Kimchi jjigae lunch set with free rice refill bar in Ansan: Choburi

Hi, this is Jjongjjong haha. I visited a kimchi jjigae place near the 25-Hour Water Plaza in Gojan-dong that takes its stew seriously. Here's my review~

Where is Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch, and when is it open?

Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch is a kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) restaurant at 111-113, 145-7 Gwangdeok 3-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open daily 11:00-21:00, with break time 15:30-17:00 and last order at 20:30.

• Location: 111-113, 145-7 Gwangdeok 3-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Parking: No lot / roadside public parking (free on weekends and holidays)
• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00
• Break time: 15:30-17:00
• Last order: 20:30

Storefront and dining room at Choburi Kimchi Jjigae

Choburi's interior design really catches the eye haha.

Parking was tough, so I parked right out front along the roadside public parking line before heading in.

Once inside, the lighting, the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the high ceiling gave it a really airy feel.

The place is spacious with plenty of room between tables, so it looked great for eating alone without feeling self-conscious, and just as good with a group!

Free rice refills at the self-serve bar

There's a self-serve bar set up along one side.

Of course the basic side dishes are neatly arranged, but on top of that you can refill rice for free. Usually at jjigae places you have to pay extra for a rice refill... such a good deal, ugh.

The framed art on the wall matched the space so well haha. It had that upscale-jjigae-restaurant vibe that anyone would enjoy being brought to.

Menu prices and what the sets include

Each table has a tablet kiosk, so ordering is easy. As a kimchi jjigae specialty restaurant, kimchi jjigae is naturally the main dish, and ordering a set gets you a perilla oil fried egg, ramyeon noodles, and one soft drink included, which felt like great value haha. There's even a 1-person set, so it looked like a solid option for solo diners too.

Ordering the 3-person jjigae set and buckwheat kimchi jeonbyeong

Ta-da! Out came the kimchi jjigae generously loaded with chunks of grade-1 fresh Korean pork haha. The broth was pretty thick, almost like jjaglee (reduced stew) style, right? If you reserve through Naver, they give you a free side of vitamin-rich silver ear mushroom, so keep that in mind!

This is the buckwheat kimchi jeonbyeong (kimchi pancake roll) I ordered as a side.

Crispy on the outside and spicy on the inside — the kind of flavor that kept me reaching for more haha.

The perilla oil fried egg was included in the set, and the perilla oil aroma was truly so nutty... the best...!

Once everything I ordered arrived, the table was completely packed!!

Golden gardenia stone-pot rice and the sungnyung finish

The stone-pot rice also comes out — isn't that golden gardenia yellow color so pretty, ugh? Since it's freshly cooked right after you order, the rice had this glossy, sticky sheen.

They pour water in to make sungnyung (scorched rice tea) for you lol.

Stone-pot rice paired with jjigae... that's love, ugh! The tofu was also cut into big chunky pieces that looked really appetizing.

My companion popped the yolk, wrapped it in roasted seaweed, and dipped it in seasoned soy sauce, saying it was so good... we even refilled the seaweed.

Dessert ice cream, fabric spray and hair ties by the door

After eating, on the way out they had dessert ice cream ready to go? There was coffee too, but I went with the ice cream to round out the full course haha.

Walking out full, I was impressed all over again by the thoughtful touches... fabric spray, hair ties, stain remover, even hand cream were all set out for guests.

Is Choburi Kimchi Jjigae in Gojan-dong worth a lunch visit?

From the heartfelt Korean pork kimchi jjigae to the golden gardenia stone-pot rice, self-serve bar, and dessert — a perfect kimchi jjigae experience in Gojan-dong.

This is a place in Ansan's Gojan-dong that I consider the real deal for kimchi jjigae, and I've been back a few times. The atmosphere is great and the food quality is solid too, so the friends I've brought along have always been happy, which is why I keep going back haha. They say they use 100% domestic kimchi, grade-1 fresh Korean pork, and only vegetable-based broth, which builds a lot of trust. Mixing the gardenia stone-pot rice with the meat-loaded kimchi jjigae was delicious and filling. The unlimited rice refills at the self-serve corner were great too, and having dessert ice cream and coffee on the way out made for a genuinely great lunch. If you're eating lunch in Gojan-dong, dining solo, or want a hearty meal with soup, this is a definite must-revisit kimchi jjigae spot!!