Bucheon Korean restaurant with barley bibimbap self-bar: Kim Myeongju

We visited Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch, a place well known in Bucheon for Korean set meals, with family. Here's a review of how well this spot delivers a fancy hanjeongsik (Korean full-course meal) atmosphere at a reasonable price.

• A place that mills rice same-day and cooks it to order in a pressure pot.
• Fresh, daily-made side dishes refilled endlessly, buffet-style.
• A convenient parking spot for family outings near Sinjung-dong.

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch: atmosphere and parking

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch has parking space right on the building's first floor, making it easy to drive to. While looking for a Korean restaurant near Sinjung-dong with convenient parking and good food, we picked Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang for our family meal out.

Parking on the 1st floor of the building

There's a parking space on the first floor of the building, and it's fairly spacious, so parking was easy and stress-free bringing my parents along.

• 3-4 minute walk from Exit 3, Sinjungdong Station on Line 7.
• High chairs, WiFi, and reservations available.

What the restaurant looks like inside

The interior was on the spacious side with quite a lot of tables. Even though cheonggukjang is a signature dish here, the air inside was very fresh, which made it feel like a great spot for a family meal out.

The window seats had a nice view outside, and even on a weekday evening, almost every table was full.

We avoided the crowded window seats and sat near the self-bar instead, which turned out to be a convenient spot for going back and forth for side dishes.

What to know before visiting Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang

Tteuranchae Bapsang, the basic table setting at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch, isn't sold on its own — it's ordered per number of seated guests, and you need to add at least one à la carte dish.

They also mill the rice same-day and cook it fresh in a pressure pot after you order, and it genuinely tasted better for it. They also say writing a visitor review gets you a free canned drink.

Menu line-up and how the table is set

- Signature Menu -

What we ordered: Tteuranchae Bapsang for 3 + charcoal-grilled pork

We ordered the Tteuranchae Bapsang for three and added the à la carte charcoal-grilled pork.

The self-bar: barley rice, yellow rice and refillable side dishes

At the self-bar you can grab as many extra side dishes as you like, and the spread was generous enough to feel like a Korean buffet.

There were two rice options too — barley rice and yellow rice — so you could pick whichever you preferred,

and namul (seasoned vegetables), sesame oil, and perilla oil were set up right next to them, making it easy to build your own bibimbap.

How was the Tteuranchae Bapsang set for three?

The Tteuranchae Bapsang comes with pressure-pot rice, cheonggukjang, and a variety of side dishes.

The side dishes overall came out neatly arranged, which suited a family meal out perfectly for a Korean set-meal spread.

In particular, the side dishes themselves were seasoned just right and tasted so good that my chopsticks kept going back for more.

It takes about 10 minutes for the pot rice to come out, but the side dishes arrive together with it, so we didn't really feel like we were waiting.

The rice, cooked from same-day milled yellow rice, was definitely fluffy and nutty, and tasted great.

Charcoal-grilled pork, ordered à la carte

It's domestic pork neck marinated in a special sauce and grilled over real charcoal — the smoky flavor was subtle and the texture was tender, so it was great for the whole family to share.

Placed on top of the rice, it played a solid role as the hearty main among all the neatly arranged side dishes.

Cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) refills

What stood out most on this visit was the cheonggukjang. It wasn't salty, but savory with real depth of flavor, the kind that makes you want to keep eating even when you're full.

The cheonggukjang, filled with well-cooked radish, tofu, and vegetables, was also refillable, so we could have more without any hesitation.

I made bibimbap with barley rice from the self-bar, and it paired really well with the cheonggukjang — the barley was cooked through with nice big grains, and even my parents loved it.

It was exactly the kind of cheonggukjang I like, so I bought a pack separately to take home.

Frequently asked questions about Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang

Q. Is it close to Sinjungdong Station? Yes, it's about 385m from Sinjungdong Station on Line 7.

Q. Is parking easy at the Sinjung-dong branch of Tteuranchae? You can use the building's parking lot, so it was hassle-free even visiting with family.

Q. Can I get more side dishes? Yes, you can grab extra side dishes at the self-bar, so it works like a Korean buffet. The cheonggukjang is refillable too.

Q. Can I buy the cheonggukjang separately? Yes, they sell the cheonggukjang separately, so you can buy it to take home.

Who this Bucheon Korean restaurant suits

• Anyone looking for good Korean food in Sinjung-dong, Bucheon.
• Anyone weighing options for a Korean meal gathering near Sinjungdong Station.
• Anyone wanting a Korean restaurant with easy parking for a family meal out.

Even though it sits in the Sinjung-dong restaurant strip, a place with parking as convenient as Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch isn't that common. If you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a good-value hanjeongsik for a family gathering, Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Sinjung-dong Branch is worth a visit.

Places worth visiting near Sinjungdong Station

Nearby you'll find Lotte Department Store Jungdong Branch and Lotte Cinema.