Milyang City Hall Korean restaurant with a 2pm wait: Ilpum Irojeong

It's such a bright, clear autumn day. We decided to take a family trip to Milyang after a long while! Since it's close to Busan, we end up going often, and today the plan was a delicious lunch followed by a fun time with the kids. Today's Milyang lunch pick was loach soup (chueotang, a South Jeolla-style eel soup) at Ilpum Irojeong.

Ilpum Irojeong near Milyang City Hall: still a wait at 2pm

Ilpum Irojeong is a South Jeolla-style loach soup specialist near Milyang City Hall. There are plenty of other restaurants nearby, but even well past lunchtime there was a wait — I was surprised!

Ilpum Irojeong, a Milyang favorite specializing in Namwon-style loach soup, has a spacious, pleasant exterior, so the wait didn't feel uncomfortable at all — we could take our time looking around. While waiting, I browsed the place and could really feel the owner's deep affection and care for Irojeong!

I got a strong sense that the food here is made with real care so people can eat and feel healthy and energized. Once we got seated after waiting, the interior had a traditional feel befitting a restaurant centered on hanjeongsik (Korean set meals), but with a refined, modern touch too.

It's a fairly large space with plenty of tables, plus a private room for groups — it seems like a good spot for family gatherings or work dinners too.

Even at 2pm the place was bustling — Irojeong is clearly a beloved Milyang loach soup spot.

What's on the self-serve side dish bar and pumpkin sikhye dessert

Once seated, I looked over and saw a neatly arranged self-serve side dish corner — great for helping yourself to the basic side dishes as much as you like without feeling self-conscious!

After the meal, there was a dessert corner with pumpkin sikhye (sweet rice punch), sujeonggwa (cinnamon-persimmon punch), coffee, and gangjeong (rice puff snack) — such a nice touch.

This Milyang favorite treats loach soup almost like a tonic, and there were positive sayings posted around the restaurant about how eating it is good medicine — just reading them made me feel healthier!

Now let's get to ordering! Today we ordered loach soup, beef seaweed soup, and boiled pork.

Half-plate boiled pork and thick South Jeolla-style loach soup

The boiled pork we ordered at Ilpum Irojeong came as a half-plate, and the loach soup was South Jeolla-style — thick and heavy on ingredients rather than broth. Once we ordered, they brought out the basic side dishes, and since the mains are so good, the sides were kept to just the ones you naturally reach for!

The boiled pork came out first, piping hot — so good to eat! Since we were also having loach soup, we only ordered the half-plate of pork, but it was a bit of a shame — next time I'll get the full plate.

Eaten with the accompanying radish salad, chili, and garlic, it was really delicious.

Finally, Irojeong's signature loach soup arrived! Being South Jeolla-style, it had a thick, hearty texture, with more ingredients than broth.

Adding various seasonings to the loach soup brought out even more savory depth! With minced chili, minced garlic, and perilla seed powder stirred in, it really felt like proper body-boosting food.

Beef seaweed soup for a child who won't eat loach soup

The next dish was for our little one who doesn't eat loach soup, so we ordered beef seaweed soup instead — seaweed soup is always a hit with kids, and she polished off a whole bowl with rice mixed in!

With warm boiled pork and rich, thick loach soup together, we had a satisfying, filling lunch at Irojeong, a Milyang favorite.

After finishing up with a receipt review, we even got a pretty heart-shaped purple sweet potato rice puff as a gift!

After coming to visit Milyang and eating this healthy loach soup, I feel even more energized! If you're looking for a hearty Korean meal during your Milyang trip, I recommend Ilpum Irojeong for its boiled pork, grilled fish, and loach soup.