Soy crab set for one at a Jak-dong Korean restaurant: Gim Myeongju

I had somewhere to be in Bucheon and ended up passing through the Jak-dong food street. I happened to be craving a Korean set meal, looked around nearby, and found Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (김명주뜰안채밥상) Bucheon Main Branch. I found it through a search, and honestly, the food overall was delicious and the spread was generous, so I left satisfied.

Parking and size of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang in Jak-dong food street

I drove, and the parking lot was really spacious, which made things easy. There were staff helping with parking too, so parking was no trouble at all. The restaurant itself was pretty large as well. I visited during lunchtime and there were quite a lot of customers — I saw many families eating together.

Why the soy crab set for one was the pick from the menu

The menu had dried yellow corvina set, soy crab set, charcoal-grilled pork set, cockle salad set, grilled mackerel set, and more. Everything looked appetizing, and after some thought I went with the soy crab set (간장게장정식) for one that day.

Self-serve side dishes: a spread like a Korean buffet

Once the food started arriving, the table filled up fast. The sheer variety of banchan (side dishes) really caught my eye. Starting with japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), it came with kimchi, eggplant fritters, spicy pepper salad, doraji (bellflower root) salad, braised potatoes, garlic scape shrimp, spinach salad, cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), and more.

Personally, I enjoyed the banchan just as much as the main dish. It wasn't just variety for its own sake — a lot of them went really well with rice, so I kept picking at them and before I knew it my rice was gone. And the banchan can be refilled self-serve. You can freely go grab more of whatever you like, which made for a really generous meal. Calling it a Korean buffet wouldn't be an exaggeration!

And the staff were all so kind!

Turning the stone-pot rice into nurungji at the end of the meal

With the banchan alone you could easily go through one or two bowls of rice. I liked that the rice came in a stone pot instead of a regular bowl. I scooped some rice out first, then poured water into the stone pot to make nurungji (scorched rice tea/porridge) — and it went surprisingly well with the array of Korean side dishes. Finishing the meal with warm, nutty nurungji felt like a satisfying, hearty ending.

How was the soy crab? Meat and seasoning

The soy crab (간장게장) had quite a generous amount of meat inside. Picking out the crab meat and piling it on warm rice, I understood why people call it a 'rice thief.' The seasoning was well balanced too, not overly salty, and just right to eat alongside rice.

Is Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang good for a family meal or holiday gathering?

Between the fully loaded table, the stone-pot rice, and the soy crab, it felt like a proper, complete meal. The parking space is spacious and the restaurant is big, so it seemed like a solid option for a family meal or dining with a larger group. It's open until 9pm and last order is at 8pm, so it runs later than you'd expect. The waiting area is also really well set up.

If you're looking for a Korean set-meal restaurant in Bucheon, it's worth searching alongside terms like Bucheon Korean restaurant, Jak-dong Korean restaurant, or Gachiul Korean restaurant. This was a great place to visit when you want a hearty Korean meal in the Jak-dong food street. They also sell dried yellow corvina gift sets and clearly care about hygiene — a solid spot all around. They sell snacks, side dishes, and cheonggukjang too, so keep that in mind.

This time I had the soy crab set, but next time I'd like to try the dried yellow corvina or the charcoal-grilled pork set. With such a varied menu, it seems like it'd be fun to pick something different on every visit.