Yeoju restaurant 8 minutes from the outlets: cutlassfish set

After shopping at Yeoju Outlets, I wanted a good Korean dinner, and that's how I found Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap! Yeoju is famous for its rice, and this place uses rice grown on its own farm along with seasonal ingredients for a full table spread, so I went in with high expectations.

Where is Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap and is there parking?

Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is located at 488-9 Sejong-ro, Yeoju-si, and it took about 8 minutes by car from Yeoju Outlets. Hours are 11:00 - 20:30, closed every Wednesday, and also closed on Chuseok holiday itself.

There's a dedicated parking lot right in front, which was convenient. Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap is a spot known near Yeoju Outlets for filling you up with a hearty Korean spread — it's actually known as a Yeoju restaurant with a wait during weekend peak times. Even so, there's a waiting area set up out front.

What does the dining room at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap look like?

The interior of Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap was clean and pleasant, with good spacing between tables. My family visited early on a weekday, so we could eat at a relaxed pace.

As you can see in the photo, there's a separate area for group seating, so it seemed popular with large families and work dinners. In fact, a group who'd come for a work dinner was using the inner space.

True to its reputation as a Korean restaurant near Yeoju Outlets, the place filled right up with customers once the dinner peak hit, even on a weekday.

Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap menu and prices

There were four set menus — the Nadeulmok set, bulgogi set, cutlassfish set, and soy crab set — ranging from ₩21,000 to ₩39,000. Note that the soy crab set can be ordered for one person, while the rest require a minimum of two.

Every set comes fully loaded, starting with an appetizer, followed by seasonal namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), a pork side dish, and the main course. After some deliberation, my husband and I ordered the cutlassfish set.

What comes with the braised cutlassfish set for two?

The cutlassfish set for two at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap arrived in order — starting with an appetizer, then namul side dishes, doenjang jjigae, stone-pot rice, the main braised cutlassfish, and finishing with scorched rice. Right after ordering, a salad, mandu (dumplings), cheongpomuk (green mung bean jelly), and fried eggplant came out — I thought that was the full spread of side dishes, but it turned out to just be the appetizer.

This fried eggplant is the kicker at Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap! It's a thick, meaty fried eggplant stuffed with meat, so it was filling and really delicious.

The side dishes that showed up alongside the main braised cutlassfish were fit for a king's table.

All kinds of namul to whet your appetite, plus the pork stir-fry my husband loves~ with so many side dishes covering the table, we felt full before even starting on the rice~

The savory doenjang jjigae was also excellent.

The home-grown Yeoju rice is served like this, as stone-pot rice.

Can't forget the main event, the braised cutlassfish. Mix the thick cutlassfish flesh, soft potatoes, and seasoned sauce over the warm rice, and take a big bite!

Mix the rice into the shallow, savory sauce and top it with the thick cutlassfish flesh, and a whole bowl of rice disappears in no time.

The stone-pot scorched rice at the end rounds off the meal perfectly at this Korean restaurant near Yeoju Outlets, Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap.

Is Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap, a Yeoju Outlets spot a president visited, worth it?

Nadeulmok Yeoju Ssalbap, a Korean restaurant near Yeoju Outlets that uses premium Yeoju rice, turns out to be a designated model restaurant that even former President Roh Moo-hyun once visited. It was a great spot to stop by after shopping at Yeoju Premium Outlets for a hearty, delicious Korean meal.