Bulgogi restaurant in Ochang, Cheongju: mild hot pot for a late lunch
In short
Handmade Ham Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch (수제햄 고래부대찌개 오창본점) is a handmade-ham budae jjigae (army stew) and beef bulgogi restaurant on Jungsimsangeop 2-ro in Ochang, Cheongju, open since 2011. For a late lunch after 2pm, the writer ordered the Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi and simmered it as a hot pot over bean sprouts, mushrooms and glass noodles; the seasoning was mild rather than sweet or salty, which made it good for dipping in the chili sauce. With a self-serve corner of unlimited rice and ramen plus ice cream for dessert, Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch is worth recommending for a family meal or group dinner in Ochang.
Good to know
- Hours
- Daily 10:00–21:20 (last order 20:40)
- Break time
- 16:00–17:00
- Parking
- Private parking lot available
- Dish ordered
- Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi
- Promotion
- One free grilled bratwurst steak if you arrive before noon
- Self-serve corner
- Unlimited refills, including rice and ramen
- Waiting
- Possible waits at lunch and dinner; check on Catch Table
as written by the visitor on Aug 10, 2026
What to eat for lunch in Ochang — Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch
I was trying to figure out what to eat for lunch in Ochang when I heard about a place that's held down the same spot for a long time. This time I visited Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch!
There can be a wait at lunch and dinner! You can check with Catch Table.
The menu and the order — Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi
The menu board. Knowing the place has held steady in Ochang since 2011 only raised my expectations. As the name suggests, budae jjigae (army stew) is the signature dish, but since I came for beef bulgogi, I ordered the Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi without hesitation 🪄
But since every other table was eating budae jjigae, I got a little curious about that too..!!!
* Free grill bratwurst steak for entry before noon * I came after 2pm so I didn't qualify, but they have an event like this!!
* Rice + ramen included / unlimited refills * Just use the self-serve corner.
The dining room — good for group dinners?
The interior. Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch is clean and fairly spacious, so it's perfect for group dinners or family meals!
How to enjoy the beef bulgogi
I personally love beef bulgogi and have eaten it many times! But this was my first time having it as a hot pot, so I was really looking forward to it.
Basic side dishes, and the secret sauce for the beef bulgogi
Passed the visual test right away ✨ The Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi comes generously loaded with bean sprouts, mushrooms, glass noodles and more alongside the bulgogi! My first thought seeing it was, that's a huge portion,.,!
The meat portion in particular was quite generous — there was no feeling of it being short for two people!!!!
With so many ingredients packed in together, it made for a filling full meal. Bean sprout lovers will especially go crazy for this — me included
Ah, watching the meat cook while the broth and vegetables come together — I think that's the real charm of beef bulgogi hot pot.
As it bubbled away and the meat cooked, the bean sprouts and mushrooms cooked right along with it, and the broth naturally soaked up the flavor of all the ingredients.
No hot pot is complete without glass noodles!!!! There's a generous layer of them at the bottom too haha
Mildly seasoned beef bulgogi, with chili sauce on the side
What I liked most was that the seasoning wasn't strong! Beef bulgogi often comes with a strong sweet-and-salty seasoning, but the Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi was overall not spicy or sharp, more on the mild side.
So dipping the meat in the chili sauce served on the side was great! Since the bulgogi itself is mildly seasoned, you eat it plain for a while ~~~~ then dip it lightly in the sauce, and the savory depth and slight sharpness of the soy-based sauce add a whole different flavor to enjoy.
Even the fish cake side dish from the self-serve corner wasn't too strongly seasoned! Overall, I liked that the food was mild across the board.
Handmade ham and Gorae Jeongtong Kkot Budae Jjigae
Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch sells not just beef bulgogi but also Gorae Jeongtong Kkot Budae Jjigae, made with their own handmade ham!
They also sell the handmade ham on its own! The ham made in-house is described as following a '3-free, 1-low' method — no preservatives, no coloring, no starch, low salt. Making their own ham and sausage for the budae jjigae felt like a real point of difference from a typical army stew restaurant. It looked like it would make a good gift too.
The dessert corner — there's even an ice cream machine
The dessert corner ~ there's an ice maker and even an ice cream machine!
This time I had the Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi, but next time I want to try the Gorae Jeongtong Kkot Budae Jjigae too haha. Especially if you're visiting with several people, ordering the beef bulgogi and the budae jjigae separately to share sounds great 🙌
If you're looking for beef bulgogi in Ochang where you can enjoy hearty meat, vegetables and glass noodles all together, I recommend the Gorae Daewang Kkot Beef Bulgogi at Gorae Budae Jjigae Ochang Main Branch! For a family meal spot in Ochang, come here without hesitation ~ everyone should try it at least once 😋
Where it is
13 Jungsimsangeop 2-ro, Ochang-eup, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea충청북도 청주시 청원구 오창읍 중심상업2로 13 수제햄 고래부대찌개 오창본점
