + 4 pot rice — ₩118,000
• 6-person set: boneless silver hairtail stew (L) + grilled giant black tilefish + 6 pot rice — ₩138,000

The signature dishes are braised hairtail and grilled fish (tilefish, mackerel, atka mackerel). Since we came for lunch, we ordered the lunch-special Jeju boneless hairtail stew and grilled atka mackerel — both of them Jeju Badang signatures.

Eight side dishes, including seaweed soup and spicy stir-fried pork

After a little while, the basic side dishes arrived — seaweed soup, stir-fried pork, plus six more. And that's not even everything: at the self-serve bar there are seasoned vegetables, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), chicken, and lettuce wraps, and you can help yourself to as much as you like.

The seaweed soup that comes as a default is rich and packed with umami, and the stir-fried pork — also included by default — is good enough to be a main dish on its own. Every single side dish here really shows off the cook's hand; it's a genuine Korean food find in Cheongju.

Jeju Badang's self-serve bar: freshly fried chicken is the favorite

At the self-serve bar you'll find items not included in the basic side dishes — cool cabbage water kimchi and house-made napa and mustard-leaf kimchi, all displayed cleanly and looking delicious. If you're having grilled fish, don't forget the seasoned soy dipping sauce made for it. But without question, the most popular item at Jeju Badang's self-serve bar is the chicken.

They fry chicken fresh and refill it regularly — and it disappears almost as soon as it's out. The first time I went, the tray was empty, so I waited a bit and went back to grab some freshly fried chicken. How does it taste? As fried chicken goes, it puts most franchise chicken chains to shame. There's a sauce too, so you can try both the fried and the seasoned (yangnyeom) versions.

The japchae also isn't part of the basic sides, so grab some yourself. It's a bit darker in color but not salty at all, and the glass noodles aren't mushy — really good. Usually japchae is the star at other restaurants, but here at Jeju Badang it takes a back seat to the hairtail stew, tilefish, and chicken. Japchae, taking a back seat, haha!

The lunch-special spread — hairtail stew and grilled atka mackerel with pot rice. Everything's so good there's nothing I didn't reach for. Jeju Badang really is the top Korean restaurant in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju — 👍👍👍

Boneless hairtail stew, the 23,000-won lunch special

This is the hairtail stew — boneless silver hairtail, and I didn't count the pieces. But it just kept coming as we ate, so even at one serving, the portion is genuinely generous. Best of all, no need to pick out bones — just scoop it up with a spoon. It really feels like eating hairtail stew the way it should be.

Grilled atka mackerel set with pot rice

I went back and forth between mackerel and atka mackerel and ended up ordering the atka mackerel — a different flavor from mackerel, a bit cleaner and more delicate, I'd say. Dip it lightly in soy sauce with a touch of wasabi, and honestly you could eat just the fish without rice and keep reaching for more.

At home I'd never attempt grilling fish myself, but here at Jeju Badang with the family, we had both hairtail stew and grilled fish, and everyone at the table was happy. Is it really allowed to taste this good!

The grilled king black tilefish at the next table

The photo below is the tilefish ordered at the table next to us — it looked so beautiful I asked if I could take a picture. I noticed a lot of tables with parents and family ordering the tilefish, and seeing how gorgeous the large size looked, I really want to try it myself next time.

Hairtail stew is basically a rice thief. The deeply seasoned radish and hairtail stew piled on top of rice — so good. And Jeju Badang's hairtail stew has zero fishy smell and isn't salty at all, so you can honestly just spoon it straight up without rice. Since it's boneless, there's no picking out bones, which makes it great for feeding kids or bringing along elderly parents for an easy, enjoyable meal.

Of all the Korean restaurants I've eaten at recently, Jeju Badang was the most satisfying. If you're looking for a great Korean restaurant in Cheongju, I'd confidently recommend this one.

Visiting Jeju Badang: hours, parking and booking

• 📍 2F, 28 Seohyeonnam-ro, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk (above Hanyang Gogitjip, heading from Gagyeong Xi Apartment toward Gagyeong IPARK 5-danji)
• ⏰ Daily 10:30–22:00 (break time 15:00–17:00)
• ✔️ Group-friendly, reservations, parking, kids' facilities (playroom), high chairs