Paju dumpling house after a Heyri spring outing – Bubyeokjeong

Why we came to Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu after Heyri

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu (부벽정평양만두) is a Pyeongyang-style dumpling restaurant in Unjeong, Paju. Lotte Outlets, Heyri Art Village and Paju Book City are all nearby, so it's a handy place to eat during a day out.

We hadn't been to Heyri in ages, so we went, ate at Bubyeokjeong, had coffee at Dirty Trunk nearby, and then headed home. I recommend it as a spring outing route.

Bubyeokjeong waiting times: when should you go?

This is a Paju Unjeong favorite with weekend waits, so I avoided the busy hours and went around 5 p.m. Break time is 15:00–17:00, but there's no break time on weekends. Parking is available too.

There was no wait when I visited, but with evening approaching there were lots of families. The place was pleasant and spacious, with wood tones that felt calm and stylish at once.

If there is a wait, you can reserve through Catch Table and wait. Since so many families come, they had plenty of baby chairs ready.

The story behind the name Bubyeokjeong

Bubyeokjeong is named after Bubyeongnu, the pavilion on the Daedong River in Pyeongyang, the hometown of the owner's grandfather. The story goes that his grandmother hand-made Pyeongyang mandu for him to soothe his homesickness and longing for family. I'd never actually tried Pyeongyang mandu before, so I was curious.

Self-service corner

The self-service corner has broth, side dishes, kids' bowls and everything else you might need.

Bubyeokjeong menu and prices

The signature dish is the Pyeongyang mandu hot pot at ₩13,000, and the menu also has mandu soup, jjabagi (a thick, stew-like dish), memil (buckwheat noodles), pancakes and plate mandu.

• Pyeongyang mandu hot pot ₩13,000
• Pyeongyang mandu soup ₩11,000
• Mandu jjabagi ₩12,000
• Hanwoo jjabagi ₩14,000
• Cold memil ₩10,000
• Spicy memil ₩10,000
• Kids' mandu soup ₩6,000
• Mung bean pancake ₩8,000
• Pyeongyang plate mandu ₩8,000 / ₩4,000

Pyeongyang mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) is due out in May. I'm curious how the 100% buckwheat version tastes, so if you visit in May, give it a try.

You order through a table order system. Writing a review gets you a free mung bean pancake, but it's limited to 10 teams a day and was already gone, so we ordered one separately. We ordered the Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 2 and the mung bean pancake.

What comes in the Pyeongyang mandu hot pot for 2?

The hot pot comes with 4 North Korean-style dumplings per person, assorted vegetables and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). It was set up quickly, and the side dishes were white kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi and yuja (citron) pickled radish. I thought it was only vegetables, but it also had aroni-satae (beef shank).

You can choose between spicy and mild broth. I went with the default mild, because the base is a Hanwoo 1++ beef broth and I wanted to taste its clean flavor. Even by eye, it wasn't a broth with grease floating on top; it tasted subtle and light.

The North Korean-style dumplings come 4 per person, and because they're handmade, they're bigger than usual. They're filled with tofu, pork, bean sprouts, napa cabbage and more, and they say the hallmark of Pyeongyang mandu is that the dumpling itself is light yet deeply savory. Pyeongyang naengmyeon is like that too: you don't get it the first time, then it haunts you later. I wondered if these dumplings would do the same.

How to cook the hot pot properly

Once the broth boils, add the hot pot ingredients and eat after 2–3 minutes. While it boiled, I filled a dish with the seasoned dipping sauce, because the ingredients are great dipped in it.

I cooked the vegetables a little first, then added the dumplings. Dumplings get soggy if boiled too long, so I put them in late and cooked them lightly.

What does the mung bean pancake taste like?

The mung bean pancake (₩8,000) is fried to order and looks really appetizing. It's fried in lard (pork fat), so a nutty aroma drifts up.

Grinding the mung beans daily and frying in lard is what makes it a proper bindaetteok (mung bean pancake). Crispy outside, moist inside, the real deal.

The hot pot set is good value and tastes clean, and adding the mung bean pancake makes it a feast. The pancake has cheongyang chili pepper in it, so a spicy kick pops out too. Nutty, crispy, spicy, crunchy, all of it!

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang mandu, eaten up close

These dumplings can't be compared with supermarket mandu, starting with the size. They're shaped by hand, generously filled and big.

Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, white wood ear mushrooms, shiitake, enoki, oyster mushrooms, beef shank and more blend nicely with the broth.

When dumplings boil in a pot, oil often floats on the broth, but not in Bubyeokjeong's mandu hot pot. From start to finish, everything tastes clean.

Light food can easily turn bland, but Bubyeokjeong is different. It's light, yet you can taste every single ingredient, and you end up savoring it.

The dumpling filling is packed with ingredients, but it's humble rather than flashy. They use chodang tofu from Gangneung, which gives it a near-pure white color, and it was the cleanest, purest and deepest-tasting dumpling I've had. Ahh, so this is Pyeongyang mandu!

My husband loved even the broth and kept slurping it up. I was amazed that a filling this light could taste this good.

The other hot pot ingredients all joined in with that deep flavor, and I felt healthier as I ate. It isn't harsh yet still tastes great, so I understood why so many people come to Unjeong in Paju for it.

Three side dishes: white kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, yuja-pickled radish

The three side dishes at Bubyeokjeong are tasty with no fuss. The pickled radish has yuja added so it's fresh and delicious, the white kimchi has a refreshing broth, and the napa kimchi is nicely seasoned.

They make you ask for refills. There aren't many side dishes, but each one has real depth, and I liked that. I saw lots of family gatherings with elders on the weekend, and I think my parents would have loved it too.

Finishing with noodles: a 6-minute hourglass

At the end of the hot pot, you cook kalguksu noodles. They're done after 6 minutes by hourglass, and I added a little extra broth.

I actually wanted to try other single dishes and nearly ordered midway, but after the noodles I was far too full. I decided not to be greedy. The hot pot was clean all the way through to the noodles.

Which dishes can you get as takeout?

Takeout is available for Pyeongyang mandu soup, mandu hot pot, plate mandu and the mung bean pancake. Lots of people take food home after eating. We took dumplings home.

Dessert zone: misutgaru and old-fashioned snacks, in the garden

The dessert zone has misutgaru (roasted grain drink) and nostalgic old-fashioned snacks. You have to eat them outside or in the waiting area, not inside the restaurant.

We enjoyed our dessert at a garden table. A Paju Unjeong favorite that impresses right to the end.

Why it suits a Lotte Outlets or Heyri outing

If you're shopping at Lotte Outlets Paju or traveling around Heyri Village, try a meal at Bubyeokjeong. After eating dumplings I always get unpleasant burps, but with Bubyeokjeong's mandu I had none at all. So amazing ^^

Light, clean Pyeongyang mandu dishes that anyone of any age will like. The flavor keeps coming back to mind, so I recommend it.