Pyeongtaek hanok restaurant window seat: borigulbi set at Suksudaega

I had the boribulbi jeongsik (dried yellow croaker set meal) at Suksudaega, a hanok (traditional Korean house) Korean set-meal restaurant on Gangbyeon-ro in Anjung-eup, Pyeongtaek. I hadn't had a proper sit-down meal in a while, so I went looking for exactly that.

Instead of just ordering one dish like usual, I decided to go all in with a proper Korean set meal, so I picked the boribulbi jeongsik. I'm already a fan of Korean set meals, so I went in with some expectations — and honestly, everything turned out better than I thought. Ate really happily haha.

What made it even better was that the staff set me up at a window seat with a nice view — a great start. You might think a seat doesn't matter that much, but eating with a view outside really does change the mood. Somehow the food even tastes a bit better lol.

What are the window seats at Suksudaega like?

At Suksudaega's window seat, I could eat while looking out at the scenery. Sitting there and looking outside, I felt strangely at ease. These days a lot of places you go eat are crowded and chaotic, but this time I could eat in a relatively relaxed way, which I liked.

Chatting slowly with the person I went with made the whole meal feel like it stretched out comfortably. If you're looking for a good Korean set-meal restaurant in Pyeongtaek, I think this place would suit anyone who cares about the dining atmosphere, not just the food.

Borigulbi jeongsik: dried croaker with rice is still the best pairing

The star of Suksudaega's boribulbi jeongsik is the pairing of the dried yellow croaker and the hot-pot rice. Dried yellow croaker really shows its best self when eaten with rice, not on its own. I pulled off a bit of the salty croaker flesh and ate it with the hot-pot rice, and honestly this combo needs no explanation haha.

Once I put a bite of croaker on a spoonful of rice, I couldn't stop reaching for more. The hot-pot rice itself was tastier than expected, so eating it together with the croaker meant I kept going back for more rice. I told myself 'I'll just eat a little,' but before I knew it my spoon kept going back to the rice bowl lol. A good Korean set meal really does need good rice.

The lightly fried tteokgalbi was better than expected

My personal favorite dish that day was actually Suksudaega's tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties). I usually picture tteokgalbi as simply grilled, but here it came out with a slightly fried texture, which surprised me a bit. At first I thought, 'Oh? It's fried?' — but one bite in, I got it immediately lol.

The outside had a light crispness while the inside stayed soft, giving it a really nice texture. It turned out to be a low-key standout dish. I went for the croaker and ended up falling for the tteokgalbi instead haha. Of everything I ate that day, the tteokgalbi was the one that stuck with me most. My companion loved it too, which made me weirdly proud lol.

Suksudaega's japchae keeps you reaching for more

The japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) that came with the spread wasn't overly seasoned, so it was easy to eat without feeling weighed down. At a Korean set-meal restaurant, the side dishes and accompaniments matter too. This japchae was delicious — the seasoning wasn't too strong, so it felt light, and picking up a bite here and there between the croaker and other dishes went down easily.

That's the charm of a Korean set meal, I think. You're not just eating one main dish — you nibble on a bit of this and that, and before you know it, you're completely full lol. It didn't look like that much food at first, but eating slowly, it turned out to be quite filling.

Hot-pot rice that stays good to the last spoonful

And then the hot-pot rice. I really liked Suksudaega's hot-pot rice that day. Opening the lid to see the steaming rice built up the anticipation haha. It was great with the croaker piled on top, and also nutty and delicious eaten on its own — I kept reaching for more.

You know that feeling when you're full but you just can't put the spoon down lol. In the end, I finished it off thoroughly to the last bite.

Looking for a Korean set-meal restaurant in Pyeongtaek?

Overall, eating the boribulbi jeongsik at Suksudaega was a really satisfying meal.

Above all, being seated at that nice window seat let me eat at a relaxed pace, and beyond the croaker, the tteokgalbi, japchae, and hot-pot rice each left their own impression. The lightly fried tteokgalbi in particular was an unexpected find lol.

It was good enough that I'd want to eat it again next time. It seems like a solid choice for a family meal, or for a day when you want to eat unhurried.

If you're like me and enjoy Korean set meals or dried yellow croaker, Suksudaega is worth checking out when hunting for good restaurants in Pyeongtaek. Personally, eating slowly at that window seat is what stayed with me most.

Eating good food while taking in the scenery made an otherwise ordinary day feel a little special haha. I went looking for a good Korean set-meal spot in Pyeongtaek, and between the boribulbi jeongsik, tteokgalbi, japchae, and hot-pot rice, I ate well across the board — this is a place I'll think about again :)