Cockle salad and gift-size borigulbi with parents: Gim Myeongju

A Bucheon Gachiul spot I loved because the delicious borigulbi and soy crab, along with a variety of banchan (side dishes), were all unlimited refills: Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch.

Why it's a great place to bring your parents

Freshly made stone-pot rice and savory cheonggukjang came out, and my parents both ate well and loved it — a Bucheon Korean restaurant that left everyone in a good mood, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch.

All 12 kinds of seasonal banchan are unlimited refills at the self-bar, and that generous, no-stinginess hospitality was the biggest strength of this Bucheon Korean restaurant 👍 Unlike places that charge extra for banchan or make you feel awkward about asking for more, this is a genuinely generous, good-hearted restaurant!

Getting there from Gachiul Station, and parking

Located in the Wonmisan food alley near Exit 2 of Gachiul Station (Line 7), Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch is a Bucheon Jakdong-area favorite. There's a large private parking lot, free of charge, so it's an easy visit.

It's a genuinely popular spot with a wait, so I didn't get to photograph the main hall, but there are private, comfortable seating areas where families can enjoy a cozy, delicious Korean set meal together. The seasonal banchan, made fresh daily with care from fresh ingredients, can be taken freely from the self-bar — you really feel the generosity here at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch.

Rice is milled fresh daily from hwangmi rice, which is why the rice tastes so good at this Bucheon Jakdong favorite, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang.

Prices for the oversized borigulbi Chuseok gift sets

The oversized borigulbi is perfect for a Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving) gift. It comes fully cooked in an extra-large size — just 4 minutes in the microwave to eat — which looked like a great gift option.

5 pieces for ₩90,000, ₩100,000, or ₩170,000. Very reasonable pricing for a Chuseok gift too.

What's included in the ₩13,000 Tteuranchae Bapsang

The ₩13,000 per person Tteuranchae Bapsang comes with unlimited refills of 12 kinds of seasonal banchan, savory cheonggukjang, and warm, freshly made stone-pot rice 👍

• Soy crab – Jeju yellow crab marinated in a secret sauce, keeping it fresh while bringing out deep umami
• Charcoal-grilled pork – domestic pork neck marinated in a house sauce and finished with real charcoal smoke
• Borigulbi – dried corvina properly wind-dried at Beopseongpo, salted with sun-dried salt, and steamed with turmeric
• Cockle salad – plump, fresh cockles tossed in a house sauce
• Grilled mackerel – nutty and clean-tasting mackerel, the Norwegian specialty loved by people of all ages worldwide

Adding these à la carte dishes makes the meal even better at this Bucheon Korean restaurant, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch.

The soy crab and borigulbi we added on

Soy crab and borigulbi added on top of the Tteuranchae Bapsang. The borigulbi came neatly prepped and ready to eat — corvina properly wind-dried at Beopseongpo, salted with sun-dried salt, and steamed with turmeric — alongside soy crab made with Jeju yellow crab marinated in a sweet secret sauce that keeps it fresh while bringing out real umami.

Cockle salad has to be mixed into the pot rice

Cockle salad seasoned with nutty sesame oil. The chewy cockles came out in a really generous portion, and mixed with the freshly made pot rice, it's the best.

The cheonggukjang is also unlimited refills

Truly rich, deep cheonggukjang. The fact that it's unlimited refills is insane. Made without skimping on ingredients, it has a savory, deep flavor that's outstanding.

The 12 kinds of seasonal banchan — what we got

Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) that everyone loves, fried eggplant which I personally love, various seasoned namul (blanched vegetable dishes), and spicy geotjeori (fresh kimchi). The tangy doraji (bellflower root) salad was delicious too, and the spicy pickled peppers were the best. Braised potatoes and savory cheonggukjang were absolute rice thieves. This is a genuinely healthy restaurant that reminded me of the meals my grandmother used to make when I was a kid!

Freshly made pot rice using hwangmi rice, milled fresh every day — the standout at this Bucheon Jakdong favorite, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang.

Nurungji (scorched rice), Korea's dessert, ready to go.

A spread that looks satisfying just to look at.

Personally, the cheonggukjang is the real standout for me.

Any banchan running low can be refilled endlessly at the self-bar.

A variety of banchan and cheonggukjang are also sold as takeout. A great Gachiul-area restaurant to bring your parents to: Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch.