Daejeon Korean restaurant with 2nd-floor group rooms: Jeonju House

Jeonju House in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon, is a Korean rice restaurant known for its cauldron galbi kimchi stew made with aged kimchi, plus a jumbo egg roll.

Jeonju House hours and location in Bongmyeong-dong

Jeonju House is at 36 Oncheon-ro 101beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon (1st floor), and it is open every day from 09:00 to 22:20. Last order is at 21:20.

On days when you want a proper, filling meal, home-style dishes like kimchi stew are the first thing that comes to mind. And a kimchi stew packed with well-fermented aged kimchi and plenty of meat? You know a bowl of rice disappears in no time, right? So I went to Jeonju House in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. 👐

If you're looking for a hearty Korean meal in Bongmyeong-dong, this is a place I'd recommend. Jeonju House uses both the 1st and 2nd floors, so it's a pretty big restaurant. It has an easygoing atmosphere that suits group meals, family outings and get-togethers with lots of people.

Are the 2nd-floor rooms at Jeonju House good for group meals?

There are plenty of tables on the 1st floor and a separate dining area on the 2nd floor, so the whole place feels roomy. The 2nd floor in particular has generous spacing between tables and private, room-style spaces, which looked great for get-togethers and group meals.

The interior also mixes old-fashioned clocks, pottery and other props that feel like they've aged over the years, which gives the place a quiet, homey, nostalgic mood.

Self-serve banchan corner at Jeonju House

The self-serve corner has water kimchi, garlic chive salad, stir-fried kimchi, tofu for the stew, bean sprout salad, salad, sauces and tableware, all neatly laid out so you can fetch any side dish you run out of. I liked being able to add whatever banchan (side dishes) I wanted with no fuss.

Jeonju House menu: kimchi stew, pork belly and hot pot

Jeonju House has a wide range of Korean dishes centered on pot-lid fresh pork belly, cauldron kimchi stew and galbi kimchi hot pot. The cauldron galbi kimchi hot pot comes in large, medium and small sizes, and there are lots of add-ons like egg roll, cauldron rice, nurungji (scorched rice), fried rice and ramen noodles.

For the kimchi stew, you can order a single earthenware bowl and add extra kimchi or extra meat to taste. Below the menu there's also a note saying the galbi, kimchi stew and hot pot use only carefully made homemade kimchi, and that the galbi is fresh domestic rib meat.

What I ordered was the cauldron galbi kimchi stew for 2 and a large jumbo egg roll. They say the galbi kimchi stew uses domestic galbi and their own homemade kimchi. With the kimchi stew, the jumbo egg roll and a bunch of side dishes all spread out on the table, it really looked like a full home-cooked meal.

Above all, the deep flavor from the aged kimchi (mukeunji) was outstanding. They say the cauldron kimchi stew is made with kimchi they make themselves each kimjang (winter kimchi-making season), and you could really taste that signature depth. They also say the thick Korean pork belly grilled on a pot lid is a popular menu item, and that if you order the pork belly you get even more side dishes and an even more generous meal.

Basic table setting and side dishes

At Jeonju House, water, pot rice and a kettle of water for the pot rice are set out, along with neat side dishes of stir-fried kimchi, salad, water kimchi, bean sprout salad and garlic chive salad. If you need more, just head to the tidy self-serve corner.

How does the cauldron galbi kimchi stew taste?

The cauldron galbi kimchi stew for 2 is one of Jeonju House's signature dishes, made with their homemade aged kimchi and Korean pork rib meat. The broth is deep and rich, yet the overall taste is clean and spicy.

Even the sight of it bubbling away looks like a rice thief (a dish that makes you eat tons of rice). The aged kimchi is cooked down until soft, and its tangy, deep flavor has really soaked into the broth. There's plenty of pork rib meat too, and the broth is spicy but not heavy, so it tastes light and clean.

Especially when you put aged kimchi and galbi on a spoonful of rice and eat it with the broth... wow, that combo is just unreal. The deep savory flavor of the kimchi plus the nutty taste of the meat makes this a delicious one if you love kimchi stew, and you'll polish off a bowl of rice in no time.

One bowl of pot rice, cleared. I even added water to make nutty sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) and scraped up every last bit.

Is the large jumbo rolled omelet good to share with kids?

The side dish I ordered with the kimchi stew at Jeonju House was the large jumbo egg roll. A big rolled omelet came out filling the whole plate, and you could taste the plain, soft flavor of the eggs.

It's made with little oil, so it tastes clean without feeling greasy. The spicy kick of the kimchi stew with the soft, nutty egg roll is a great combination. It's something people of all ages can enjoy without any fuss, so it would be a good side to order when visiting with kids.

When to choose Jeonju House in Daejeon

Jeonju House is a Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon rice restaurant where you can have a hearty Korean meal with generous side dishes in a spacious two-floor space.

• When you want a filling meal
• On days you're craving kimchi stew
• For family outings or group meals
• When you want to eat generously

Especially if you like the deep flavor of aged kimchi and a spicy, clean kimchi stew, I recommend Jeonju House, where you can eat a big meal with pot rice and scorched-rice tea. 🙌