Korean buffet in Mangpo, Suwon for after-work doenjang jjigae: Boriook

A review of Boriook, a buffet restaurant near Mangpo Station in Suwon — an all-you-can-eat Korean restaurant with a barley rice set.

I hadn't had a really healthy bibimbap (mixed rice) loaded with namul (seasoned vegetables) in a while, so I visited Boriook near Mangpo Station! It's a great spot for filling up on barley rice and Korean side dishes at the all-you-can-eat self-serve bar. It's also good for taking elderly parents or for a family meal out. Here's my review~

Where is Boriook Main Branch, and what are its hours?

• Address: 99 Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: Daily 10:00 - 21:00
• Break time: 15:00 - 16:30 / Last order 20:30
• Group seating, takeout, wifi, reservations, high chairs, men's/women's restrooms

A 10-minute walk from Mangpo Station, and parking is full by 6:30pm

Boriook Main Branch is in a standalone building about 10 minutes from Exit 1 of Mangpo Station. There's a parking lot right in front. On a weekday evening, there were still spots open at 6pm, but by 6:30 it was completely full. Seems like it gets busy during both lunch and dinner peak hours.

Inside Boriook Main Branch: atmosphere and seating

The interior of Boriook Main Branch is spacious and clean. There's a mother-of-pearl inlay decoration on the wall that looks really nice haha. Overall it's bright, with wide tables and generous spacing between them, so it's great for family meals or gatherings~ They also have a lot of high chairs on hand. We sat in a booth-style sofa seat with partitions.

How ordering works at Boriook, and what's on the menu

You order through the table tablet, then help yourself at the all-you-can-eat self-serve bar. They said if you leave a receipt review, you get a free nubiani (Korean-style beef patty).

Besides the basic barley rice set, there's also a mackerel set and a spicy pork set. Kids can eat for cheaper. We ordered the barley rice set for two~

What's on the self-serve bar at Boriook?

Boriook's self-serve bar is loaded with sungnyung (scorched rice tea), japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), braised tofu, vegetable fritters, and all kinds of Korean side dishes and namul.

Braised lotus root, sautéed mushrooms, seaweed stem, bean sprouts, seasoned doraji (bellflower root), radish salad — namul side dishes that are perfect for mixing into rice — plus lettuce wraps, kimchi, and acorn jelly. I scooped a big bowlful~

The dessert corner: plum tea and peach tea

There's a coffee and tea vending machine plus old-school Korean snacks, so you can grab dessert after the meal.

All the side dishes we scooped up~ My boyfriend was already making his bibimbap.

Stone-pot doenjang jjigae included with the barley rice set

A bubbling doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) also comes with the set. Full of tofu and beans, it has a bit of a cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) vibe~ It's great eaten alongside bibimbap. Served in a stone pot, so it stays piping hot.

Barley bibimbap loaded with namul

They fill your bowl of barley rice with as much namul as you like, then drizzle on seasoning sauce and sesame oil. You gotta put in more namul than rice for it to taste good haha. The seasoning sauce isn't spicy, which is nice.

Mixing it up properly!! Usually when you buy bibimbap, they skimp on the toppings, but here I can pile on as much as I want, which I love.

Barley bibimbap — of course it's going to be delicious lol.

We kept going back for more fritters, japchae, and braised tofu~ I really liked the sweet pumpkin fritters.

Finished off with plum tea and peach tea to wrap things up. Ate a full, satisfying dinner right after work.

If you're looking for a Korean buffet restaurant near Mangpo Station in Suwon, or an all-you-can-eat barley rice spot, give Boriook Main Branch a try.