Paju dumpling restaurant, mild hot pot with parents: Bubyeokjeong

Today I wanted a filling, healthy meal in Paju, so let me introduce the place I visited — Bubyeokjeong, a Pyeongyang-style mandu (dumpling) specialty restaurant. It was so hearty and delicious that I took my parents, and they were really happy, so here's the review.

Location and hours of Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu

• Address: 129 Jimok-ro, Dong-building 1F, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Break time: Weekdays 14:30–17:00, no break time on weekends
• Free parking available

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is about 8–10 minutes by car from Paju Lotte Outlet and Paju Book City.

Parking and waitlist

There's plenty of dedicated parking right in front of the restaurant, so it's easy to visit by car, and there's even a second parking lot, so you don't need to worry about space. It's a barrier system — after your meal, just tell your car number at the counter for free parking.

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is always bustling whenever I go. At peak times you can just put your name on the Catch Table waitlist when you arrive.

Interior and how to order

The inside of Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is spacious and pleasant, so we could eat comfortably. When we arrived it was packed, but I took a photo once the crowd thinned out during the weekday break time (14:30–17:00).

You order using the kiosk on the table.

The basic side dishes were napa cabbage kimchi, white (non-spicy) kimchi, and pickled radish, and each table had its own small plates, which was convenient.

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu menu

The signature dishes are Pyeongyang mandu hot pot and Pyeongyang mandu soup, along with mandu jjabagi, hanwoo (Korean beef) jjabagi, and kids' mandu soup. Seasonal items include Pyeongyang mul-makguksu and bibim-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodles), mung bean pancake, and beef shank suyuk (boiled sliced beef).

How to eat the Pyeongyang mandu hot pot

While waiting for our order, I read through the instructions for eating the mandu hot pot and set out the spice sauce that came with it.

• Once the broth comes to a boil, add the vegetables and meat first.
• The mandu are pre-steamed, so add them to the pot later and just blanch them for 1–2 minutes.
• Dip them in the handmade spice sauce.
• After eating for a while, add the kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), let the hourglass (5 minutes) run out, then simmer for 1 more minute before eating.

At the self-service corner there were three basic side dishes, broth, baby tableware, and disposable bibs.

And through the glass window, you could see the staff busily making mandu.

Mild-flavor Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 3 — 12 dumplings

Our Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 3 arrived. The hot pot was piled high with various vegetables, beef shank suyuk, large mandu, and broth. There were mild and spicy broth options, and we chose the clear, mild broth.

It came packed with fresh vegetables — bean sprouts, napa cabbage leaves, bok choy, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, white wood ear mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and perilla leaves. Once the broth boils, you add these vegetables and the suyuk meat first.

We ordered 3 portions and got a whopping 12 Pyeongyang mandu — 4 per person — and they were huge, so it was incredibly filling. If you think you won't finish them all, you don't have to put all the mandu into the pot; you can pack the rest to take home, so you can adjust the portion.

The mandu hot pot was bubbling away nicely ~♪

The taste of the broth, beef shank, and mandu

The broth had the natural flavor of the vegetables and meat still intact, so it was light and refreshing. The beef shank was tender yet chewy, pairing well with the mandu and vegetables.

The mandu had a lot of tofu in the filling, so they weren't overpowering and had a clean taste, which seemed good for a healthy meal too. Eaten plain, they were light; dipped in the handmade spice sauce, they had a savory depth — so you could eat them either way depending on preference. There was so much vegetable and mandu that we really got stuffed.

Finishing with kalguksu while watching the hourglass

But that's not the end ~ ^^ Once you've eaten for a while, you add the kalguksu and let it simmer, topping up with extra broth from the self-service corner if needed. Check the cooking time with the hourglass before eating.

By the time we finished the kalguksu too, it was truly a filling meal.

Mandu packing corner and dessert zone

On our way out, I noticed a mandu packing corner, and I saw people packing some up to enjoy Pyeongyang mandu at home.

One of the great things about Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is the dessert zone, where you can help yourself to old-fashioned snacks like rice crackers and hardtack biscuits — a fun little way to end the meal.

We finished today's meal with sweet, cool misutgaru (roasted grain drink). It was a nice refreshing way to cleanse the palate, so even though we were full, we drank it anyway. My parents said both the meal and the dessert were delicious, which made me happy. If you're looking for a filling, healthy meal with your parents or kids near Paju Lotte Outlet, I highly recommend Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu.