Gwangju Korean restaurant for sotbap brunch: Oneuldo Utja Chowol

Whenever we travel with the kids, there is so much to pack right from the start that we almost always leave without eating a proper breakfast~ This time too, we started getting hungry on the way out and, while looking for somewhere to have brunch, stopped by Oneuldo Utja Chowol, a great spot for kimchi jjigae. It is a lovely place to fill up before setting off on a trip, so I wanted to share it for anyone looking for a good restaurant in Chowol-eup 😍

We parked and headed in comfortably

Oneuldo Utja Chowol had plenty of parking right in front of the restaurant, so it was easy to visit by car.

Being able to park and walk straight in for a meal made this a really good location for anyone seeking a Chowol-eup restaurant before starting a trip 👍

A neat dining room—and a wait... 😂

The restaurant had a comfortable atmosphere for eating, and the delicious smell was already filling the room. But then... dun dun dunnn, there was a wait!!!

Maybe because it was the lunch rush, there was a wait... ㅜ It really did feel like a popular Chowol-eup spot 👍

What we ordered for brunch before the trip

• Old-style kimchi jjigae + sotbap (pot-cooked rice) ₩12,000 × 3
• Cheese King rolled omelet ₩12,000 × 1
• Extra sotbap for one ₩2,000

We ordered three servings of kimchi jjigae with sotbap, plus a Cheese King rolled omelet to share with the kids. At ₩12,000 per person with the meal set included, it was easy to order without feeling burdened for brunch on the way to a trip.

How do the side dishes and self bar work?

Rice is unlimited when each person orders one menu item.

They provide basic side dishes such as cucumber, onion, and dried shredded radish.

You can take as much as you need from the self bar, and bowls of rice are self-serve too. Calling all the people who can really eat rice, haha. There was also seaweed soup, so there is no need to worry even if you come with little kids who cannot eat spicy food!

Old-style kimchi jjigae bubbling at the table

Not long after ordering, the kimchi jjigae arrived. Since we could keep it warm and bubbling on the table, it got our appetites going before we even started eating. Seeing the big, generous pieces of kimchi and pork, it would be unfair if this were not delicious, haha. Watching it bubble away really had my mouth watering. I do not think I have ever stared at food this hungrily for my first meal of the day at a Chowol-eup restaurant before, haha.

The tofu was nutty and soft, and so delicious too.

With large pieces of kimchi and pork inside, we could enjoy not only the broth but plenty of solid ingredients too. The kimchi still had a nice bite, and the broth was just perfect with rice~ Is it just me, or does it make you think of soju?! 😂😂

Where is this rice from... I was so happy to have moist, fragrant rice like this for the first time in a while. How can rice alone be this deliciousㅜㅜ

Putting kimchi and pork over the hot sotbap made for a wonderfully filling meal before setting off. Kimchi jjigae really seems to pair best with rice.

Adding ramen noodles is essential. Underline that, five stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The noodles soaked up all that broth, and they were such a treat. Be sure to add the ramen noodles ❤️ 🤍

The Cheese King rolled omelet the kids loved

If you visit with kids, I think it would be nice to order the Cheese King rolled omelet as well. It was a thick omelet, so one plate was more generous than expected, and the cheese inside made it especially popular with the kids. With the omelet on the table alongside kimchi jjigae, the kids could eat comfortably too.

Finishing with nurungji sungnyung ❤️

After scooping out the rice, we poured water into the pot and made sure to have the nurungji sungnyung, toasted-rice tea, at the end of the meal.

After eating the spicy kimchi jjigae with rice, finishing with savory nurungji made it feel like we had truly enjoyed a proper brunch. Since the meal came with sotbap, the whole spread felt quite substantial.

A filling brunch on the way to a trip

When you are hungry from the moment you set off on a travel day, you end up looking for snacks the entire drive, but that day we had a warm meal at Oneuldo Utja Chowol, a Chowol-eup favorite, before leaving. Parking was available, and it was nice that we could take as many side dishes and bowls of rice as we needed from the self bar 👌 Especially since we could have kimchi jjigae and sotbap together for ₩12,000 per person, it was just right for a filling meal! On days when you are out and about with kids, a place where you can have a hearty meal of rice and stew like this is more convenient than somewhere with an overly complicated menu, right? If you are looking for Korean food around Chowol, I think it would be nice to have a satisfying meal at Oneuldo Utja Chowol before moving on to the next part of your trip.