Paju Book City dumpling restaurant: jjabagi vs mandu soup

I went back to Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu, a Paju restaurant known for its mandu jjabagi (dumplings in spicy stew). I drove all the way from Ilsan because I was craving clean, plain-tasting Pyeongyang-style mandu.

There's plenty of parking space right in front of the restaurant.

Where is Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu in Paju Book City?

Near Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu you'll find big Paju cafés like Dirty Trunk, Malttong Donut, and Brick Rouge, so you can head to a café after eating, or if you're near the Paju Lotte Outlet, you can shop first and enjoy a relaxed meal afterward.

Is there still a wait after the weekend lunch peak?

Even though I came after the weekend peak time had passed, there was still a wait at this popular Paju mandu spot. You can put your name on the CATCH TABLE waitlist and wait on the terrace beside the building. The weather was breezy and the waiting area was decorated nicely, so it felt like an outing in itself.

The sign says each team waits about 2 minutes. Your waiting number shows up outside too, and if you're within the first 3 numbers, you can wait inside the restaurant.

Inside, there's a mandu-making workshop area where you can watch the dumplings being folded by hand.

The interior is huge and comfortable. It was packed with customers so I had to blur the whole shot, but the tables are spaced well apart and the floor-to-ceiling windows give a nice view.

Side dishes like kimchi and pickled radish, broth refills, and things you need for the meal — aprons, tongs, scissors — are all self-service.

What's on the menu at Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu?

Here's the menu board at this Paju mandu restaurant.

There's Pyeongyang mandu hot pot, Pyeongyang mandu soup, mandu jjabagi, hanwoo (Korean beef) jjabagi, kids' mandu soup, plus the seasonal Pyeongyang mul-makguksu and bibim-makguksu. Side dishes include mung bean pancake, seasonal seasoned vegetables with tofu, braised beef shank, and Pyeongyang plate mandu.

Last time I loved the mandu hot pot, so this time I picked whatever suited my mood.

Pyeongyang mul-makguksu, no vinegar or mustard needed

The Pyeongyang mul-makguksu is Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle) style, made with 100% buckwheat noodles in a hanwoo beef broth. The toppings are clean and simple — half a boiled egg, pickled radish, and meat.

Personally, I think Bubyeokjeong's Pyeongyang mul-makguksu is better without vinegar or mustard. The broth on its own had a rich, clean meaty flavor, but once I added the mustard and vinegar, the taste changed completely.

Pyeongyang mandu soup, plate mandu and mung bean pancake

The Pyeongyang mandu soup pairs plain, simple mandu with a rich hanwoo broth. Bubyeokjeong's Paju mandu keeps the natural, clean flavor of ingredients like Gangneung Chodang tofu.

It might taste a bit plain at first, but the more you eat, the more you like it — that's this Paju mandu for you. The Pyeongyang mandu soup came with 5 rough-shaped mandu.

If you want to taste the simple flavor of the mandu itself, try the plate mandu too.

And the mung bean pancake, made daily from freshly soaked and ground mung beans, fried crispy in lard, is nutty and outstanding.

Mandu jjabagi, the best dish of the day

This is the mandu jjabagi, which I enjoyed the most. I usually prefer plain flavors like the Pyeongyang mandu soup or mul-makguksu, but that day I was craving something spicy.

The mandu jjabagi arrives sizzling in a stone pot, with plain Pyeongyang mandu sitting in a spicy yukgaejang-style (spicy beef soup) broth.

There are 4 big Pyeongyang mandu in the pot, and it comes with a bowl of rice, making it a filling meal.

First, try the plain mandu soaked in the spicy, rich broth.

Save two dumplings to mash into the spicy broth

Following the recommended way to eat it, I saved two dumplings, mashed them into the broth, and mixed everything together.

The rich yukgaejang-style broth combined with the umami of the mandu — if you like spicy food or need something to cure a hangover, I'd recommend the mandu jjabagi.

You haven't really had mandu jjabagi properly until you mix in a bowl of rice.

The dessert zone after your meal

After eating, there's a dessert zone where you can grab a misutgaru (roasted grain powder) slushie and nostalgic snacks like hardtack biscuits and injeolmi rice cake snacks. And yes, I may or may not have already had some while waiting — not telling.