Pot rice restaurant in Cheomdan, Gwangju: King's Table, Bohyangmi

A neat Korean lunch in Cheomdan, Gwangju: Bohyangmi

Bohyangmi (보향미) in Cheomdan is a pot rice and bossam Korean restaurant in Gwangsan, Gwangju. It's known among locals as a lunch spot, a family dinner spot and a place for company dinners, so I went in with big expectations haha.

Some days you crave a properly laid-out meal instead of something heavy and spicy~~ I've been eating so much greasy, strong food lately that Korean food was calling me~ and I found a really solid place in Cheomdan~~

• Location: 41 Cheomdanjungang-ro 124beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:30–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Parking: 2 hours free at the i-Parking lot across the street

Is Bohyangmi good for family gatherings and pre-wedding family meetings?

The inside of Bohyangmi is spacious and clean, comfortable for two and big enough for group gatherings. There are private rooms too, so I'd recommend it for family events or a light meal before a formal family meeting (sanggyeonrye)! The mood is calm and tidy, so I found myself sitting up straight haha.

Bohyangmi table menu and the gulbi review event

Bohyangmi has a variety of set tables: Mom's Table, Grandma's Table, King's Table, Emperor's Table and more. The names are warm and fun~ I ordered the King's Table for 2~~

If you join the Naver receipt review event, they give you 1 gulbi (dried salted yellow croaker) per person as a free extra!! Guys, gulbi is love~~ Definitely join in and eat it.

Is the food fast at lunchtime?

The King's Table came out faster than I expected after ordering. I thought a pot rice menu would mean a long wait, but it was quick, so lunchtime visits work well~~ Speed is life for office workers!! Looking at the neatly arranged side dishes, my mouth kept watering lol

Basic side dishes and the self-serve bar

Even the basic sides come in quite a variety: seasoned greens, kimchi, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), dongjeon (small pan-fried patties) and salted seafood, all of it. They're all rice thieves, right!!!

The sides are all well seasoned and you can taste the home cooking~~ Something like the stir-fried zucchini had a subtle savory depth and was so good!

There's also a self-serve bar, so you can freely take more of any side you run out of.

What does Bohyangmi's pot rice taste like?

Bohyangmi means pot rice, right?? The rice is sticky and glossy~ One spoonful and I understood why Bohyangmi is famous as a rice place. They said the rice is Baekseme, and it's chewy yet nutty. Rice this good even without side dishes makes me gain weight..

A soup came too, a doenjang (fermented soybean paste) based seasonal soup. Each seat has an induction burner, so you can keep eating it hot to the end.

Bohyangmi's bossam, mackerel and pollock roe

And the bossam!! I'd heard Bohyangmi is famous for bossam too, and the meat wasn't dry at all, but tender and clean-tasting with no gamey smell~ Eaten with the homemade kimchi, it was amazing!

The mackerel is boneless so it's easy to eat, and it was golden and perfectly cooked~~~

And of course the myeongranjeot (salted pollock roe)~~ It's already dressed with sesame oil, and put on white rice it's game over. With wasabi, the saltiness and the sharp kick were so good

Finishing with pot rice nurungji

Finishing with nurungji (scorched rice)~ It has a nicely developed savory flavor with a slightly sweet charm, and with bossam it's really dangerous. One bite and then another. But I think it goes better with the nurungji than with plain rice~

What's in Bohyangmi's dessert corner?

Bohyangmi even has a dessert corner for after your meal! There's coffee, tea and ice cream, with a good variety of ice cream, so families who come with kids will love it. I'm someone with a separate stomach for rice and for dessert, so I didn't miss it haha. The ice cream was good too~

Why I recommend Bohyangmi for lunch in Cheomdan, Gwangju

If you can't decide where to have lunch in Cheomdan, and you want a really satisfying meal instead of something merely okay, I'd recommend Bohyangmi~ Ate well again today, heading out~