Bucheon Korean restaurant, gulbi set & take-home sides: Gim Myeongju

What is Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang in Sinjungdong?

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch (김명주뜰안채밥상 중동점) is a place I'd recommend in Bucheon for hanjeongsik (Korean set meal). It has the proven cooking of the Kkachiul main branch, plus the upscale feel of a brand-new standalone building.

• A dignified Korean set meal
• A roomy, tidy space and freshly cooked cauldron pot rice
• Sides made with real care
• Refillable sides so good you'll want to take them home, and they sell them for takeout
• Private parking and more

Location near Sinjungdong Station and opening hours

The restaurant is at 70 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi. It's about a 3–4 minute walk from Exit 3 of Sinjungdong Station on Line 7, so it's easy to reach by subway. It's open daily 10:30–21:30, with last order at 20:30.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The dining room was very pleasant and spacious, as you'd expect from a newly opened place. Each table is cozily done in a classy wood tone, and the seats are spaced widely or separated by partitions, so I could eat comfortably without being bothered by the people around me.

Big green potted plants dotted around made the space feel even fresher, and you could buy side dishes here too.

How do the self-serve side-dish bar and take-home sides work?

On one side of the restaurant is a neatly arranged self-bar with unlimited refills.

The dishes get refilled constantly so they never run empty, and the area around them is wiped down often. The hygiene is excellent.

The fried eggplant and fried lotus root were sooo good.

The potatoes were tasty too, but you can't buy them as a takeout side. I did buy two other sides to eat with my husband. Done!

Yellow rice and barley rice pot-rice corner

This is the restaurant's biggest pride: a pot rice corner where every grain stands out.

Under big signs reading "yellow rice" and "barley rice" sit large pots that look like traditional cauldrons. The rice is cooked fresh on the spot, and its nutty smell fills the whole restaurant. For rice alone, it's unrivaled compared with any other Korean set meal restaurant.

I brought these famous sides over... glossy japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), crunchy lotus root, and eggplant fries that are the textbook crispy-outside, juicy-inside. None of it was heavily seasoned and the natural flavor of the ingredients came through, so I was amazed at how good it was.

Neat spoons and chopsticks.

What comes with the barley gulbi set?

The tidy spread of the barley gulbi set (₩31,000 per person) finally arrived. The side dishes come carefully arranged in fancy brassware bowls that make you feel no envy for a king's royal table. The colors of the sides filling the table are beautifully balanced, and the golden grilled fish in the middle anchors everything, pleasing both the eyes and the stomach.

I flaked off a big piece of the golden fish, set it on freshly cooked white pot rice and took a big bite. The crisp-outside, moist-inside saltiness of the fish and the sweetness of the rice come together in pure bliss.

The eggplant dish served alongside melted softly in my mouth, and a spoonful of rich, nutty cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) tidied up my palate.

Fried eggplant

The fried eggplant is crispy thanks to a thin batter, but when you bite in, warm, moist juice bursts softly out of the tender flesh. It has the sweet, spongy texture eggplant is known for, with a little sweet sauce, and it melts in your mouth.

Fried lotus root

With the fried lotus root, once you get past the thin, crisp coating, you get the pleasantly crunchy bite lotus root is known for. Rather than greasy, the plain, nutty flavor of the root itself stands out, and it's a clean taste that's easy to snack on like chips.

🍲 Cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) & tofu

The cheonggukjang keeps its deep, nutty flavor without the funky smell being overpowering. The tofu soaked in broth isn't crumbly but moist and soft, and when I piled it on the rice with the stew and mixed it all up, it wrapped around everything smoothly instead of feeling separate. Excellent.

Braised potatoes

The potatoes I wanted to buy. The seasoning isn't just on the surface; it's soaked all the way through. They're so tender that they split softly when pressed with chopsticks, yet they break apart crumbly-soft in your mouth, and the potato's nutty flavor blends with the sweet-salty soy sauce.

What is barley gulbi like with rice in green tea water?

The barley gulbi here is chewy, nicely salty, dried and grilled, and you eat the flesh on top of rice soaked in cool, clean green tea water. The bitter aroma of the green tea wipes out any fishy taste, leaving only gulbi's rich savoriness and nutty oil, so it finishes clean.

The cheonggukjang was great too!

Finished the meal, and it was really delicious.

Buying side dishes to take home, then tea at the café

After buying my side dishes, I wandered around looking at the snacks here and there.

One big plus of Gim Myeongju Sinjung-dong Branch is that after eating, you don't have to go anywhere else: you can have relaxed tea time right on the first floor. The café area is spacious, with brick interior and warm lighting that has real charm. The café zone was kept just as clean as the dining area.

There are also group rooms, baby chairs, and even sweet omija tea (five-flavor berry tea).

Verdict: clean, healthy Korean food through to dessert in one visit

• Great cooking and perfect seasoning: The main barley gulbi was chewy and nutty with no fishiness, and the cheonggukjang was deep and nutty without funk. From the crunch of the eggplant and lotus root fries to the softness of the braised potatoes, every side was lightly seasoned and clean.
• Fresh ingredients: The sweetness of freshly cooked pot rice and the fresh, crunchy, sweet cabbage and other basics noticeably raise the quality of the food.
• Smart extras: The shelves let you buy the sides you enjoyed and traditional snacks on your way out, which is very practical.
• A 100-point gathering route: No need to take your receipt and go somewhere else. You can finish with tea at the cozy Tteuranchae Café in the store, with a big-window view, so I strongly recommend it for taking parents out or for family gatherings.