Suwon barley rice restaurant with gangjeong for dessert: Boriook

Unlimited barley rice buffet in Suwon: Boriook Main Branch

I went to Boriook Main Branch, a barley rice restaurant in Suwon that lets you refill everything. It was already packed even in the early evening, and once I finished eating, I totally understood why so many people come here. Here's my review of Boriook, the all-you-can-eat barley rice spot in Suwon!

Boriook Main Branch: early evening atmosphere and where to park

Boriook was already super crowded even in the early evening. There are parking spots right in front, but if they're full, they kindly point you toward roadside spots nearby that aren't in a no-parking zone.

Once inside, there were a lot of families. Makes sense — it's an all-you-can-eat barley rice place, so a lot of people come to eat healthy together as a family.

Barley rice set meal 13,000 won, grilled soy sauce pork set 16,000 won

My friend and I each ordered the barley rice set meal (₩13,000) and the grilled soy sauce pork set meal (₩16,000). Honestly, the barley rice set alone is enough to fill you up since it's all-you-can-eat! But we were craving a meat dish, so we added the soy sauce pork one.

When you order, you get a bowl of barley rice per person as a base, plus empty plates so you can pick side dishes from the unlimited buffet bar. You take your plate to the bar, grab ingredients to mix into your barley rice bibimbap, and mix it yourself at the table. You can also get more barley rice from the self-serve bar.

What's on the all-you-can-eat self-serve bar at Boriook Main Branch

Boriook, known as one of Suwon's go-to barley rice spots, had a lineup of really neat, well-prepared side dishes.

Beyond the ingredients for the barley rice bibimbap, there were so many other things to eat — all sorts of fried snacks, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and more — that it took forever just to choose!

There was also braised tofu, slightly spicy — exactly my kind of side dish.

Once I brought back a bunch of ingredients for the bibimbap and sat down, cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) was already set on the table. It was loaded with tofu and vegetables, and the nutty flavor was excellent.

Sesame oil and gochujang (Korean chili paste) were set out at the table, so you just add those to your gathered ingredients and make your own bibimbap.

Namul worth the trip if you live alone, plus fritters straight from the fryer

As someone living alone, namul (seasoned vegetable side dishes) are hard to come by, so my friend, who also lives alone, and I loaded up on them saying how precious they are. We also grabbed fried snacks, japchae and wrap greens. The fried snacks kept getting refilled straight from the kitchen fryer, so they were crispy and delicious.

How the barley bibimbap and grilled soy sauce pork tasted

Time to mix everything we piled up into a barley rice bibimbap~~

The barley rice at Boriook, a go-to spot for barley rice in Suwon, had a chewy yet slightly rough texture with the grains popping between your teeth — really appealing. Mixed with the spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, the savory flavor came through even more. The fragrant namul added extra depth to the overall taste.

The grilled soy sauce pork also arrived — smoky with a nice char, salty, and it paired really well with the nutty, clean flavor of the barley rice.

There were also wrap greens at the buffet bar, so I made cabbage wraps and perilla leaf wraps — the seasoning was just right, so I kept eating that combo the whole meal.

Dessert at Boriook: rice puffs, gangjeong, sungnyung and plum tea

The buffet bar also had rice puffs and gangjeong, perfect for a little dessert after finishing your meal.

There was also warm sungnyung to settle your stomach — Boriook, the all-you-can-eat barley rice place in Suwon, really seems like a great spot to bring your parents to.

Finally, I finished off with some plum tea, having eaten barley rice until I was completely, completely full.

That's my review of Boriook Main Branch, a Suwon barley rice spot where you can build your own all-you-can-eat barley rice with whatever side dishes and ingredients you like. Definitely a place I'd love to bring my parents to next time.