Paju Korean restaurant: Pyeongyang mandu hot pot lunch, Bubyeokjeong

How long was the weekday lunch wait at Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu?

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu (부벽정평양만두) in Unjeong, Paju had a queue even on a weekday lunch, but I only waited about 5 minutes. I went while looking for a good place to eat in Unjeong, Paju, and since I arrived right at lunchtime, it was packed even on a weekday, so you can tell it's popular from the entrance. Plenty of places around here feature mandu hot pot (dumpling hot pot), but this time I ordered hot pot for 2, half a plate of beef shank suyuk (boiled sliced beef) and a mung bean pancake, so I could taste a bit of everything.

The restaurant is really big, and the private parking lot is large too, so parking was no worry. There was a wait at weekday lunch, but not as long as I expected.

The name Bubyeokjeong and the atmosphere

The name Bubyeokjeong reportedly comes from Bubyeongnu, a pavilion on the Daedong River in Pyeongyang. The story behind it is touching: a grandfather who left his hometown because of the war and missed it, and the memory of the Pyeongyang-style mandu his grandmother used to make by hand. The interior is warm and calm, done mostly in wood.

If you care about atmosphere and parking as well as food when picking a place in Unjeong, Paju, Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is also worth a look when you need a meal near Paju Book City, Heyri Art Village or Simhaksan.

What we ordered and the prices

• Pyeongyang mandu hot pot: ₩14,000 per person
• Mung bean pancake (bindaetteok): ₩10,000
• Beef shank suyuk, half plate: ₩17,000

Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 2: how is the broth?

The Pyeongyang mandu hot pot (평양만두전골) comes loaded with dumplings, vegetables, mushrooms and meat, and it was the first dish to arrive. One pot in the middle of the table makes it a great setup for sharing cozily with a group.

The broth was mild and clean rather than punchy and rich. As the vegetables cooked, they added a subtle flavor to the soup, and it went nicely with the dumplings.

If you usually like bold, spicy hot pots, it might seem a little bland, but if you like mild Pyeongyang-style dumplings, it's an easy, comfortable flavor.

If you love Paju dumplings, I think this mild style will suit you especially well.

Eaten with the broth, the dumpling filling stayed clean, with no flavor sticking out too much.

Finishing with kalguksu

After eating a good amount of the hot pot, you can add kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) to finish, so the portion was plenty. We started with dumplings and vegetables and ended by enjoying the broth with noodles, which made it a pretty filling meal.

Beef shank suyuk, half plate

We ordered the beef shank suyuk (아롱사태수육) as a half plate (₩17,000). Carefully boiled beef shank came with fragrant chives, and the meat was tender and mild, which made it good alongside the hot pot.

Dipping it lightly in the sauce and eating it with the chives went well with the meat's mild flavor. Adding a suyuk made the table much richer than ordering only the hot pot, and I thought it would be a great dish to share if you come with several people.

Is the mung bean pancake worth ordering too?

The mung bean pancake (녹두빈대떡, ₩10,000) was golden and crisp outside, moist and nutty inside. I couldn't bear to skip it.

It's a North Korean-style bindaetteok with the savory aroma of lard, so the flavor was richer than an ordinary one.

Cutting it with chopsticks, the crisp edges contrasted nicely with the soft inside, so the texture was great. Since the hot pot is on the mild side, having the pancake in between added a nutty note, and the combination worked well.

If you came looking for Paju dumplings and only thought about hot pot, the mung bean pancake is worth adding. One pancake also looked like a good size to share among several people.

Side dishes and the self-service corner

The basic side dish of pickled radish (danmuji) was memorable: it tasted more like sweet-and-sour yuja danmuji (citron-flavored pickled radish) than the usual kind. It was nice to pick at between bites of hot pot or pancake.

The self-service corner has small plates, tongs, aprons, side dishes and more, set out for easy use. Being able to fetch whatever you need yourself was handy during the meal.

What's in the dessert zone after the meal?

After you finish eating at Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu, you can use a dessert zone stocked with misutgaru (roasted grain drink) and old-fashioned snacks. I had a cup of misutgaru after the meal.

The misutgaru was sweet and nutty, a nice drink to finish with. With the old-fashioned snacks there too, it was a good place to rest for a bit rather than leaving right after eating.

A mild meal that was easy to enjoy

If you're hunting for a place near Paju Lotte Outlet and want something to share, like dumplings or hot pot, Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu is worth putting on your list.

Especially if you're looking near Paju Lotte Outlet for a meal that isn't spicy or harsh, Bubyeokjeong's mild mandu hot pot seems like a good fit.

Judging by what I actually ate this time, the food leaned mild and clean rather than flashy and spicy. So if you're after Paju dumplings, the safest combination looks like the mandu hot pot as the centerpiece, with the pancake and suyuk alongside.

It also works well combined with a trip to Paju Lotte Outlet, and if you like mild Pyeongyang-style dumplings, it's worth a stop. Above all, since it was busy even at weekday lunch, I'd suggest leaving yourself some time if you plan to visit.

Among the places I'd think of for a good meal in Unjeong, Paju, this visit to Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu stood out for its mild food and for being easy to share across several dishes.

The clean broth of the hot pot, then kalguksu, then a sweet misutgaru to finish: it made for a nicely rounded meal.

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu information

• Address: 1st floor, Ra-dong, 129 Jimok-ro, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Break time: 14:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Parking: large private parking lot