Cheongju pot rice taste test: beef rib vs hairtail at Sorori Sotbap

When I want a clean, satisfying Korean meal in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, this pot rice place is exactly right — Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch, a go-to spot near Cheongju Ipark 💙 The pot rice menu ranges from meat to seafood depending on what you order, and this time we went with the beef rib pot rice and the hairtail pot rice :)

Where is Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch, and where do you park?

This go-to spot near Cheongju Ipark is located at B105, Seohyeon Plaza, in Gagyeong-dong. It's in the building across from Gagyeong Xi apartments, with a parking lot behind the building — you can see the store right from the lot! Parking is free for 2 hours. *All menu items, including pot rice and buckwheat gimbap, are available for takeout*

What the dining room feels like inside

Walking in, the space is decorated mostly in white and wood tones, giving it a clean but warm feel. Soft lighting mixed with the wood finishes gives it a bit more of an emotional atmosphere than your typical Korean restaurant, haha. The tables are spaced out generously too, so it feels comfortable whether you're eating with family or friends :)

What we ordered at Sorori Sotbap and what it cost

There's a kiosk at every table, so it was easy to take our time browsing the menu and order. As mentioned, we went with the beef rib pot rice (₩16,000) and the hairtail pot rice (₩15,000)!

The self-bar and the baby tableware

There's a self-bar on one side of the restaurant where you can grab whatever side dishes or small plates you need :) There's also extra rice set up for refills 👍 And for guests visiting with kids, there's a baby chair and baby tableware available :)

Here comes our order from this go-to spot near Cheongju Ipark — the beef rib pot rice and hairtail pot rice +_+

How was the beef rib pot rice?

Starting with the beef rib pot rice — this is one of Sorori Sotbap's signature dishes!

It's piping hot pot rice topped generously with beef ribs, and when the lid came off, the combination of meat and rice looked amazing :)

The beef ribs were on the larger side, so it was easy to scoop a spoonful of meat and rice together, and the sweet, savory rib marinade paired so well with the warm rice — so good!! If you love meat, this is a must, and the rib meat itself was never tough — it fell apart soft and tender, so delicious 😍

The scallop seaweed soup and side dishes that come with it

The seaweed soup that comes alongside the pot rice is scallop seaweed soup, packed full of scallops, haha. The broth was really tasty too!

And to eat alongside the pot rice, we also got squid jeotgal (salted seafood), cucumber kimchi, pickled vegetables, plus dried seaweed and butter served separately.

How is the hairtail pot rice different from the beef rib pot rice?

This one is the hairtail pot rice! Sorori Sotbap's hairtail pot rice uses silver hairtail aged in a special tsuyu sauce, made to taste even cleaner and milder :)

If the beef rib pot rice is centered on that sweet, savory meat flavor, the hairtail pot rice felt clean with a subtle, deep umami :)

Eating the hairtail flesh with the rice paired better than expected — it's a totally different charm from the meat pot rice, mild and slightly salty with that flaky texture of hairtail 💛

How to eat pot rice with butter and dried seaweed

Mixing in the butter like this brings out an even richer, savory flavor, and wrapping the pot rice in dried seaweed with some squid jeotgal on top is amazing 😍 After finishing the pot rice, you can even enjoy the leftover rice like a scorched-rice snack, but we were so full we couldn't manage the scorched rice ㅠㅠ Next time we're definitely trying the buckwheat gimbap menu, hehe

Which pot rice should you order? Final verdict

Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch, a go-to spot near Cheongju Ipark, has a varied menu lineup and an overall clean atmosphere that's great for a meal, so if you're looking for pot rice or Korean food in Gagyeong-dong, this is a really good place to visit 🖤