Wondang Station hanjeongsik with cheonggukjang refills: Kim Myeongju

Wondang Station in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do... if you follow the road along Seooreung, you'll reach Wondang, an area with so many famous restaurants and cafés with great vibes that office workers on lunch breaks, relaxed groups of moms, and families on weekend outings all come here. I went to "Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang," a well-known hanjeongsik spot in Wondang famous for its 12 endlessly refillable side dishes and delicious cheonggukjang.

Where is Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Station Branch, and when is it open?

🏡 Address: 1445-28 Goyang-daero, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's just 149 meters from Exit 1 of Wondang Station (Line 3), very close to the subway. Both the 1st and 2nd floors of the standalone building are Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Branch, so there are plenty of tables and lots of space. There's a parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so parking is easy too.

⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30 – 21:00 / Closed September 24–25 for Chuseok holiday

This is the 1st floor of Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Branch — if you look closely, there's another whole partitioned space on the left just as big. I visited around 3pm, past lunchtime, but the seats on the left kept filling up steadily. There's also seating upstairs, so it's a Wondang favorite for groups and gatherings.

What comes with the Tteuranchae Bapsang set: 12 side dishes and refillable japchae

Tteuranchae Bapsang - basic table setting

True to its reputation as a Wondang favorite, out came 12 side dishes and freshly boiled cheonggukjang, with rice cooked to order in a stone pot the moment guests arrive. They just set the whole tray right on the table and leave. I was full before I even took a bite, and honestly didn't know what to eat first, haha. Appetite fully activated~~

Among the side dishes, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) is especially popular — as soon as the food arrived, I heard "japchae refill please" from all around. Of all 12 sides, japchae is the only one staff bring out fresh; everything else you scoop yourself at the self-serve corner, as much as you like. The noodles were thin without vegetables mixed in, cooked to a perfectly chewy texture — really great mouthfeel. The perilla leaf side dish was mild with the leaf's aroma still alive, which suited my taste perfectly, and the well-braised potatoes, doraji (bellflower root) namul, burdock root, and the savory-battered eggplant fritters were all so good I was busy trying to eat a little of everything, haha.

How salty is the ganjang gejang?

Ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab)

Though it's known as a Wondang favorite in general, this restaurant has one especially special menu item — ganjang gejang. It wasn't salty at all, with a sauce that had just a bit of spicy kick, and the seasoning flavor was excellent; the crab meat was packed full too, so one bite gave me a mouthful of crab meat soaked in the sauce.

They cut it into easy-to-eat pieces with scissors and tongs, so it just pops right into your mouth. Low-sodium is trending these days, and this ganjang gejang isn't salty but seasoned just right, so this Wondang favorite is clearly keeping up with the trend.

Cheonggukjang refills arrive in a new earthenware pot

Well-fermented cheonggukjang

When you order the basic Tteuranchae Bapsang set at Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Branch, cheonggukjang comes with it — and this is another key reason for the restaurant's popularity. One taste and you can tell the cheonggukjang was fermented to a really impressive level and boiled just right. What's more, if you ask for a refill, they bring it out freshly boiled in a brand-new pot, so if you run low while eating, you get piping-hot, bubbling cheonggukjang to keep your rice warm all the way through the meal — I really loved that.

Finishing the meal with stone-pot rice and sungnyung (toasted rice tea)

The stone-pot rice came in a generous portion too, which made for a really satisfying meal — with so many side dishes, it would've been a real letdown if the rice portion had been skimpy, haha. After scooping out the rice from the stone pot, I finished with sungnyung (scorched rice tea), and it hit the spot — didn't even crave coffee afterward, and my mouth felt refreshingly clean even after the ganjang gejang. This is exactly why families come here together with their parents for a hanjeongsik meal~ Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Wondang Branch is such a great spot for a change of scenery near Seoul plus a satisfying meal at a Wondang favorite! The cheonggukjang and ganjang gejang left a strong impression, so I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.