High chair for a baby at a Bucheon Korean restaurant: Gim Myeongju

There are so many good restaurants in Jak-dong, Bucheon! Perfect for a family day trip nearby. I'd heard about this Jak-dong Korean set-meal restaurant, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (김명주뜰안채밥상), for ages and finally went with my baby ☺️

Jak-dong, Bucheon restaurant <Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang> Hours: daily 10:30–21:00 / Notes: parking, reservations, high chairs

Parking and entrance: why strollers can't get up to the 2nd floor

We arrived on a nice day at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang, a well-known Jak-dong Korean restaurant. There was staff directing parking and plenty of space!

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang is on the 2nd floor, so unfortunately you have to climb stairs — no strollers allowed. I'd recommend a baby carrier or hip seat!

They do take reservations in advance, but not for weekend/holiday lunch, and only for parties of 5+ on weekdays or 9+ on weekends. Worth calling ahead to ask.

What we ordered: Tteuranchae Bapsang set for two plus borigulbi

And here's the menu! There are full set courses that include a main dish, and you can also add an à la carte item to the basic Tteuranchae Bapsang set. We added borigulbi as an extra to the set for two :) The main dish choices are borigulbi, soy-marinated crab, charcoal-grilled pork, cockle salad, or grilled mackerel — pick whatever you like!

There's a separate waiting area too, so you can sip coffee while you wait :)

At the entrance there was info about their hwangmissal rice — apparently it's milled fresh in-house! That probably explains why the rice tasted so good haha.

Weekday lunch wait and the high chair at Gim Myeongju

Even on a weekday lunch, we waited just a little before getting seated! Definitely a well-known Jak-dong spot — the tables were nearly all full!

Since we came with our baby, they set up a high chair for us so we could settle in comfortably! Our baby sat there so nicely haha.

All the basic banchan (side dishes) come pre-set, and you can grab more yourself if you run out! Every single one was genuinely delicious..♥

There's also a separate seasoned sauce for mixing with rice and namul (seasoned vegetables), for anyone who wants that!

Inside the set for two: namul, japchae and eggplant tangsu

Out came the Tteuranchae Bapsang set for two plus the borigulbi..♥ So many side dishes, seriously ㅠ_ㅠ

Fragrant, tasty namul, and chewy braised potatoes

Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), namul I don't usually eat much of, and eggplant tangsu (sweet-and-sour fried eggplant)!!! This was so good ㅠㅠ

Looking at it again, such a generous and beautifully arranged spread

Is the cheonggukjang refillable?

The rich cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) was totally my style too. It's hard to find good cheonggukjang these days — this one had no funky smell, just a savory depth, and it was on the saltier side so I mixed it with rice and it was absolutely delicious.

By the way, at this Jak-dong Korean restaurant, this savory cheonggukjang is refillable too. Eat plenty of this healthy stew ㅎ_ㅎ

Freshly milled hwangmi rice and nurungji

And the rice I enjoyed so much.. so glossy. I usually prefer mixed-grain rice, but I ate this plain white rice with real gusto. Must be because it's freshly milled!

We scooped out a good amount of rice and kept it aside to add sungnyung (scorched rice water) and turn it into nurungji (crispy scorched rice).

Is the borigulbi add-on worth it?

The borigulbi came out crisp outside, chewy inside — it's not something we get to eat often, so we ordered it and enjoyed every bite! A grilled whole fish we can't make at home, and we picked every bit of meat off it. The fish itself was nice and plump >.<

Since the side dishes are so good, I noticed they sell them separately too! If you loved something here, you can buy it to take home haha.

Would I bring a baby to Gim Myeongju again?

Fresh ingredients, careful home-style cooking, and freshly cooked hwangmissal rice on top. This was a great spot to bring your parents or for a family meal out. If you're looking for a good Jak-dong Korean restaurant, I recommend Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang!