Sinjungdong Korean restaurant, weekday mackerel dinner: Gim Myeongju

I had grilled mackerel at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch (김명주뜰안채밥상 중동점), a clean, neat Korean restaurant in Sinjungdong that's also great for company dinners or family gatherings ♡

Location, hours and parking at Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch

The restaurant is at 70 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, and it's open from 10:30 to 21:30. You can park on the 1st floor of the building, and when it's full, parking at the Jungdong Park Town parking tower two buildings over gets you 1 hour of support.

• The 2nd floor is the dining area and the 1st floor is a café space. After eating upstairs, you can take a break downstairs.
• The main branch in Kkachiul has long been loved, so this is a proven Bucheon Korean set-meal spot.
• If the Kkachiul main branch has a homey, cozy mood, the Sinjung-dong Branch is bigger and airier, with a more upscale feel.^^

What is the atmosphere like on a weekday evening?

The inside is really spacious and pleasant!! We went on a weekday evening. There were big groups and several small gatherings too, but the place is so large and airy that it never felt crowded.

There are private rooms in the back too! They're very neat and tidy, and I thought they'd be good to reserve for a family gathering.^^

Tteuranchae Jeongsik or Tteuranchae Bapsang: which to pick?

If you want a full, generous Korean table d'hôte spread, choose the Tteuranchae Jeongsik (set meal)! It includes one main dish per person, so it's a hearty option.

If you want something simple but filling, add an à la carte dish to the Tteuranchae Bapsang (set table)! You only pick one à la carte dish per four people, so it's better value. Even the basic Tteuranchae Bapsang alone comes with plenty of varied side dishes! For a special day the Jeongsik is nicer, but for an ordinary day~ the basic bapsang is enough.^^

Is the self-bar with unlimited side dish refills worth it?

The reason I recommend Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch for a family gathering in Sinjungdong is that the healthy, tasty side dishes are refillable without limit!

The self-bar is very clean, and the staff check and tidy it all the time. Every side dish served by default can be refilled yourself at the self-bar! There are also extra side dishes that aren't served by default, so I recommend checking the self-bar to enjoy your meal even more.

The side dishes served warm are reheated regularly while they sit out! That makes them even tastier.

No worries if you need more rice at Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch! There are two kinds of extra rice, so you can eat your fill. They even have maesil (plum) and omija (five-flavor berry) drinks for a refreshing finish, which makes this a perfect Korean restaurant in Sinjungdong right to the end.

₩41,000 for two: Tteuranchae Bapsang and grilled mackerel

At Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch we ordered two Tteuranchae Bapsang at ₩13,000 each plus grilled mackerel at ₩15,000, for a total of ₩41,000.

After a short wait, the table was suddenly fi~lled with food! The tables at Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch are quite big, so even if you order one jeongsik set per person, it looks like everything would fit comfortably.

How do the cheonggukjang and grilled mackerel taste?

The Tteuranchae Bapsang includes rich, tasty cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew)! It's loaded with ingredients. It was deep and savory but not overpowering, easy to eat. So even I, who don't usually enjoy cheonggukjang, tend to eat it well at Gim Myeongju.^^ (Kids~ probably wouldn't eat it, though.)

The plump mackerel comes out crisp! grilled. It isn't salty, it's mild and nutty, and tasted good even on its own. Grilling fish at home is hard, so fish at a Korean restaurant is always a welcome dish for me. The mackerel at Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch was moist and nutty too, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Cauldron rice and 12 free side dishes

The rice isn't ordinary rice but solbap (cauldron rice)! Piping hot cauldron rice is delicious even on its own.^^

The basic table setting alone has 12 kinds of free side dishes! On top of that there are extra side dishes only at the self-bar, so the variety is really wide.

Must-grabs at the self-bar: fried eggplant, fried lotus root, salad

The fried eggplant at the self-bar is moister and tastier than the one served by default! I recommend getting a refill too~ The self-bar also had fried lotus root, so I tried it, and it had a great crunchy texture and tasted good. There's salad at the self-bar too! It went well with the nutty sauce. If you like salad, be sure to grab some at the self-bar~ ^^

I was already so full as I ate, but nurungji (toasted rice tea) is dessert, right? haha I finished off with the nutty nurungji and ate well!

What occasions suit Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch?

Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch is a Korean restaurant in Sinjungdong where you can enjoy a healthy, tasty full table! It's just right for company dinners or family gatherings~ I recommend it as a great Bucheon Korean restaurant. ^^