Suwon restaurant with perilla wraps and a mackerel set: Boriook Main

Today I'm sharing my visit to Boriook Main Branch, a well-known Mangpo Station restaurant, where I had the mackerel set and the pork set.

While picking a dinner spot near Mangpo Station, I wanted proper rice and side dishes rather than meat or noodles, so I headed to Boriook, famous in Suwon for its all-you-can-eat barley rice. Short version: you can help yourself to barley rice and namul (seasoned vegetable side dishes) endlessly at the self-serve bar, so it's fun to mix your own bibimbap exactly to your taste.

Where is Boriook Main Branch, and can you walk there from Mangpo Station?

Boriook Main Branch is within walking distance of Mangpo Station. It's a standalone building, so the sign is easy to spot even from a distance.

There's dedicated parking right in front, which makes driving there convenient too. It only fits about 10 cars including double-parked spots though, so it fills up fast around lunchtime. If it's full, there are public parking lots nearby.

How ordering works at Boriook: barley rice set plus one main dish

Boriook works on a base barley rice set plus a main dish like mackerel or pork. Once you order, barley rice and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) come out, and you fill your own plate with namul and side dishes from the self-serve bar.

The restaurant is fairly spacious, so it's good for family outings or office lunches with a group. There's often a wait at lunchtime, so I'd recommend going a bit early.

The self-serve namul bar, with barley rice on unlimited refill

The self-serve bar has all kinds of namul, kimchi and side dishes laid out, so you can pick and choose like a barley rice buffet. Barley rice and white rice are also there for as many refills as you want, so there's no need to worry about running short. There's lettuce and perilla leaves too, for wrapping.

I piled on a bunch of namul, added gochujang (red chili paste) and sesame oil, and mixed it all together — the chewy, nutty bite of barley rice went really well with the vegetables.

Mackerel set, 15,000 won: half a grilled mackerel with mixed barley rice

The mackerel set comes with the barley rice set plus half a grilled mackerel. It was golden and crisp on the outside, moist inside, and easy to flake apart with chopsticks.

A spoonful of barley rice mixed with namul topped with a piece of mackerel worked really well — the plainness of the vegetables balanced the saltiness of the fish. If you like grilled fish, I'd recommend the mackerel set.

Pork set: gochujang stir-fried pork to pile onto barley rice

The pork set comes with pork stir-fried in gochujang sauce. The spicy-sweet seasoning soaked well into the meat, and it was perfect spooned over barley rice.

I'd also recommend wrapping barley rice and pork in the lettuce and perilla leaves from the self-serve bar. If the mackerel is the lighter option, the pork is the one to go for when you want something more filling. If there are two of you, ordering one mackerel set and one pork set to share is the best combo.

A stew-included spread that eats like a Suwon hanjeongsik meal

The sets also come with doenjang jjigae. With barley rice, namul, the main dish and stew all on the table, it felt like it could rival any hanjeongsik (Korean full-course meal) restaurant in Suwon.

Dessert at Boriook: sungnyung (toasted rice tea) and puffed rice cakes

After the meal, you can enjoy sungnyung (scorched rice tea) and rice puffs for dessert. Finishing with a cup of nutty sungnyung left my stomach feeling settled and comfortable.

Final verdict on Boriook Main Branch near Mangpo Station

👍 What I liked

• Unlimited refills of barley rice, white rice and namul from the self-serve bar
• ₩15,000 mackerel set with half a mackerel
• Lettuce and perilla wraps plus sungnyung and rice puffs for dessert
• Dedicated parking right in front

👉 Things to note

• There's often a wait at lunchtime
• Break time is 15:00–16:30, worth checking ahead
• Only about 10 parking spots, so it fills up during peak hours

If you're near Mangpo Station looking for a hearty Korean meal for a work lunch or family outing, give Boriook Main Branch a try!

One-line review: an unlimited barley rice refill spread near Mangpo Station, mixed with your own namul and rounded out with mackerel and pork — a satisfying meal at Boriook