Barley rice restaurant in Suwon with endless vegetable sides: Boriook

Living alone and not being into cooking, I naturally started eating pretty carelessly too — I'm not the only one, right? 😂 Namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes especially don't keep well even if you buy them, so I never end up eating enough of them. This time I went to Boriook Main Branch in Yeongtong, Suwon, and ate my fill of namul!

I originally just went for a barley rice set meal, but the restaurant turned out to be cleaner and bigger than I expected, and the self-serve bar had such a wide variety of namul that I left really satisfied. What I loved most was that the namul, wrap greens, sungnyung, and dessert were all unlimited.

Boriook Main Branch: location, hours and prices in Yeongtong, Suwon

• 📍 Location: 99 Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor
• ⏱️ Hours: Daily 10:00-21:00 (last order 20:30), break time 15:00-16:30
• Signature menu: Barley rice set ₩13,000 / Barley rice mackerel set ₩15,000 / Barley rice gochujang pork set ₩16,000
• 🅿️ Parking: 8 spots available in front of the restaurant (if full, call the store and they'll direct you to more parking!)

What does Boriook Main Branch look like inside? Mother-of-pearl decor and well-spaced tables

Boriook Main Branch is bigger than I expected.

The tables were spaced generously too, so I never felt cramped against the next table over — the whole place felt clean and comfortable. It looked great for a family meal or dining with older relatives. And one wall was decorated in a style resembling mother-of-pearl inlay.

It's a barley rice restaurant, but with decor like that it almost felt like a fancy hanjeongsik (Korean table d'hôte) restaurant. I noticed quite a few older guests dining there, which made sense — this is the kind of place elders would love.

Rather than heavy, spicy dishes, it's the kind of place where you can eat namul and barley rice to your heart's content.

No parking space at lunchtime? Call Boriook Main Branch

Boriook Main Branch has space for about 8 cars right in front of the restaurant.

I went during lunch peak and there were no spots left out front. So I called the store, and they told me about another space where I could park!

They also take waiting reservations through Catch Table! I visited on a weekday so there was no wait, but if you're heading there on a weekend or during evening peak hours, keep this in mind.

You order through table ordering, and instructions for ordering and using the self-serve bar are posted up top! Also, they give you nubiani if you leave a Naver receipt review, so write one and grab some delicious nubiani!

What two people ordered: the mackerel set and the gochujang pork set

That day I ordered the barley rice mackerel set for ₩15,000 and the barley rice gochujang pork set for ₩16,000. Just barley rice alone felt like it wasn't quite enough, so we got the grilled mackerel and stir-fried pork sets to split between the two of us!

What's on Boriook's unlimited self-serve bar? 8+ namul plus fritters and japchae

The part I loved most about Boriook was the unlimited self-serve bar! There were over 8 kinds of namul side dishes prepared, along with a variety of accompanying side dishes and fresh wrap greens.

Not only sungnyung, plum tea, and dessert snacks, but also fried items, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), and braised tofu were on offer — there was more to eat than I expected. Best of all, everything on the self-serve bar was unlimited.

It's not easy to eat a bunch of different namul at home normally, so it was great being able to pick and choose here. (I got greedy and piled on too much — ended up way too full later..)

How does the mixed barley rice taste? Gochujang and sesame oil sit on the table

They bring you a generous helping of barley rice mixed in advance, and gochujang (Korean red chili paste) and sesame oil are already set out on the table!

Piling the namul onto the barley rice, adding gochujang and sesame oil, and mixing it all together was exactly the barley rice meal I'd been picturing! The mixed barley rice was so good, and between the two dishes we ordered, I personally liked the gochujang pork more (I just love meat more). The stir-fried pork had a nice smoky char that went perfectly with the rice.

The seasoning paired so well with the rice that I kept reaching for more — pork over barley rice, pork wrapped in cabbage, over and over.

Grilled mackerel and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew)

The grilled mackerel we also ordered exceeded expectations too. It didn't have that strong fishy taste mackerel can sometimes have — clean and easy to eat.

A bite of barley rice topped with namul, followed by a piece of mackerel, worked really well together.

I also liked that it came out on a hot plate, staying warm to the last bite haha. The set also came with cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste) stew as a default side.

It had that savory, comforting flavor that goes so well with rice, and made a good spoonful to take between bites of mixed namul rice. Barley rice + namul + pork or mackerel + cheonggukjang together made for a pretty hearty meal. I get now why people looking for unlimited barley rice in Suwon love this place.

Boriook Main Branch felt less like a place that's just about barley rice, and more about the fun of freely combining whatever side dishes you love from the self-serve bar. Anyone who's into namul would probably be really satisfied here. It's also a solid choice for someone like me who doesn't get enough vegetable side dishes at home.

Dessert snacks and the terrace at Boriook Main Branch

After finishing the meal, having plum tea and peach tea for dessert along with a puffed rice snack really rounded off a hearty meal! There's also a terrace right beside the restaurant, and I saw some people heading out there for tea after eating haha.

Who is Boriook's barley rice in Yeongtong, Suwon best for?

After eating there, I understood why so many older guests come here — the restaurant is clean and spacious, easy to relax in, and most of all, being able to eat a wide variety of namul without limit made for a really hearty meal. It felt like a genuinely healthy meal after a while.

The mackerel was clean-tasting, not fishy, and the pork had a nice smoky char that paired well with the barley rice. Next time I'd like to try other set menus and work through more of the self-serve namul options. If you're looking for a good barley rice restaurant in Suwon or Yeongtong, love namul side dishes, or want a clean meal with family, this place should suit you well.

I'm already thinking about that barley rice piled with namul and mixed together — I'll probably be back. If you know of any other good barley rice restaurants in Suwon, let me know!