Icheon Blue Ribbon Korean restaurant with free dessert: Neul Gogi Jip

I found this Blue Ribbon-listed Icheon restaurant ♥️ with my husband last week while we were out in Gyeonggi-do. I had high expectations since it's run by a master Korean chef, and the service and food were both so satisfying that I wanted to recommend it! 🤗

Where is Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch, and when is it open?

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is at 2541 Gyeongchung-daero, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, right next to Starbucks Icheon Jinri DT branch and right next to Barun Hospital. The Icheon Miranda Hotel is nearby too. Best of all, the building itself is huge so it was easy to find with navigation!

• Hours: weekdays 11:00–21:30 / weekends 11:00–21:30
• Break time 15:30–16:30
• Last order 14:30 / 20:30
• Group bookings available ⭕
• Parking available ⭕

This Icheon restaurant is run by master Korean chef Kim Kyung-rim, a renowned Korean cuisine expert who won a Grand Prize from the Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea. The parking is very spacious too, so it seems like a great spot for group dinners or family gatherings in Icheon‼️

The interior was also very pleasant, and I loved the tidy, clean design as soon as I walked in.

Seating and private rooms for groups and family gatherings

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch has generous sofa seating for 8 to 10 people, so I can confidently recommend it if you're looking for a large group or family gathering restaurant in Icheon.

We visited on a weekday lunch, and by the time we left it was packed. That's how popular this Icheon restaurant is 👍

There's also a private room space inside, which seems like it could be divided with partitions too. It's clean and tidy above all, so if you're looking for a Korean restaurant or a lunch spot in Icheon, Neul Gogi Jip seems like a solid choice!

True to being an Icheon favorite, the store had so many certificates and plaques showing the master chef's career that it was surprising. That's how famous the place is, so if you like Korean food in Icheon, I recommend visiting 🤗

How much is the soy crab and jeyuk ssambap lunch special?

The Neul Gogi Jip lunch special is 24,900 won per person, based on the soy crab and jeyuk ssambap (grilled pork wrap) for two. Having a dedicated lunch special menu made for a filling and healthy lunch.

For dinner there's galbi (marinated ribs), made with a 30-year-old nuruk soy sauce marinade aged for 24 hours, they said. Quite a few people were eating meat even at lunchtime! If you're looking for a meat restaurant or galbi in Icheon, this might be worth a visit too.

• (Lunch special) Soy crab & jeyuk ssambap for 2 — 24,900 won per person
• Composition: beef tendon doenjang stew + soy crab + stir-fried pork + lettuce wraps + master's side dishes + hwangmi pot rice
• Lunch special order hours: daily 11:00 AM–2:30 PM

The master chef's side dishes and the full table spread

The side dishes I was looking forward to! Exactly as tidy and clean as I imagined. The flavor leaned toward the natural taste of the ingredients rather than something strong, and the seasoning wasn't too intense.

You could tell good ingredients were used in the master chef's side dishes. Every single one was delicious, so it seems like a great place to bring your parents.

Finally, the full lunch special spread arrived! It looked incredibly filling just to look at, and the side dishes and overall composition were excellent.

Soy-marinated crab, stir-fried pork and the lettuce self-bar

I worried the portion might be small since it's a lunch special, but it was more generous than expected. There were about 4 crabs, and honestly it was rice-thief good...✨

This is soy crab made directly by a master fermenter, and it wasn't salty at all, just full of savory umami. Especially, zero fishy taste ❌

They gave us plastic gloves too, so I dug in enthusiastically, and honestly it was one exclamation after another 🥹 A whole bowl of rice disappeared in no time.

The stir-fried pork was also more generous than expected. First off, the seasoning itself wasn't harsh, so even kids could eat it! Strongly recommend for a family meal in Icheon 🤗

What I loved most was the lettuce wraps! Stir-fried pork just isn't complete without lettuce wraps, and the self-bar offers unlimited refills, so honestly this alone could get you through two bowls of rice ✨

It wasn't overly sweet but had such savory depth that your hand kept reaching for more 🧡 If you want a filling lunch, you'll be completely satisfied with the lunch special at this Icheon favorite, Neul Gogi Jip!!!!!

Beef tendon doenjang stew and hwangmi pot rice

The beef tendon doenjang (soybean paste) stew was as savory and delicious as rumored, honestly surprised me. I was skeptical at first seeing tendon in it, but it went together far better than I expected.

Much lighter than chadol (beef brisket) doenjang stew, with the softness and chewiness of the tendon standing out 👍 The broth itself was clean and delicious, delicious enough that I'd want to order it separately if bringing along older family members — I recommend this dish.

And the hwangmi pot rice I was looking forward to!!🥹 Just looking at the pot rice gave me energy, and the whole lunch special composition was so satisfying.

Icheon is famous for its rice, so I definitely wanted to try pot rice here, and this place is confirmed pot rice heaven ⭕ If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Icheon, definitely come to this master chef's place. The pot rice is seriously so good ㅠㅠㅠ

Is the cheese-loaded steamed egg worth adding?

The cheese egg custard we ordered extra! As soon as it arrived I was surprised by how generous it was, surprised by the fluffiness(?) of the cheese, and the taste was, well, need I say more.

Taking a big bite, the combination of salty cheese and egg was great, and though I didn't get a photo, eating it with stir-fried kimchi would make an amazing drinking snack too! Neul Gogi Jip is famous for its master-fermented marinated galbi, so if you're here for meat, definitely get the egg custard.

Finished it all off with sungnyung (scorched rice tea) at the end too. I really ate every last bit with pleasure!!! This Icheon Korean restaurant, Neul Gogi Jip, there's clearly a reason for its reputation.

The lounge with free coffee and soft-serve ice cream

There was a lounge near the exit door, and I checked it out — coffee and even soft-serve ice cream, both free!!!!✨

The thoughtfulness of taking care of dessert all the way to the end 👍 If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Icheon, I recommend the lunch special here.

A master chef's, Blue Ribbon-listed restaurant, the lunch special was clean, tidy, and above all delicious — a great Icheon spot to bring your parents. Strongly recommend if you love Korean food, and if you're looking for a galbi or meat restaurant in Icheon, they're a fermentation master too, so give it a visit! 🤗