Cheonan budae-jjigae with paid parking across the street: Cheongwon
In short
Cheongwon Restaurant is a budae-jjigae (Korean army stew) spot tucked inside the Dujeong-dong food alley in Cheonan, Chungnam. On a weekday visit at 1pm, the Cheongwon budae-jjigae came loaded with cheongyang chili peppers, and the self-serve bar supplied the ramyeon noodles and rice that filled two bowls. Parking in front of Cheongwon Restaurant fits only about 5 cars, so the paid Star Palace lot across the street is the easier choice at peak hours.
Good to know
- Hours
- Open daily 11:00, last orders 21:00
- Closed
- Sundays
- Parking
- About 5 cars in front of the restaurant; at peak hours use the paid Star Palace lot across the street
- What we ordered
- Cheongwon budae-jjigae (loaded with cheongyang chili peppers)
- Self-serve bar
- Unlimited rice and ramyeon noodles, disposable aprons, black and milk coffee
- Side dishes included
- Seasoned bean sprouts, stir-fried fish cake, napa cabbage kimchi
- Promotion
- Join the review event and get a free egg roll with the restaurant's name written in ketchup
- Seating
- Mostly private-room seating and group tables
as written by the visitor on Aug 21, 2026
Today I'm here to tell you about a warm bowl of budae-jjigae (army stew) at Cheongwon Restaurant, a Dujeong-dong, Cheonan rice place that's built its word-of-mouth reputation on generous portions, tidy side dishes, and great value. I visited during a weekday lunch and the place was still buzzing with customers — living up to its reputation as a local favorite. Solo dining is possible too, apparently, so let's go eat some budae-jjigae!
Where do you park at Cheongwon Restaurant in Dujeong-dong?
Cheongwon Restaurant sits just inside the Dujeong-dong food alley, so it's easy enough to find. But the parking lot is small, so if you live nearby, I'd recommend walking or taking public transit.
There's parking for about 5 cars in front of Cheongwon Restaurant, but since the place is so popular, those dedicated spots fill up fast during lunch and dinner peak hours. If you're driving, you can try parking in front of the restaurant or along the roadside, but I used the paid Star Palace parking lot across the street instead!
Cheongwon Restaurant hours and closing day
Cheongwon Restaurant opens daily at 11am and closes at 9pm — just keep in mind it's closed on Sundays.
Before heading in, I noticed on the front door that Cheongwon Restaurant was featured on SBS's Matchelin Guide on October 18, 2025. First time I've seen an orange ribbon like that!
The 3 side dishes that come with every table
Cheongwon Restaurant's basic side dishes are bean sprout salad, stir-fried fish cake, and napa cabbage kimchi. Once you order, the basic side dishes get set on the table.
The 3-piece side dish set comes on neat, tidy plates — crunchy bean sprout salad, salty stir-fried fish cake, and savory napa cabbage kimchi as the stars of the basic spread!
Rice comes as part of the basic setup too.
What Cheongwon Restaurant is like at 1pm on a weekday
The restaurant was packed when I visited at 1pm on a weekday. Office workers, friends, families, couples — all kinds of visitors seemed to be enjoying their meals!
There are room-style tables for a more private meal, but most of the seating is group-style!
Unlimited rice and ramyeon noodles at the self-serve bar
One of Cheongwon Restaurant's strong points is the self-serve bar where you can help yourself to as much as you like. And you can't skip the ramyeon noodles for the budae-jjigae!
I grabbed a heaping pile of ramyeon noodles. Ramyeon doesn't come with the basic setup by default.
I liked that the noodles were covered with a lid for hygiene, so you can grab more from the self-serve bar whenever you need.
There was a rice cooker full of warm rice, and I ended up eating two bowls that day!
Next to the self-serve bar there are also black disposable aprons ready so you don't splatter your clothes!
Cheongwon budae-jjigae: how spicy are the cheongyang chili peppers?
That day, we ordered the fiery Cheongwon budae-jjigae! We were craving something spicy, and it's loaded with cheongyang chili peppers.
There was even a tip card on the table for enjoying Cheongwon Restaurant's food, so I read it and ate up. And if you join the review event, they'll throw in an egg roll with 'Cheongwon Restaurant' written on it in ketchup!
I waited without opening the lid while it heated up, and when the staff came by, I opened it up to find the aroma of budae-jjigae wafting out. That's when my mouth started watering and my stomach started growling~
Triangle ham, square ham, beans, cheongyang chili peppers, thinly sliced green onions, seasoning, and broth all packed in — how could it not taste good?
Add the ramyeon noodles partway through eating the budae-jjigae, let them simmer down, and you get nice, plump noodles~
Free review-event egg roll and coffee after the meal
The egg roll I got from Cheongwon Restaurant's review event was thick enough to have used 4-5 eggs.
This is the Cheongwon Restaurant egg roll I got for the review. It was generous enough that two adults couldn't finish it, and it tasted great too!
Lastly, black coffee and milk coffee are set up so you can have a cup after your budae-jjigae~
That's my budae-jjigae meal at Cheongwon Restaurant — with unlimited rice and ramyeon, refillable side dishes, and a hearty meal overall, this feels like a place worth coming back to! Come to Dujeong-dong for some spicy, satisfying budae-jjigae~
Where it is
32-4 Dujeongsangga 4-gil, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea충청남도 천안시 서북구 두정상가4길 32-4 1층
