Bucheon Korean restaurant, solo pork set & cheonggukjang: Gim Myeongju

Today I wanted a proper, filling meal, so I headed to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch (김명주뜰안채밥상 신중동점) in Sinjungdong, Bucheon! Korean food comes with lots of side dishes, and mixing and matching them with rice is half the fun, right? This place serves pot rice with a generous spread of sides, and I was happy the whole meal. I went by myself, but the restaurant is big and has private rooms, so I thought it would be nice to come back with my parents next time.

Location and hours of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch

The restaurant is at 1143-2 Jungdong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and it is open daily from 10:30 to 21:30. Last order is at 20:50, and there is no break time.

• Reservations available
• Group seating available
• Takeout available
• High chairs provided
• Self-serve bar

A clean, tidy-looking restaurant from the outside

There is a dolhareubang (Jeju stone grandfather statue) in front of the restaurant, so you feel the Korean restaurant vibe right from the start.

The building is big, so it was easy to find, and it looked like a great place to walk in for a meal.

At the entrance there was also a notice about CESCO hygiene management. Taste matters at a restaurant, but so does cleanliness, so seeing this made me feel a bit more at ease going in.

There is also a Catch Table station at the entrance for registering on the waitlist. It looks like you might have to wait at busy times.

They were also running a visitor review event! If you write a review, you get a drink, so if you want to join, check the notice when you visit. 😊

A spacious interior and private rooms, comfortable even for solo diners

Once I went inside, the restaurant was bigger than I expected. There are lots of tables with a fair amount of space between them, so it did not feel cramped at all.

It looked good for a family meal out, and a larger group could eat comfortably here too.

There are separate private rooms as well. They would work for family gatherings or more important occasions, not just regular meals. That was one of the reasons I want to come back with my parents.

Ordering was easy with the table-order kiosk.

While ordering, you can also check the restroom location and Wi-Fi info, which was handy because you can find what you need right away.

When I opened the table drawer, the spoons, chopsticks and wet wipes were all individually wrapped. Small details like this being neatly prepared put me in a good mood before I even started eating.

What are the menu and prices at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang?

At this branch, set menus cost ₩28,000–₩31,000, a la carte dishes cost ₩15,000–₩18,000, and the Tteuranchae Bapsang is ₩13,000. They sell a variety of Korean set meals, and the menu I saw when I visited is below.

Set menus

• Barley gulbi (dried salted croaker) set ₩31,000
• Soy-marinated crab set ₩31,000
• Charcoal pork set ₩31,000
• Jjukkumi (small octopus) set ₩31,000
• Seasoned cockle set ₩28,000
• Grilled mackerel set ₩28,000

• Tteuranchae Bapsang ₩13,000

A la carte menu

• Barley gulbi ₩18,000
• Soy-marinated crab ₩18,000
• Charcoal pork ₩18,000
• Stir-fried jjukkumi ₩18,000
• Seasoned cockle ₩15,000
• Grilled mackerel ₩15,000

There were so many set meals that I agonized over what to eat for a long time. In the end, I ordered the

Charcoal pork set

!

A self-serve bar with plenty of side dishes

One of the things I liked most here was the self-serve bar! If you run out of sides, you can go get more yourself, and there is such a variety that just browsing what to try is fun.

For rice, they had yellow rice and barley rice, so you can pick whichever you like. They also had drinks like plum and omija (five-flavor berry) tea.

The self-serve bar is convenient, and I also noticed a sign saying the sides used are finished within the day. Disposable aprons were also placed around the restaurant.

What does the charcoal pork set look like?

The charcoal pork set was brought out by a staff member on a two-tier cart, all as one full table. Instead of dishes arriving one at a time, everything came together generously, which got me ready to dig in.

Besides the main dish, the set came with several side dishes, cheonggukjang and pot rice.

Korean food just feels right when the table is packed like this, doesn't it? It looked filling just to look at.

I started with the main dish, the charcoal-grilled pork.

Eating the charcoal pork with rice and sides made for a hearty meal. I could enjoy it in different ways, like with vegetable sides or by putting the meat on top of the rice.

Between bites of the main dish, I also alternated with japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and fried eggplant.

With so many sides, it did not feel like eating the same thing over and over; mixing and matching was fun.

When I go to a Korean restaurant, I take the kimchi pretty seriously. This kimchi looked good, so I tried it, and it suited my taste well. It went great with rice. 😊

With this many sides, it was fun changing up what I ate with each spoonful of rice. The side I first thought was kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) turned out to be braised potatoes, haha.

Can even people who don't eat cheonggukjang enjoy it?

The surprise standout of the charcoal pork set was the cheonggukjang. Honestly, I usually avoid it because of its distinctive smell.

But here, eating it with rice, I kept going back for more. Even though I normally don't eat it, I found myself thinking about it afterward. With cheonggukjang alongside the Korean set meal, it felt like a hearty home-cooked meal.

Finishing with pot rice, nurungji and omija tea

At Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang, after scooping out the pot rice, I also had the nurungji (scorched rice). It was nice to finish the meal warm.

And a detail that caught my eye: the pot lid handle is easy to grip, and there is a separate rest for setting the lid down. It felt like they put careful thought even into the tools you use while eating, and that stuck with me. 😊

After the meal, I also had some omija tea. After the sides, pot rice and nurungji, I was really full, and the drink at the end cleansed my palate so the meal wrapped up neatly.

Is it good for a family meal or Korean set meal gathering in Bucheon?

The restaurant is large and has private rooms, so it looked fine for family meals or a Korean set meal gathering in Bucheon. I came alone, but looking around, I saw quite a few families too.

The staff were friendly to customers, and it was also impressive to see them looking out for each other. Above all, the restaurant is big and has rooms, so I want to come back with my parents. It suits family meals, and if you can use a room, it would fit a more formal occasion too. So I think it is a good option for anyone looking for a Korean set meal gathering spot in Bucheon, or a hearty meal with their parents.

After the meal: browsing the rice nurungji and cube yakgwa

On the way out, they were also selling simple snacks like rice nurungji and cube yakgwa (traditional honey cookies). It was nice that you can browse these instead of just eating and leaving. If you like Korean food or traditional snacks, it is worth a look.

My honest review of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch

Overall, this was a Korean restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of sides together with pot rice. Even though I came alone, I could eat comfortably, and I liked that you can get more sides from the self-serve bar. The restaurant is big and has private rooms, so it is worth considering for a family meal or gathering.

• People who want a variety of sides with pot rice
• People looking for a great Korean set meal restaurant in Bucheon
• People looking for a family meal spot in Sinjungdong
• People who want to eat with their parents or need a gathering venue
• People who want to introduce a Korean full-table spread to foreign friends

If that sounds like you, it is worth a visit. Next time I want to go with my parents and try the other set meals too. 😊