Jeonju restaurant, galbi hot pot & yukjeon: Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi

Mulgalbi near Jeonju Hanok Village

While looking for a good place to eat near Jeonju Hanok Village, I visited Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi with my parents on this Jeonju trip. After exploring the village, we wanted a hearty meal, and I was excited to properly try mulgalbi, a dish whose name alone had made me curious.

What I loved most was that there is a parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so parking was no worry at all.

Pork ribs simmered in broth

At first, I wondered what mulgalbi would be, but it turned out to be pork ribs simmered in a rich broth. It felt quite different from the grilled pork ribs I usually eat, which was such a fun idea; as it bubbles away, the broth flavor seeps into the meat and makes it so delicious 😍

The highlight of the mulgalbi here is its spicy house seasoning and broth base, made with natural ingredients and fruit. It starts out clean and spicy, then the ingredients release their flavors as it continues to simmer, making the broth feel deeper and deeper.

Galbi hot pot sets and individual orders

The galbi jeongol (short rib hot pot) was ₩17,000 per person for 300 g, while the galbi hot pot set was ₩22,000 and included a 250 g individual hot pot plus 120 g of yukjeon (pan-fried beef). Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi offers these two choices, and we ordered two galbi hot pot sets and one individual galbi hot pot so we could try the yukjeon too. I especially liked that the set lets you enjoy the hot pot and yukjeon together without ordering several dishes separately.

The galbi hot pot was generously filled with glass noodles, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions, and other fresh vegetables. Since it is not just a meat dish and you simmer all those ingredients together, it made for a truly filling meal. The menu was simple too, so it was not difficult to choose even on a first visit.

How to enjoy yukjeon and mulgalbi

Of course, I cannot leave out the yukjeon that came with the set. My parents said it had been a long time since they had tasted classic yukjeon and that it was delicious, which made me oddly proud, haha. The mild, nutty yukjeon paired especially well with the spicy galbi hot pot.

I also followed the instructions for enjoying it, written beside the menu: after simmering for about five minutes, arrange the meat underneath the glass noodles in a circle around the edge of the pot so that it cooks faster.

Then soak the glass noodles in the boiling broth until cooked. Once the meat is partly cooked, cut it into easy-to-eat pieces and have it with bean sprouts and vegetables for an even tastier bite.

The spicy broth soaked right into the glass noodles, making them great with the meat, and the crisp bean sprouts and vegetables kept us reaching for more without the meal feeling heavy.

A Jeonju trip meal with my parents

For a group like ours, it was nice to combine sets and individual orders. You can also add bean sprout and chive fried rice after the meal, so I would love to try the fried rice next time. Steamed rice is sold separately, just so you know. After trying it myself, I understood why it is called mulgalbi; simmering pork ribs like a hot pot was fun in itself, and it became one of the most memorable dishes I had in Jeonju.

If you want to try something a little different near Hanok Village during a Jeonju trip, Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi seems like a good choice. Especially if you are looking for a meal to share with your parents, I would recommend a combination like the galbi hot pot set, which lets you enjoy several things together. Mulgalbi was new to me, but from the unusual way of simmering pork ribs in broth to the spicy broth that grew deeper as it cooked, it was a thoroughly satisfying meal. If you are looking for a memorable meal on your Jeonju trip, I would introduce Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi as a restaurant near Jeonju Hanok Village 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼