Paju mandu hot pot restaurant for a weekend lunch date: Bubyeokjeong

I went out for lunch with my girlfriend. I'd heard this place hand-makes its dumplings, so we went to check it out. That's how we ended up at Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu, a spot near the Paju Lotte Outlet.

Where is Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu? Inside Paju Publishing City

It's at 129 Jimok-ro, 1st floor of Building La, inside Paju's Publishing City. Less than ten minutes by car from Lotte Outlet. You can see the building right from the main road.

How long is the weekend lunch wait at Bubyeokjeong?

There was a wait when we went for weekend lunch. You enter your number on a tablet at the entrance. Turnover is fast, so it cleared quickly.

There's a separate tent for waiting outside. If there are more than three parties ahead of you, it's more comfortable to wait here. There were several chairs and cool air conditioning.

The dumplings at Bubyeokjeong are folded by hand

The front of the kitchen is glass. You can watch the dumplings being made right there, lined up on trays.

You can also buy them packaged to take home.

Ordering is simple, done via tablet.

How to eat the mandu hot pot: instructions posted on the table

The steps are printed right on the table. Once the broth boils, you add the vegetables, meat, and dumplings in order. It says to dip them in the spiced soy sauce.

The basic side dishes and utensils are already set. If you need more, scissors, tongs, and aprons are at the self-service corner. Broth refills are there too.

The table setting: three side dishes

Side dishes come out with the meal. There are three kinds. The sign says small plates are provided too.

White kimchi and regular kimchi come out. Once the main dish arrives, you barely touch the side dishes.

Pyeongyang mandu jeongol: ingredients come to the table separately

Bean sprouts, napa cabbage, and mushrooms come on a plate. Meat is on top too. It all comes on one plate.

There are eight dumplings. Knife-cut noodles come with it too — fresh noodles, cut wide and flat.

Once the broth boils, you add everything in order.

The dumplings slowly swell as they soak up the broth.

The dumpling skin is thin. Even simmering in the hot pot, none of them burst.

The filling is packed with tofu and chives. The meat flavor isn't strong, so it stays mild. At this restaurant near the Paju Lotte Outlet, the dumplings are the main event.

Arongsatae suyuk: boiled beef shank sliced thin

The arongsatae (beef shank) is sliced thin, and you can see the grain of the meat clearly.

It melts in your mouth. Dip it in the accompanying sauce and it picks up a salty edge. Topping it with scallion strips works well too. It's a low-fat cut.

Pyeongyang mul-makguksu: light, mild cold noodles

We also ordered the Pyeongyang mul-makguksu (cold buckwheat noodle soup). It comes in a white bowl, with clear broth.

The broth isn't strongly seasoned, but the noodles are chewy enough that you keep going back for more. A boiled egg sits on top, along with a few slices of pyeonyuk (boiled sliced meat).

Finishing with knife-cut noodles, timed by an hourglass

Once you're about halfway through the jeongol, you add the knife-cut noodles.

Every table has an hourglass. You add the noodles, let the sand run out, wait one more minute, and then eat. Timing it this way keeps the noodles from going soft. Even this small detail was thought through.

One-line review of Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu: who should go

If you're looking for a restaurant near Paju Lotte Outlet, I'd recommend Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu. The mandu jeongol has thin skins and mild filling, so it never gets tiring. Add the knife noodles at the end and one pot takes you all the way through. It's a good stop with family on the way back from the outlet.