Hwangmi stone-pot rice, soy crab for two: Gachiul Korean restaurant

A tidy, generous table at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch — a Korean set-meal restaurant that's good for bringing your parents to. I visited a Korean restaurant that's already built quite a reputation by word of mouth in Bucheon, and honestly every single dish felt made with real care, so I felt good the whole time I was eating. It's a great spot for a family outing or for taking your parents out, so I wanted to share it with you all.

Is parking easy at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang? A wide private lot out front

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch has a generous, wide dedicated parking lot right in front of the restaurant. The moment I arrived, that open, spacious parking area was the very first thing that caught my eye. It's known as a go-to restaurant in Gachiul, Bucheon, so a lot of people drive in — and I could park without any worry about finding a spot. The exterior has a clean yet somewhat old-fashioned, refined air to it, so I felt well taken care of from the moment I walked in.

The rice mill at the entrance and the dining room

Walking further inside past the entrance, one machine immediately caught my eye — an actual rice mill that freshly mills hwangmi rice (a golden-hued rice variety) every day. Seeing the sign about cooking warm rice from freshly milled hwangmi rice, I could really feel how much pride and care they put into even a single bowl of rice.

Stepping further into the restaurant, the warm, tidy wood-toned interior put me at ease right away. The dining room is quite spacious with generous spacing between tables, making for a comfortable place to enjoy a meal.

How to order: one Tteuranchae Bapsang set each plus one main dish

When ordering the Tteuranchae Bapsang set, it's one set per person as a base, and the system requires you to pick at least one main dish on top. The main dish options include soy crab, charcoal pork bulgogi, grilled mackerel, spicy stir-fried pork and other dishes that pair well with a proper Korean spread. I really liked that depending on which dish you choose, you get to enjoy a completely different table every time.

What comes with the Tteuranchae Bapsang set for two

The Tteuranchae Bapsang set for two we ordered, plus the soy crab main dish, filled the table completely. The moment I saw the table practically groaning under the weight of all those side dishes, my mouth started watering. It started with freshly cooked, still-steaming stone-pot rice, followed by bubbling cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) and a nonstop parade of colorful banchan.

• Seasoned dried radish greens
• Seasoned bellflower root
• Braised potatoes
• Pickled gochujang peppers
• Pickled perilla leaves
• Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles)
• Seasoned spinach
• Fresh kimchi (geotjeori)
• Seasoned lotus root
• Eggplant fritters

Every side dish came out clearly made with care. Nothing was over-seasoned, and it was a healthy spread that let each ingredient's natural flavor shine — just looking at it made me feel full and satisfied.

Does the cheonggukjang smell strong?

The cheonggukjang, served bubbling in a stone bowl, didn't have that usual strong, pungent smell, which I really appreciated. It had a deep, savory soybean flavor while the broth wasn't salty at all, so it was easy to eat like a soup without any hesitation. It was also loaded with tofu and vegetables, and mixed into rice it filled my mouth with a comforting, nutty richness.

Stone-pot rice from hwangmi rice milled in the restaurant

The stone-pot rice, carefully cooked from hwangmi rice milled right there in the restaurant, released a subtle nutty rice fragrance the moment I lifted the lid. Each grain was glossy and had a nice chew, and the more I chewed, the deeper the sweetness and nuttiness came through. It had a soft, wholesome flavor on a completely different level from regular rice — I found myself saying the rice alone was delicious. After scooping some rice onto a plate, I poured hot water into the stone pot to start making nurungji (scorched rice) before beginning the meal.

What we went back for at the self-bar

Off to one side of the restaurant, there's a neatly arranged self-serve corner that customers can use freely. Getting closer, I saw that every single one of the basic banchan served at the start was also available there, so I could help myself as much as I wanted without feeling awkward about it.

We especially loved the crispy eggplant fritters, sweet braised potatoes, and refreshing, clean-tasting mul-kimchi (water kimchi), so we grabbed extra portions of those and ate until we were completely full.

Is the soy-marinated crab enough for two to share?

The soy crab we chose as the main dish came in such a generous portion that it was more than enough for the two of us to share. The crab meat was packed tight inside the shell, soft and moist, melting away the moment it hit my mouth. The soy sauce marinade wasn't overly sweet or salty, with a gentle, savory depth that paired perfectly with the hwangmi rice. Mixing the rice into it added even more fun, and it reminded me all over again why this dish has such a reputation as a rice thief.

Finishing with sungnyung and nurungji from the stone pot

After finishing the meal, we opened the lid of the stone pot we'd set aside earlier and tried the nutty sungnyung (scorched-rice tea) and nurungji. The warm, savory broth cleaned my palate and left my stomach feeling comfortable and warm. Topping it with leftover pickles or geotjeori made for a perfectly satisfying last bite to end the meal.