Hanok course-meal lunch with parents in Geumsan: Madang Itneun Jip

What kind of hanjeongsik restaurant is Madang Itneun Jip in Geumsan?

Madang Itneun Jip is a hanjeongsik (Korean course meal) restaurant at 26 Ddeutdammal-gil, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. It's been featured on shows like Heo Young-man's Baekban Gihaeng, Dongne Hanbakwi, and 6 Si Naegohyang for its neat, delicious hanjeongsik, and it's the kind of place with food that makes special occasions even more special — a Geumsan spot I'd recommend for a meeting of the parents (sangyeonrye), gatherings, or events. It's popular, so a reservation before visiting is a must.

There's a parking area in front of the restaurant, but on our visit — a Saturday lunch peak — it was completely full, haha.

I loved the beautiful tiled roof and the quiet, hanok atmosphere at this Geumsan spot.

Madang Itneun Jip greets you with a lush green view, and you can even eat at the outdoor deck tables for a proper little-trip feeling.

Madang Itneun Jip runs by reservation, and sometimes closes early once the ingredients for the day run out.

Does Madang Itneun Jip have private rooms and group seating for family gatherings?

Madang Itneun Jip has both private rooms and group seating that can hold a large number of people, so as long as you reserve, it's spacious enough to handle a group of any size. It was a busy day, so I didn't manage to get many interior photos.

With its calm, quiet atmosphere, this Geumsan restaurant is well suited to meeting the in-laws or a family meal for a parent's 60th or 70th birthday.

Ginseng is Geumsan's famous local specialty, and the Geumsan Ginseng Festival held every fall is also worth checking out. If you're visiting, I hope you'll try Geumsan's own special table setting at Madang Itneun Jip.

You can even check the country-of-origin labels here, which made me trust the place even more.

Madang Itneun Jip menu and prices

The healthy, seasonal menu includes:

• Gwibin set — ₩35,000 (per person)
• Ginseng hanjeongsik — ₩50,000 (per person)
• Special table setting — ₩500,000 (for 4)
• Special table setting, premium — ₩1,000,000 (for 4)
• Kids from elementary school age are charged the same as adults

Looking at the menu, I got really curious what the ₩1,000,000 special course actually includes 😊

The ginseng hanjeongsik for four at a window table

After confirming our reservation, the thoughtful owner seated us at a great window-side table for four. The green view through the window was so refreshing.

✔️ Ordered: Ginseng hanjeongsik for 4

Before the meal, they served us a tea brewed from Jerusalem artichoke, good for your health, with a nutty aroma and flavor I liked.

The healthy side dishes for the ginseng hanjeongsik were set down right away.

The neatly arranged ginseng hanjeongsik filled the table, and true to its name, ginseng was evenly featured across the side dishes.

You could feel that every single side dish had care put into it — a hearty, appetizing spread. What impressed me was that even amid the rush, the owner came to each table to explain the dishes personally; you could really feel the passion and pride behind the food. Knowing what I was eating definitely helped me focus more on the flavors, haha.

All the food is made with organic ingredients — apparently it was only around 40% organic when they appeared on Baekban Gihaeng, but through steady effort they've now pushed it above 90%. This Geumsan restaurant uses no chemical seasonings at all and builds its healthy table around organic ingredients, so I could eat with peace of mind — I was really glad I brought my parents here.

Ginseng rice, neungi mushroom soup and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew)

True to the name ginseng hanjeongsik, the rice came with two cute little pieces of ginseng in it.

The neungi mushroom soup, brewed from precious neungi mushrooms, was a health-boosting ingredient with a rich aroma and deep flavor — outstanding.

Cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) with radish, refreshing and savory. You could finish a whole bowl of rice with this alone.

Premium soy-marinated crab, five-layer pork belly and grilled fish

Premium ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab) with the owner's own secret recipe, made with crab, abalone, and shrimp.

Made with a special soy sauce blend using the broth from boiled crab, it wasn't too salty and had no fishy taste at all. You get to taste crab, abalone, and shrimp all marinated together — the chewiness of the abalone, the softness of the crab meat, and the springy shrimp gave a great mix of textures and umami.

The pork belly, stir-fried with vegetables in a sweet sauce, was an absolute rice thief.

Crispy, salty, crowd-pleasing grilled fish. My dad, who always picks the bones out of the fish for us first, is still the best, haha.

Salad with hallabong citrus dressing and ginseng fritters

A sweet-and-tangy salad with fig and various fruits and vegetables in a homemade hallabong (citrus) dressing was also really delicious.

The freshly fried, crispy ginseng fritters were nuttier and less bitter than expected — a dish that really captured Geumsan's own ginseng flavor.

My personal favorite dish was the plump, salty braised pollock. When there are this many side dishes, it's hard for all of them to be good, but every single one here was clearly made with care — everything at this Geumsan restaurant was genuinely delicious.

A colorful, unique cold steamed eggplant dish. It's clear they try all kinds of different preparations here, which was a treat for both the eyes and the mouth.

The sweet braised eel, garnished with shredded ginger, had a clean, light flavor that kept me reaching for more.

There were plenty of other generous side dishes too, and if you want to properly experience Korean food with Geumsan's own character, I highly recommend this Geumsan restaurant, Madang Itneun Jip.

The highlight: lotus leaf rice

The highlight was the lotus leaf rice. Packed generously with various grains, lotus root, sweet pumpkin, and nuts, this chewy rice carries a subtle lotus leaf fragrance that makes it feel genuinely good for you. You could tell how much thought went into developing it, haha.

Final verdict on lunch at Madang Itneun Jip with parents

My parents gave a thumbs up to Madang Itneun Jip, a Geumsan restaurant serving lavish, home-cooked-style hanjeongsik. I loved everything about it — the healthy ingredients, the composition and flavor of the side dishes, and the friendly service.

With spacious group tables and private rooms available, I'd say book Madang Itneun Jip without hesitation whenever you need to arrange a gathering or an important occasion. Thanks for the great meal!