Millak-dong BBQ buffet with a 120-minute weekday limit: Muhan Paldo

I went out for some fresh air today and stopped by a famous Uijeongbu spot on the way back: Muhan Paldo Daepae, an all-you-can-eat place said to capture the flavors of Korea's eight provinces! It's an unlimited-refill specialist serving premium thin-sliced (daepae) meat. First visit for me, and premium thin-sliced meat sounds exciting.

Where is Muhan Paldo Daepae Uijeongbu Millak Branch, and when is it open?

Muhan Paldo Daepae Uijeongbu Millak Branch is at 394 Millak-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do, and parking is free. It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00 with last order at 21:00, and closed for one day on September 25 for Chuseok.

The place is on the larger side, so it looks great for group bookings and even private rentals. Since we visited before mealtime started, the restaurant had some breathing room. By the time we finished and left around actual mealtime, it had filled up completely with people — clearly a popular spot.

Price and time limit: 18,900 won per adult, 120 minutes on weekdays

The menu here is simple, just one option, but the content is generous. Premium Paldo Daepae for adults is 18,900 won / Kids' unlimited daepae (ages 8–10) is 10,900 won / ages 4–7 is 8,900 won.

• Alcohol: soju 3,000 won / unlimited soju 5,900 won / beer 3,000 won
• Drinks: cider, cola, zero-sugar drinks 2,000 won
• Pot rice 2,000 won / loaded steamed egg 4,000 won / doenjang jjigae 3,000 won / bibim naengmyeon 4,000 won / mul naengmyeon 4,000 won
• Paldo Daepae time limit: weekdays 120 minutes / weekends 100 minutes

Six kinds of thin-sliced meat to pick from

Even though there's only one menu option, the variety of meat was impressive. Frozen pork belly / flower pork belly daepae / pork belly daepae / jokbal (pig's trotter) daepae / beef brisket daepae / pork neck daepae. With six kinds of thin-sliced pork belly alone, you can pick whatever meat you're craving. It's nice to try a bit of everything first and then load up on your favorites.

What's on the self-serve bar at Muhan Paldo Daepae?

Besides vegetables, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and garlic side dishes, there's a self-serve bar with extras to grill alongside the meat, so you can help yourself according to taste. The self-serve bar was kept impressively clean and well-managed.

There's a nice range of sauces prepared too, so you can dip your meat or mix it into a marinade before grilling. This Uijeongbu spot has everything you need for grilling meat well covered.

You can also enjoy Hangang ramyeon for free. Can't miss out on ramen while eating meat, right? Tastes even better together with meat. On one side, there was also chewy, delicious-looking tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and morning bread ready to go. With extra food beyond just meat, I'd say this place offers solid value for money.

The grilling order: wraps, then pork neck daepae, then beef brisket daepae

There's this old-fashioned tray on the table. You set up your own spread on it self-serve style. And they'll bring out seasoned bean sprouts, thin-sliced meat, potatoes, and mushrooms.

First, they bring out a plate with a bit of everything. And they started us off with wraps.

Second, they grilled up the pork neck daepae. We grilled it nicely and ate it up.

This time they grilled up another plate of beef brisket daepae. Since the meat is thin, it cooks fast. It's a busy time — busy grilling, busy eating, hands moving constantly.

It's also great for family meals — you can feed the kids full and let them play in the playroom while the adults eat at a leisurely pace. It also works fine for group gatherings, an easy place to hang out over unlimited thin-sliced meat with pretty much anyone.

Free Hangang ramen and slushies to finish

Eating only meat can get greasy, so right around then they bring out the Hangang ramyeon. You take the noodles out of the packet, put them in with the soup base, press a switch once, and it cooks itself automatically. No need to go out for ramen elsewhere. There were several types of ramen available, and I picked Shin Ramyeon. Topping the ramen with a piece of meat also tastes great. Everyone seemed to have ramen as a given, and also ordered fried rice afterward. We were too full to fit in fried rice ourselves. A bit of a shame, but I'm satisfied since we got the ramen.

After eating hard at Muhan Paldo Daepae, we wrapped up with slushies. Kids can enjoy them cold and refreshing, and apparently adults can mix them with soju to make a cocktail. Good to know if you're a drinker. This Millak-dong spot's slushy comes in two flavors so you can pick to your taste.

Is Muhan Paldo Daepae Uijeongbu Millak Branch worth a visit?

• A great-value unlimited thin-sliced pork place — the quality of the premium meat and sides doesn't match the modest price
• You can eat as much as you want
• The space is large and comfortable, well suited for gatherings
• Staff were friendly
• There's a sizeable playroom too, so it's good to come with kids
• Plenty of free extras like Hangang ramen, slushies, and tteokbokki