Chinese restaurant lunch set with chili tangsuyuk in Anseong: Chibao

I feel like I've been going to Starfield Anseong so often lately. I live in Dongtan, but on weekdays it's just 20 minutes down the highway, so honestly sometimes Starfield Anseong beats Lotte Department Store Dongtan haha. Anyway, every single time I go I agonize over where to eat, and this time I tried a Chinese restaurant called Chibao. Let me just start by saying: chili tangsuyuk, highly recommended!!

Where to eat lunch at Starfield Anseong when you can't decide

Shopping at Starfield Anseong, there's one thing that's harder than you'd expect: "So what should I eat for lunch?" Chinese, Korean, Western — you look at everything and end up spending all your time just picking a menu... please tell me I'm not the only one 😂

I ordered the 1-person value set [tantanmyeon set + mini chili tangsuyuk], plus [Sichuan yunji jjajangmyeon]! 🍜🥟 Even people with different tastes could easily agree on what to order here. Especially if you're visiting with someone else, using the set menus seems like the way to go. Rather than ordering one dish each, we got to try several things together, which made lunch feel much more satisfying. I assumed a restaurant inside Starfield would be pricey, but the prices were surprisingly reasonable, so it was a good value meal!

Looking at Chibao's Naver reviews, apparently the jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) is famous?? I didn't order it... I regret it now 😢

Compared to the older restaurants in Starfield Anseong's Itopia, this one felt like a newly opened place.

What a weekday meal at Chibao in Starfield Anseong is like

I mostly visit Starfield on weekdays. It's less crowded then, and I can eat in peace — the mall's basically my walking course haha. If you have the time... I'd recommend a weekday visit!

The portions were more generous than expected for the price, which I liked. The presentation was nice too.

Chibao's tantanmyeon: nutty broth with a gentle kick of heat

✔️ What's tantanmyeon? A noodle dish where savory peanut flavor meets spicy sauce 🥢 From the first bite you get a rich nuttiness, followed by a gentle spiciness. The chewy noodles are coated in a thick, deep sauce, and the meat topping on top adds even more umami!

Rather than hitting you with strong heat right away, it's more of a nutty base with spice layered on top, so even people who don't usually like spicy food should be able to enjoy it fairly comfortably. If you want something filling but a little different from typical Chinese food, tantanmyeon is my pick! 🤎

How the Sichuan yunji jjajangmyeon and chili tangsuyuk taste

The toppings in the jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles) were finely chopped, so it seems like even picky kids would eat it without complaint. That said, the Sichuan-style jjajang I ordered had chili peppers in it, so it was spicy~

The chili tangsuyuk is based on the currently trendy glutinous rice-fried sweet and sour pork. The chili sauce was so sour and spicy that I kept going back for more haha.

Next time at Chibao: the beef noodle soup

This is uyukmyeon (beef noodle soup), which I want to try on my next visit. It's a Chinese-style noodle dish with rich beef broth, tender beef, and chewy noodles. Rather than being overly spicy or salty, it lets you really enjoy the deep flavor of the beef broth, so anyone who likes Chinese food would probably be quite satisfied.

Since it's a restaurant in the Starfield food court, the dishes didn't quite match the visuals on the posters, which was a bit of a letdown. If it does well and gets a proper standalone store inside Starfield Anseong, I feel like it would do even better!

A new store just opened on the first floor of Starfield. It's my boyfriend's dream car brand, so I was excited and snapped a photo.

I also stopped by to peek at the big new store that opened at Starfield, and ended up browsing for a whole hour haha. Seems like a lot of hot new brands are moving in. Enjoy your shopping, and for lunch, head to the Chinese restaurant Chibao for a tasty meal!!