Bucheon Korean restaurant for cockle salad and yellow-rice pots

A home-style Korean meal in Bucheon’s Jungdong

There’s a place in Jungdong, Bucheon, that is great to visit when you’re craving a Korean set meal or a home-style spread, so I went to check it out. This time, I visited Kim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (김명주뜰안채밥상), Jungdong Branch. It is only about a three- to four-minute walk from Sinjung-dong Station, so it was easy enough to find. There is also a large parking lot, making it convenient to visit by car. Best of all, there was a parking attendant who kindly guided us, which was a real help. Even new drivers who are not confident about parking should be able to visit without too much worry.

After parking, let’s head inside. The entrance was clean and stylishly decorated, so it made a good first impression. It was eye-catching enough that I couldn’t just walk past it. Now, let’s slowly head up the stairs. Wondering what kind of atmosphere the restaurant would have, I went further inside.

An on-site rice mill and spacious dining room

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I entered was the on-site rice mill. They say they cook rice with freshly milled yellow rice every day, and they were also selling 2 kg bags of yellow rice on one side. Notices around the restaurant emphasized the nutrition of yellow rice, whose rice germ remains intact, so naturally I started looking forward to the rice. Do have a read about the benefits of yellow rice! Inside, the restaurant was more spacious and pleasant than I expected. The warm wood tones and soft lighting made it a comfortable place to eat, while the generous spacing between tables looked suitable for family gatherings or meals with a larger group. There were also slightly secluded seats on one side, which looked nice for a quieter meal.

As I looked around, I saw that high chairs and disposable aprons were available too. The self-service area was neatly stocked with the dishes, ladles, forks, and other items you might need, so it was easy to help yourself. The whole space was wide and well kept, which made me feel comfortable even before the meal began.

Ordering the Tteuranchae set and cockle salad

Once seated, I looked through the menu and found a wide selection of set meals featuring yellow rice milled that day and pressure-cooked as soon as you order. From the basic table set to barley corvina, soy-marinated crab, charcoal-grilled pork, webfoot octopus, seasoned cockle salad, and grilled mackerel, there was plenty to choose from depending on your appetite. Each table had a tablet ordering system, so it was easy to order while looking at the menu photos. We ordered two Tteuranchae sets and added one à la carte order of seasoned cockle salad. Once we had ordered, all that was left was to wait for the freshly cooked yellow-rice pot and neatly arranged side dishes. Maybe because I was hungry, I found myself quietly waiting for the food to arrive.

Twelve side dishes and cheonggukjang

I wanted to try every side dish one by one. Looking at the full table, there was a real variety. Rather than being heavily seasoned, everything was easy to eat, and it felt like sitting down to rice with lots of different dishes laid out at home.

I especially liked that there were 12 side dishes and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), and that the side dishes and cheonggukjang, excluding the main dishes, could be refilled without limit. These days, many restaurants serve only small amounts of side dishes, but here I could go back for more of whatever I liked while eating, which made the meal feel especially generous.

The cheonggukjang was really good. It had a rich, savory depth and went exceptionally well with the yellow rice. It was mild and clean-tasting rather than overpowering, so I kept reaching for another spoonful.

The memorable seasoned cockle salad

As we ate, the seasoned cockle salad caught my attention, so we added it as an à la carte dish. The plump cockle meat was nicely coated in seasoning, and it was so good with rice.

It was lightly spicy and full of savory flavor, so it worked well as a side dish on its own or spooned over the yellow rice. Personally, the seasoned cockle salad was what stayed with me most from that day’s meal.

Fresh yellow-rice pots and the self-service bar

The yellow rice was the most impressive part. I had expected ordinary white rice, but the grains had a lovely sheen and a pleasantly chewy texture. Since it was freshly cooked, the gentle nutty aroma of rice came through beautifully too. They say they mill the rice every morning and cook it immediately in pressure cookers once an order comes in, and after tasting it myself, I understood why they make such a point of the rice. The older I get, the more I think a properly satisfying bowl of rice matters; that day, as good as the side dishes were, I kept going back to the yellow-rice pot.

Another thing I liked here was the self-service bar. The 12 side dishes were neatly arranged, and it was easy to get more of anything that ran short while eating. There was plenty of variety, from seasoned vegetables and kimchi to japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and wrap greens. I also liked that yellow rice and barley rice were available to take as much as I wanted. I paired the freshly cooked yellow rice with the side dishes one by one, and when I added the savory, delicious cheonggukjang from earlier, one bowl of rice disappeared in no time. Being able to enjoy extra side dishes without hesitation made me think this is a good place when you want a generous meal.

Visit information

• Address: 70 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:30
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Groups welcome; takeout, reservations, and Wi-Fi available

Side dishes for sale and dessert

As I was leaving after the meal, I noticed a section near the entrance selling side dishes and snacks. The banchan (Korean side dishes) and cheonggukjang we had enjoyed at the restaurant were available for ₩5,000 per pack, and their freshly milled yellow rice could be bought in 1 kg or 2 kg bags. There were also old-fashioned snacks such as barley gangjeong and brown-rice nurungji (scorched rice), which were fun to browse. It was nice to be able to pick up delicious side dishes or yellow rice to take home after eating.

Before leaving, I also looked at the after-meal drinks corner. Plum tea and omija (five-flavor berry) tea were available chilled, and there was a coffee machine beside the counter, so you could choose according to your preference. I finished with a cup of tea to freshen my palate after the meal. It was nice to be able to enjoy everything comfortably, from the rice to the final drink.

After paying and coming down the stairs to the first floor, I saw Tteuranchae Cafe. It looked like a nice place to take a short break when you are not quite ready to head straight out after eating, and to have a warm coffee while chatting. Being able to have a filling meal and then a cup of coffee made for an unhurried finish, which I really liked.