Yeongjong family restaurant: cypress steam at Pyeonbaek Hoegwan

I went to Yeongjong with my parents for a delicious dinner timed around my older sister getting off work. Her office is near Yeongjong, so while looking for something neat and easy on the stomach along her route home, we found this place. I decided to visit Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch (편백회관 본점), already much talked about on TV and social media for its shabu-shabu and cypress-steamed dishes.

I was familiar with the Pyeonbaek Hoegwan brand because it has branches around the country, but I only learned this time that Yeongjong Haneul City is its main branch, which made me even more excited. With fresh, wholesome food that everyone from seniors to children can enjoy, plus generous portions, I can now share an honest review of why it comes so strongly recommended for family meals.

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch location, hours, and parking

It is on the second floor at 8-11 Haneulbyeolbit-ro 65beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon, and is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00 with no closing days or break time. Last orders are at 21:00.

A spacious dining room, kids’ room, and convenient parking

Parking and a comfortable dining room are always major considerations for family meals or gatherings, and Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch was very satisfying on both counts.

You can park comfortably in the building’s underground garage. Even if it is full, you can park at the Jinro Mart lot right next door and tell a staff member to receive two hours of parking support, so new drivers and family visitors need not worry about parking at all.

Once inside the second-floor restaurant, the open, spacious layout and tidy interior immediately caught my eye. The tables were generously spaced, making it wonderful for families to chat privately over a meal. Along one side were not only high chairs but also a fully equipped kids’ room (playroom) where children can have fun, so it felt ideal for families with young children too.

I heard this is Korea’s first place to steam food like a restorative tonic with 12 medicinal herbs. I thought it would make such a nice gift set too.

There was a salad bar as well, and both the meat and Vietnamese spring-roll stations were kept so pleasantly clean. Everything was abundantly fresh.

How we enjoyed the cypress-steamed meal

After sitting down and completing the order on the tablet, a large cypress-wood steamer is set in the middle of the table first. Once the timer rings and you lift the lid, fragrant cypress aroma gently wafts out alongside perfectly cooked beef, kabocha squash, assorted mushrooms, and bok choy, all emerging in billows of steam.

With all the fat steamed away, it was the very definition of light and clean. There was no unpleasant meat smell at all, and the soft texture had my parents saying, “It sits comfortably without upsetting the stomach,” as they ate very happily. The shrimp pairing was lovely too.

Dip it into chili, peanut, or soy sauce from the self-serve bar however you like for a range of flavors.

My absolute favorite combination was wrapping the light cypress-steamed meat and fresh Vietnamese spring-roll vegetables in rice paper softened in warm water, then giving it a little dip in peanut sauce. Best of all, even this premium cypress-steamed dish can be refilled without limit, which was amazing.

Ramen noodles and hygienically kept broths.

I dipped everything generously in peanut sauce and enjoyed every last bite.

Shabu-shabu and salad bar, including mala broth

Once we had filled up somewhat on the mild cypress-steamed meal, the steamer was cleared away and we moved on to round two: shabu-shabu. A rich broth is prepared beneath the pot, and you can choose katsuobushi, beef-bone, mala, or another broth you prefer.

We enjoyed both a mild basic broth and a pleasantly spicy mala broth. The mala broth in particular was not overly aromatic or harsh; it was cleanly spicy, with a flavor even seniors trying mala for the first time or mala beginners could enjoy. As the vegetables and beef simmered down in the broth, the savoriness absolutely exploded.

There were also substantial special side dishes such as tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and spaghetti, making it fun to nibble on choices while the meat cooked.

My dad said the broth was delicious too...

The chili peppers made it even tastier and kept the meal from becoming tiresome.

Finishing shabu-shabu with egg porridge

No matter how full you are, you cannot skip juk (rice porridge), the full stop to a shabu-shabu course. We brought back rice especially for porridge, savory seaweed flakes, raw egg, and plenty of sesame oil from the self-serve bar.

After leaving behind a shallow amount of the salty shabu broth deeply infused with meat and vegetables, add the rice and ingredients, stir well, and let it cook. Crack in the raw egg at the end and drizzle over sesame oil, and the nutty aroma fills the air. The rich, savory broth soaked into each grain of rice, making for a splendid, perfect finish to the meal.

A family meal spot that was great with parents and children

Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch, which we visited casually around my sister’s finishing time, was a restaurant that satisfied us far beyond expectations. At a reasonable price in the low ₩20,000 range, being able to refill premium cypress-steamed dishes, shabu-shabu, fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, and the salad bar with beef to your heart’s content is tremendous value and a major draw.

The restaurant is spacious and clean, and the parking is easy, making it just as suitable for bringing parents as for coming with children. If you are looking near Yeongjong Haneul City for a proper wholesome, generous meal and a perfect place for a family dinner, I confidently recommend visiting Pyeonbaek Hoegwan Main Branch!