Pheasant restaurant in Chungju: Suanbo Daejanggun royal course

I visited Suanbo Daejanggun to try a range of pheasant dishes in Suanbo, Chungju. The Daewang Surasang course I ordered brought out dishes in sequence, from raw pheasant to hot pot, dumplings, and sujebi (hand-torn dough soup).

At the time of my visit, it was introduced as a place that had served pheasant dishes from the same location for 41 years. I was curious about being able to eat pheasant, which I do not often encounter, prepared in several ways.

How far is it from Suanbo Hot Springs, and is parking convenient?

The restaurant is at 105 Mireuksonggye-ro, Suanbo-myeon, Chungju, Chungbuk, South Korea. It was about 20 minutes by car from Chungju IC and about 5 minutes from the Suanbo Hot Springs tourist area, making it a convenient stop for a meal during a hot-springs trip. The parking lot in front of the restaurant was also spacious and easy to use.

The original post lists its hours as daily from 11:00 to 20:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last orders at 18:30. Takeout and reservations are available, and high chairs are provided.

Are there seats for family meals or group gatherings?

The interior was decorated in white tones and felt neat. There were plenty of mostly four-person tables, and the restaurant itself was fairly large. Beside the main hall were separate rooms that seemed suited to family meals, group gatherings, and family occasions such as first-birthday parties and seventieth-birthday celebrations.

What are the price and dishes in the Daewang Surasang course?

Suanbo Daejanggun was introduced as being cooked by someone with a pheasant-cooking qualification and using pheasants raised on its own farm. The course also included raw pheasant.

Pheasant dumplings, pheasant yeot (Korean malt taffy), and pheasant extract could also be purchased separately. At the time of my visit, there was also a promotion offering pheasant yeot for leaving a receipt review.

The Daewang Surasang I ordered was ₩69,000 per person. It was introduced as a 12-dish course reinterpreting royal cuisine, designed to let diners try many pheasant dishes in sequence rather than eat a large amount of one dish.

How does the course starting with dongchimi and porridge taste?

The meal began with basic side dishes and pheasant dongchimi (radish water kimchi). It was said to be made with pheasant broth and Jeju radish. The broth was refreshing and clean-tasting, which was a good way to awaken my appetite at the start of the meal.

Next came pheasant ginseng restorative porridge topped with ginseng, mung beans, pine nuts, and more.

The next dish was osaek pheasant saengchae, with tender pheasant tenderloin over vegetables. The crisp vegetables and tangy sauce worked well together, making it easy to eat lightly.

What were the raw pheasant and sinseollo hot pot like?

The dish I had looked forward to most was the raw pheasant. Its reddish, glossy appearance felt a little different from ordinary yukhoe (Korean raw beef). When I tried it, it was softer than I expected, with a texture that reminded me of tuna sashimi. It was my first time having raw pheasant, but it did not feel overwhelming for my taste.

The sinseollo jeongol (royal-style hot pot) served alongside it let me cook the pheasant like shabu-shabu.

The hot pot had a mild yet deep pheasant-broth flavor, so I enjoyed even the broth.

What else comes with the pheasant dishes?

Boiled octopus and abalone were also served. The abalone, introduced as having been steamed for two hours, was tender and made for a nice specialty dish midway through the course.

How were the pheasant dumplings, wild-greens pancake, and japchae different?

The pheasant dumplings that came next were mild and generously filled. The meat used in the dumplings was introduced as 100% pheasant.

The pheasant wild-greens pancake was made with hand-picked wild greens and pheasant. The subtle scent of the greens went well with the mild meat.

Eating it while warm also brought out a nutty flavor.

The pheasant japchae was introduced as being made in a traditional Joseon style. It felt a little different from the japchae I usually eat.

The pheasant, vegetables, and glass noodles came together in a mild dish with savory depth.

How was the final dish, and was the overall portion generous?

The final dish was samsek sujebi (three-color hand-torn dough soup). Four basic side dishes came with the colorful sujebi.

The sujebi had a pleasant chewy texture and went well with the mild broth. After eating so many dishes beforehand, the meal still felt generous through the end.

What stayed with me was experiencing the many textures and preparations of pheasant within one course. It seemed like a fitting choice when I wanted a meal different from the usual during a Suanbo hot-springs trip or a family trip with my parents.