Renamed hanjeongsik restaurant in Chowol, Gwangju: 8-dish set at

I went back to Bomseol, a hanjeongsik spot in Gwangju, Gyeonggi that I'd visited before haha 🫶 I used to never touch namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, but I love Bomseol's so much I go regularly — genuinely my family's favorite restaurant.

From Gangminju's Deulbap to Bomseol: why the restaurant changed its name

At some point in 2026, Gangminju's Deulbap just disappeared, so I looked into it — turns out it's been renamed Bomseol. Same owner, so no worries there. 💝

Parking at Bomseol in Chowol, Gwangju

Bomseol sits right next to a stream, so the lot is pretty spacious. There aren't any other restaurants or shops nearby either, so it's very quiet! Parking is plenty — I've never once had trouble finding a spot!

Walk up the stairs from the parking lot and you'll see a building that looks just like a house~

As soon as you come up the stairs, go a little to the left and you'll find the entrance.

What the inside of Bomseol looks like

It looks like a spacious wooden house that's been converted into a restaurant.

This was around 1pm on a weekday. Every time I come, it's never a wait exactly, but there are always a fair number of people in!

Apparently they hold a patent on their own recipes for both the soy marinated crab and the barley gulbi! I come often enough — about once every two weeks — but I had no idea they'd actually patented it!

Bomseol's unlimited refill self-bar: what you can take

Bomseol runs on a barley rice + self-bar setup with unlimited refills! Beyond the main dish, the side dishes are genuinely delicious too 👍

They keep the TV playing clips of the place's TV appearances haha

Bomseol menu and prices

The most popular menu items are the barley gulbi, soy marinated crab, and cockle salad sets! I ordered

• Barley gulbi ₩27,000
• Cockle salad ₩23,000

haha! One menu item is required per person!!!!

You get three bowls per person — use them as your rice bowl, soup bowl, and side-dish bowl.

Eating the barley gulbi and cockle salad sets at Bomseol

The table comes so loaded it practically groans 💦 It's made up of an 8-dish banchan spread, stone-pot rice, and cheonggukjang.

In the center are the main dishes — barley gulbi and cockle salad.

Barley gulbi! The barley gulbi (dried, seasoned yellow corvina) comes well-dried and well-cooked, so you can eat it comfortably without picking the meat apart. There are some bones, but they're easy to eat around or don't really bother you.

Cockle salad. When I eat cockle salad elsewhere it's often a bit fishy, but Bomseol's is never fishy and always delicious! The seasoning is mild too — why is it so good haha.

How to make nurungji (scorched rice tea) from the stone-pot rice

They give everyone their own stone-pot rice, so scoop the rice into your bowl, pour in the warm barley tea they provide, and you've got scorched rice 👍

The green tea at Bomseol is for dipping the gulbi, not drinking

They also give you green tea, but it's not just a drink — you pour it into a bowl and dip the gulbi in it before eating! Dipping it in green tea completely removes any fishy taste.

They give you cheonggukjang too, and it's so savory (unlimited refills at the self-bar).

This is how you eat it. The barley gulbi isn't that fishy so I don't even dip mine in the green tea!!

Look at that shine.

Lastly, I bought some of the puffed corn snacks and barley bread they sell too hahaha.

Bomseol score and who it suits best

📌Overall score ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 — really delicious and truly clean. My family goes about once every two weeks! Looking at the age range of the customers, there are a lot of older guests, and honestly that alone tells you how good this place is haha.

Beyond the main dishes, the banchan is genuinely fresh and delicious too!! My brother liked the namul so much he tried to buy a bunch to take home. (He lives in Busan, so we worried it would spoil on the way and he ended up not buying any...) If you're looking for a hanjeongsik place for a family gathering or a meal with elders, I recommend Bomseol, a Korean restaurant favorite in Chowol, Gwangju!👍