Paju dumpling house weekend lunch: mandu with makgeolli, Bubyeokjeong

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu hours and info

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu (부벽정평양만두) is a Pyeongyang mandu (dumpling) restaurant at 129 Jimok-ro, Ra-dong 1st floor, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open Monday to Sunday 11:00–21:00, with a break from 14:30 to 17:00, but no break on Saturdays and Sundays. Last order is at 20:00. If you're visiting Paju, I'd recommend it as a must-try Pyeongyang mandu spot ♥

• Menu: Pyeongyang mandu soup, Pyeongyang mandu hot pot, mandu jjabagi (stew), mung bean pancake and more
• Corkage allowed (free) ⭕️ Takeout ⭕️ Wi-Fi ⭕️
• High chairs ⭕️ Waiting area ⭕️ Wheelchair accessible ⭕️
• 🅿️ Parking available

Weekend lunch at Bubyeokjeong when you want something mild

My boyfriend and I went for weekend lunch at the Pyeongyang mandu place 'Bubyeokjeong' in Paju. I'd been eating way too much spicy, heavy food lately and wanted something gentle and light, so here we are at Bubyeokjeong ~ mandu~ mandu mandu mandu 🥟🥟

Bubyeokjeong is in Paju, and we live in Paju, haha, so it took only a few minutes by car. We both love North Korean-style mandu! The parking lot is big and has a barrier gate, so it's not chaotic.

The brand story behind the name Bubyeokjeong

They say Bubyeokjeong is not just a mandu restaurant but a space that began from longing. A grandfather born and raised in Pyeongyang could never return to his hometown because of the Korean War, and for him his grandmother made Pyeongyang mandu by hand. A bowl of mandu soup was more than food; it held homesickness and comfort, and Bubyeokjeong was made to carry that feeling. It's a brand story worth reading.

The name comes from Bubyeokru, a pavilion on the Daedong River in Pyeongyang, with 'jeong' (a more relaxed word for pavilion) in place of 'ru', which gave us Bubyeokjeong.

Bubyeokjeong menu and how to order

Ordering is by kiosk. Meal menu items are mandu hot pot, Pyeongyang mandu soup, mandu jjabagi, Hanwoo (Korean beef) jjabagi, cold memil, bibim memil and kids' mandu soup. Sides are mung bean pancake and Pyeongyang plate mandu. They even have a kids' menu!!

Drinks include regular soju, beer and makgeolli (milky rice wine). There's also a review event that gets you a free mung bean pancake, so keep that in mind.

We ordered ✔ mandu hot pot ✔ bibim memil ✔ a plate of Pyeongyang mandu ✔ makgeolli 🍶

Interior and self-service corner

The inside is super clean, and I liked how wide the spacing between seats is. The views through the big windows are lovely too. I think the window side is the best seat, since you see the landscaped flowers right behind it. The fresh green trees were nice too!

The self-service corner at the front has baby items, scissors, tongs, aprons, side dishes, extra plates and more, so help yourself to whatever you need.

There's also an introduction to Pyeongyang mandu and its ingredients, and you can really feel how seriously they take every dish ღ’ᴗ’ღ

What does the Pyeongyang mandu hot pot look like?

Bubyeokjeong's Pyeongyang mandu hot pot comes with mushrooms, napa cabbage, perilla leaves, mandu and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). The hot pot and a plate of Pyeongyang mandu came out first.

It's a warm hot pot generously filled with mandu and fresh ingredients, great for sharing. I agonized over mandu soup versus hot pot, and I plan to try the mandu soup next time.

A plate of Pyeongyang mandu: how is it different from regular mandu?

Bubyeokjeong's plate of Pyeongyang mandu is filled with tofu, pork, bean sprouts and napa cabbage, and tastes fresher and cleaner than regular mandu. Here's what stood out to me.

• Mildness - on a different level from regular mandu. Fresh, clean flavor
• True flavor - you can taste each of the tofu, pork, bean sprouts and cabbage
• Refined taste - not spicy or heavy, neat and a bit upscale
• Rustic look - big, hand-shaped dumplings, which is actually more charming!
• Lingering finish - a taste you keep thinking about afterward…

It's a plate of mandu with mild, deep flavor that keeps the ingredients' true taste! The tofu filling is packed in, and personally Pyeongyang mandu is more my style than regular mandu! Gentle, soft and so clean. I think it wouldn't be too strong for kids either.

Does bibim memil go well with mandu?

Bubyeokjeong's bibim memil comes with a well-balanced homemade sauce, so it's mild but full of savory depth. The seasoning isn't overdone and it's clean, so it goes really well with mandu. Great combo!

It's a mouth-reset item, that feeling where your palate gets totally tidied up.(≧◡≦) ♡

Makgeolli with mandu, a surprising pair

This is how the table looked at Bubyeokjeong, and we had it with makgeolli, which was good too. I didn't know it would go with mandu, but it actually matches surprisingly well?????? ☺️☺️☺️☺️

We worked hard on the sauce and vegetables and worked hard on the mandu too. I ate so much mandu that I was stuffed. But I couldn't skip the kalguksu!! We finished everything and even boiled the noodles in the pot.

Pyeongyang mandu hot pot meal kit to go

Bubyeokjeong sells a Pyeongyang mandu hot pot meal kit for takeout that tastes just like eating in the restaurant. You can boil it easily at home, so it seems good as a housewarming food, and I think it'd be great as a camping meal kit around Paju too > _< Since it's Pyeongyang mandu, it feels more unusual than the usual kind.

Misutgaru and landscaping after the meal, plus Pyeongyang naengmyeon news

On the way out after eating at Bubyeokjeong, there's coffee and misutgaru (roasted grain drink) 🩵 And they say they'll launch Pyeongyang naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) in May. It's made with a clear broth from 1++ top-grade Hanwoo and 100% buckwheat,,! So if you love Pyeongyang naengmyeon, head to Bubyeokjeong in Paju,,

Misutgaru is interesting, right? haha It has a bit of slushy ice mixed in and is sweet. I tried a little, loved it, and filled a whole paper cup.

The landscaping is so pretty, right?? The weather was great too, and we sat here sipping misutgaru and chatting before we left, haha

Who is Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu good for?

Bubyeokjeong in Paju is great to bring your parents to, and seems just right for people who dislike spicy, heavy flavors and look for healthy food ❤️ Next time I'm going to Bubyeokjeong in Paju for the mandu soup!!