Yangju duck bulgogi restaurant for family meals: Opumchae

Duck bulgogi for a family meal in Yangju Goeup

I visited a great duck bulgogi spot for a family meal in Yangju Goeup.

Location, parking, and hours

Opumchae Yangju Goeup Main Branch (오품채 양주 고읍본점) is on the second floor of Gwangjang Plaza, in the center of Yangju Goeup’s commercial area. It is also not far from Nari Park, Nari Farm, or Bulgoksan, so it is a decent place for a meal after an outing nearby.

We drove, and parking was easy because we could use Gwangjang Plaza’s underground parking lot. Parking is quietly one of the important things when eating out with family, right? Especially when you are out with parents or children, being able to park right inside the building was convenient.

A space and amenities suited to family gatherings

When I walked in, the interior was roomier and tidier than I expected. It had the comfortable atmosphere of a Korean restaurant centered on warm wood tones, with tables for two to four people as well as seats for larger groups.

There were plenty of large-table arrangements, making it a good setup for family gatherings or group meals.

And what caught my eye were the convenience items placed throughout the restaurant! There were high chairs, of course, along with a microwave and items you might need when visiting with children.

There was even a coffee machine, so I thought it would be easy to use as a family dining spot for three generations visiting together.

Ordering the Couple Premium set and self-fried rice

Opumchae’s signature dish is, of course, flower duck bulgogi. The menu includes Opumchae flower duck bulgogi for ₩60,000, Premium flower duck bulgogi for ₩65,000, and Signature Genuine flower duck bulgogi for ₩79,000, plus separate couple sets for two. We chose the Couple Premium set for ₩45,000 and self-fried rice for ₩3,000.

Another thing I liked at Opumchae was the self-serve bar! You can take as many fresh wrap vegetables as you need, including lettuce and perilla leaves, along with sides such as onion and Cheongyang chili peppers. Duck can be a rich food, but being able to keep pairing it with fresh vegetables made it easy to enjoy right to the end without getting tired of it.

Flower duck bulgogi loaded with vegetables

The flower duck bulgogi arrived filling a huge platter! Thinly sliced duck came with a truly generous amount of vegetables—chives, perilla leaves, onion, enoki mushrooms, and more—plus rice cakes.

You can see how substantial the vegetable portion is even in the photo, right? :) As it began to cook, the vegetables released their juices, which blended with the duck and made it even tastier.

Once they set the timer, it was perfect to toss it around a little and start eating when it was properly cooked. In the meantime, I picked up wrap vegetables from the self-serve bar, too. Set on the table, they looked almost like a potted plant! I was impressed by the owner’s thoughtful touch, haha.

The first bite was milder and more lightly seasoned than I expected. This was not intensely sweet or salty duck bulgogi; it had a subtle sweet-savory balance, so it was tasty enough even without extra sauce. Best of all, there was hardly any of duck’s characteristic smell, and because it was thin bulgogi-style meat, it did not feel tough at all.

It went so well with the pickled onions. Their sweet-tangy flavor refreshed the rich taste of the duck beautifully. Of all the basic side dishes, the pickled onions were the one we ended up refilling, haha.

If you want a fresher, cleaner finish, bring some Cheongyang chili peppers from the self-serve bar and mix them into the restaurant’s special Cheongchun sauce. This red sauce is made with fruit and has a refreshing flavor; adding the peppers gave it a pleasant sharp kick, making it a surprisingly good match for the duck.

The wrap vegetables were fresh, too, so it was fun to pile on plenty of meat and vegetables for each wrap. I wondered whether the couple set might be too small, but with the vegetables and rice cakes, it was enough for two people. Just be sure to leave a bite or two of bulgogi. Because!

Crisped fried rice made with the leftover duck

Once you have nearly finished the duck bulgogi, fried rice is the only proper finale, haha.

As the name suggests, you make it yourself. They give you plenty of ingredients, including roasted seaweed, chives, and onion, which you simply stir-fry with the remaining duck.

The fried rice was also not strongly seasoned and was mild overall, which suited my taste. The important part here is to wait a little and let it crisp against the grill! The rice grains crisped in the savory duck fat, giving it far more flavor than simply eating it freshly stir-fried.

They also served bullocho jangajji (pickled bullocho vegetable) on the house midway through the meal. It was a vegetable I had never tried before, so I expected a strong aroma, but it was surprisingly subtle. Its texture was soft rather than tough, making it good alongside the duck bulgogi. They said this pickle is sold separately at the restaurant, and if you usually enjoy pickled vegetables, it could be worth trying.

Why I recommend Opumchae

Duck can sometimes have an odor or feel greasy, which can make it divisive. But Opumchae’s flower duck bulgogi was mild with no gamey smell, and its lightly seasoned sweet-savory style felt like a dish everyone, young or old, could enjoy. Another plus is the abundance of vegetables, so you can enjoy the duck along with all those vegetable juices!

• Mild duck bulgogi without a gamey smell
• A place to eat plenty of vegetables and fresh wraps
• Underground parking available
• Large tables and kid-friendly amenities
• A menu that works well for everyone from parents to children

Considering all this, it seems especially well suited to anyone looking for a place for a family gathering among Goeup’s restaurants. If you are looking for a satisfying family meal after visiting Nari Park or Nari Farm, stop by Opumchae, a Yangju duck restaurant :) Personally, I recommend the duck bulgogi + pickled onion combination, followed by that final crisped fried rice! 🦆✨