Paju Korean restaurant with jjukkumi: Eomma-ui Ttuksim

I had saved Eomma-ui Ttuksim (엄마의뚝심) after seeing its introduction inviting people to visit when they miss home cooking, and I went with my child. It is a Korean restaurant in Yadang-dong, Paju, serving a full spread of stew, meat dishes, and several side dishes.

How close is it to Yadang Station, and is parking available?

The address is 158-14 Songhak 1-gil, Kimyeong Building, Units 101–102, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do. According to the original post, it is 461 m from Exit 3 of Yadang Station, and there is space for three to four cars in front of the restaurant.

The hours listed at the time of my visit were 11:00–21:00, with last orders at 20:15. The bottom of the menu said it closes every other Thursday, but Naver showed it open every day that week. If you are visiting on a Thursday, it would be wise to check whether it is closed.

Are there seats suitable for dining with a child?

Inside, there were several tables for four and high chairs were available. Each table had a burner for cooking stew, and the wood tables, white curtains, and rattan lights gave the room a comfortable feel. The smell of cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) hit me as soon as I entered, so I decided to choose it for our stew.

What comes with the set meals, and how much do they cost?

The set meals come with stew, a main dish, and side dishes. You can choose either doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) or cheonggukjang. The menu and prices at the time of my visit were as follows.

• Ttuksim set meal, ₩15,900: stew and 100 g of pork bulgogi, plus a choice of 100 g of bossam (boiled pork) or kodari (semi-dried pollock).
• Ttuksim jjukkumi set meal, ₩19,900: stew, 100 g of pork bulgogi, and 100 g of jjukkumi (spicy webfoot octopus).
• Set meals that pair stew with individual dishes such as bossam, jjukkumi, or pork bulgogi were ₩15,000–₩17,000.
• The Ttuksim set meal and Ttuksim jjukkumi set meal require a minimum order of two servings.

The side dishes can be refilled, and an extra order of ssam vegetables costs ₩2,000.

What did we order for a meal with a child and adults?

Two adults and one toddler ordered three servings of the Ttuksim jjukkumi set meal. I was curious about the bossam and kodari too, but chose the set that included pork bulgogi for our child and spicy jjukkumi for the adults.

The side dishes that day were seasoned zucchini, spicy shredded radish, stir-fried fish cake, broccoli with chojang, young-radish kimchi, seasoned eggplant, kimchi pancake, and acorn jelly. It was fun to try them one by one, and they all suited my taste.

How were the pork bulgogi and cheonggukjang?

The pork bulgogi came with cabbage wraps. I liked wrapping the meat in cabbage with green onion and garlic. We chose cheonggukjang for the stew and ate the soft tofu and radish with spoonfuls of rice.

Would I return with my child?

My child enjoyed wrapping meat and rice in cabbage. They usually have a small appetite, but did not put down their spoon until it was time to go home. The adults were also satisfied with the spicy jjukkumi, cheonggukjang, and variety of side dishes.

The home-style spread of stew, a main dish, and side dishes made me think it would be nice for a meal with family or friends. Next time, I would like to try a set meal with the bossam or kodari that we did not have this time.