Cheonggukjang bibimbap and nurungji for two in Bucheon: Gim Myeongju

I wanted Korean food in Bucheon, so I visited this local favorite, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch 🍚

Parking and waiting area

The parking lot is really spacious, and even on a weekday morning quite a few people were already showing up! There's a parking attendant on hand so you can park easily.

True to a popular Bucheon spot, there are waiting seats spread out both indoors and outdoors — and the indoor area has strong AC, so you can wait comfortably without the heat!

Hours and seating

⏰️ Hours ⏰️ 10:30 am to 9:00 pm! (Closed on holidays — check the Naver notice in advance!)

Once inside, I found the restaurant spans two floors! There are some room-style seats along with larger tables, so it seems perfect for reserving with family or a group for a get-together. The banchan (side dishes) were all so tidy and delicious that I thought — I should bring my parents here sometime!

Menu and order

📘 Menu board

• Tteuranchae Bapsang ₩13,000 (must be ordered per person!)
• Borigulbi Set ₩31,000
• Soy Crab Set ₩31,000
• Cockle Salad ₩16,000
• Grilled Mackerel ₩16,000

There were two of us, so we ordered two Tteuranchae Bapsang and grilled mackerel! 🐟

Self-bar for banchan

There's a self-bar where you can keep refilling banchan, and I checked it out before the food arrived — there's even free rice for mixing, which felt like really great value!

Pot rice and cheonggukjang table spread

Ta-da~ the food arrived! The rice comes as pot rice by default, along with cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew). The banchan included dried radish greens, pickled peppers, fried eggplant, japchae (glass noodles), spinach, braised potatoes, and so many more — a whole table full!

The banchan varieties are so diverse and go so well with rice that you could probably polish off several bowls in no time!

The pot rice even had black beans mixed in, and the rice itself was really chewy and delicious!

Personally, the thing I enjoyed most was the cheonggukjang. It had a savory, nutty flavor that paired perfectly with rice — a bite of grilled mackerel followed by a spoonful of cheonggukjang, and the rice just kept disappearing. What I especially loved was that you don't just eat the cheonggukjang plain — you can mix it into rice with banchan and stir it all together! Eating it that way was a whole different treat! And yes, the cheonggukjang is re. fill. a. ble!!!!

It's really not easy to make every single banchan taste this good, but they truly kept coming without end haha

The extra grilled mackerel

The grilled mackerel was crispy on the outside and tender inside, with really generous flesh — loved it!

Delicious piled on top of the pot rice, and just as delicious wrapped in lettuce! 🍯

The fried eggplant I refilled 3 times

The fried eggplant was especially delicious!! I don't usually eat eggplant much, but fried crispy like this, with that seasoning sauce as the finishing touch, I refilled it 3 times....hahahaha

Mixing the leftover greens with cheonggukjang

Looking at the leftover banchan, I couldn't help but think — this absolutely has to be mixed!.....! So I put gochujang (red chili paste) and sesame oil into a bowl, added the leftover greens and cheonggukjang, and mixed it all up!!! Oh my gosh... you really have to try this... no matter how full you are, you have to eat the mixed version too....

After finishing everything, I noticed there was yeolmu (young radish) water kimchi that wasn't part of the regular banchan lineup, and once I grabbed some — why is this so good too..... Go get some of this too, hahaha

Finally, even when full, you've got to have nurungji (scorched rice tea), right? Maybe because the rice itself was so good, the nurungji was incredibly nutty and delicious!!! Tasting it, I instantly understood why so many people have kept coming to this Bucheon favorite for so long!

Dessert coffee and banchan/gift sets for sale

On the way out there was dessert coffee, and while having it I found out why the rice here tastes so good — it's freshly milled hwangmi rice, milled daily.....! No wonder.... 👍 👍 👍

On the way out, I noticed you can also buy banchan and cheonggukjang separately!

They also sell borigulbi gift sets, which would be perfect as a holiday gift for your parents!

Wrap-up

If you're looking for home-style Korean food in Bucheon, this place is worth a visit! It's especially satisfying for anyone who loves cheonggukjang like me. Next time I come back, I think I'll go straight for the cheonggukjang again, along with the grilled mackerel. 😋