Cheonan Low Teacup · 5 stories
Writes about small restaurants and cafes across Daejeon, Chungcheong, and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Restaurants · Cafés
Salchin Dwaejijip (살찐돼지집) is an aged pork BBQ restaurant on Seokjeong 1-gil in Anseong, Gyeonggi. After work, the writer and a younger sibling shared the 400g assorted half-pig platter (32,000 won) with steamed egg and beer, then turned a bowl of rice into fried rice on the grill. Salchin Dwaejijip is a good-value Anseong pork BBQ pub with a range of cuts, a self-serve side dish corner, kind service and a clean dining room.
Sottture Dakdoritang (솥뚜레 닭도리탕) is a Korean restaurant in Seongjeong-dong, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan, that specializes in dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken stew). On a weekday lunch for two, the writer ordered the whole-chicken dakdoritang for 2–3 people (₩35,000) and self-cooked fried rice (₩2,000), and enjoyed a big chicken, generous add-ins, a spice level both diners liked and ice cream from the self-serve bar. Verdict: the writer's first dakdoritang eaten out at a restaurant was a big success.
Chat Baker Brunch & Bakery Café is a large brunch and bakery café at 512 Square in Gongdo, Anseong. On a Sunday at 12:40pm, the writer and a younger sibling ordered pollack roe shrimp oil pasta for 16,800 won, chicken chili risotto for 19,800 won and fresh lemonade for 7,000 won, then sat in the 2nd-floor water-curtain seats. Chat Baker is famous for its bread, but its brunch turned out better than expected.
Bulnaneun Jjukkumi Yuryang Direct Branch is a jjukkumi (webfoot octopus) restaurant on Yangjimal 1-gil in Yuryang-dong, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan. On a first weekday lunch visit, the mild jjukkumi-samgyeop (octopus with pork belly) for two cost 34,000 won and fried rice 3,000 won, and the mild level had almost no heat with a faintly jjajang-like flavor that worked well wrapped in lettuce. Between the private parking lot and the wide gaps between tables, Bulnaneun Jjukkumi became a new favorite on the first visit.
Ganghan Sushi Cheonan Buldang Branch is a budget-friendly sushi restaurant in the First Plaza building in Buldang-dong, Cheonan. Arriving with her sister right at the Friday 11am opening, the writer ordered the Ganghan Sushi set at 14,000 won and the Ganghan Special Sushi at 17,000 won, which came with mini udon, broth, cabbage salad and a seafood croquette stuffed with big pieces of octopus. The sushi had no fishy taste and a generous ratio of fish to rice, making Ganghan Sushi a filling lunch worth returning for.
