Bucheon Korean restaurant, ₩13,000 set plus borigulbi: Gim Myeongju

I'd been craving a good Korean set meal, so my sister and I headed to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang (김명주뜰안채밥상) Bucheon Main Branch. I usually love a Korean table with lots of neatly arranged side dishes, and this time I wanted something hearty to eat with rice, so we gave it a try.

Still guests waiting past peak hours at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang

Browsing the menu while we waited

There were several parties waiting on the other side of the room from where I took this photo — clearly a popular spot 👍

It was hard to get a clean shot of the whole dining room since it was so full even past peak hours. Once inside, the atmosphere was clean and calm overall, and the tables were spaced comfortably enough for an easy meal. It felt like a great spot for a family meal or dining with parents.

Tteuranchae bapsang for two at ₩13,000 each, plus a borigulbi add-on

We ordered the tteuranchae bapsang set for two and added borigulbi as an a la carte item. Looking at the menu board pictured above, the basic tteuranchae bapsang is ₩13,000 per person for elementary-school age and up, and a la carte options include borigulbi, soy-marinated crab, charcoal-grilled pork, cockle salad, grilled mackerel, and more. Good options no matter who you're dining with, right?

They also had high chairs, which seemed great for families with young kids.

What banchan come with the set, and the refillable cheonggukjang

Once the food arrived, what I liked most right away was, as always, the variety of banchan. It wasn't just one or two dishes served in large portions — instead there were several side dishes neatly laid out that went well with rice, and it was fun to try each one.

When I go to a Korean set-meal restaurant, the main dish matters, but I really care about the quality of the banchan too — and overall nothing was overseasoned, everything paired well with the rice, and I was satisfied.

Since the banchan was so good, I naturally kept reaching for more rice too.

The cheonggukjang was so good it tasted like it had been ordered separately! And it turns out you can get refills. Amazing ♡

How the borigulbi is eaten: torn over green tea rice

And now for the star of this meal — borigulbi! Rather than eating it plain, I prefer mixing it into rice soaked in green tea, and here at Tteuranchae Bapsang, that combination with green tea was truly excellent.

Eating the salty yet savory borigulbi meat together with rice, then adding the clean flavor of green tea, made my palate feel noticeably lighter.

Alternating between the banchan and the borigulbi, I ended up finishing a full bowl of rice before I knew it.

My sister and I caught up over a leisurely meal, and the portions were generous enough that we didn't need to add anything else — it was plenty for a full meal.

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch seems like a great fit for anyone who prefers a classic Korean table — lots of banchan, rice, and a main dish — over flashy menus. Especially if you love borigulbi like I do, I'd recommend trying it with green tea rice. The salty flavor of borigulbi and the clean taste of green tea paired better than I expected.

Rice polisher at the entrance, borigulbi gift sets and banchan to take home

On our way out, I noticed a rice polisher — that explained why the rice was so good!

With Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving) coming up, the borigulbi gift sets caught my eye even more.

They also sell delicious-looking banchan for takeaway. Lots of moms were buying some — I was tempted to grab some namul (seasoned vegetable) myself, haha.

It was a satisfying meal spent with my sister, enjoying everything from the banchan to the borigulbi. Next time I'd love to try other a la carte dishes like soy-marinated crab or charcoal-grilled pork alongside the borigulbi.

If you're in Bucheon looking for a neat Korean set meal or a hearty Korean table, this place is worth a visit.