Changwon restaurant for gukbap with a baby: Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap

Where is this Buk-myeon restaurant in Changwon, and is parking available?

I visited Myeongin Dwaeji Gukbap (명인돼지국밥) in Buk-myeon, Changwon, with my 18-month-old. Its address is 897 Cheonju-ro, Buk-myeon, Uichang-gu, Changwon, and parking is available. The original post lists its hours as 9:10 AM to 8:50 PM daily.

I heard that it has been operating at this location for more than 10 years. The dining area was fairly spacious, and although it is an older place, it was kept clean.

The self-service bar and open kitchen also looked clean.

What gukbap varieties are available, and how much is a large portion?

Every bowl of gukbap (rice in soup) cost ₩10,000, regardless of variety. The choices were dwaeji gukbap (pork soup with rice), lean pork gukbap, sundae gukbap, all-sundae gukbap, offal gukbap, and mixed gukbap; any of them could be ordered as a large portion for an additional ₩1,000.

They also serve suyuk baekban (boiled pork with a set meal), sundae and suyuk, as well as tasting-size dishes. We ordered lean pork gukbap, a large mixed gukbap, and dumplings.

What comes with the meal, and what is at the self-service bar?

The side dishes arrived neatly arranged on a tray. I noticed that they served house-made gangdoenjang (thick fermented soybean paste stew) with lettuce, and the kimchi suited my taste especially well.

I wrapped the gukbap meat in lettuce with ssamjang and gangdoenjang. It was my first time receiving gangdoenjang and lettuce together at a gukbap restaurant, and the meat worked nicely as a wrap.

You can bring back extra side dishes from the self-service bar. The somyeon (thin wheat noodles) was portioned into individual bundles, and there were also pickled chili peppers that did not come with the standard side dishes.

What was it like eating here with a baby?

At the time of our visit, they provided separate baby broth free of charge when requested. There were also two booster-style high chairs. Our baby was 18 months old and ate a bowl of the unseasoned broth with lean meat.

How were the portions and flavors of the lean pork and mixed gukbap?

I ordered the lean pork gukbap so I could give some of the meat to my baby. It contained plenty of lean meat, making it easy to share.

You can add somyeon to the gukbap, too. I added four bundles of noodles from the self-service bar and mixed in a bowl of rice as well.

What I remember most was pairing the gukbap meat with kimchi. The broth was clean-tasting, and the garlicky, spicy kimchi went very well with it.

My husband topped his large mixed gukbap with chive kimchi and salted shrimp. He said there was so much meat that there was barely room to add rice. The mixed gukbap contains meat, offal, and sundae (Korean blood sausage), so you can eat several ingredients in one bowl.

How were the dumplings and iced coffee after the meal?

The dumplings were ordinary steamed dumplings, with eight pieces served. Since I liked the kimchi, I ate it with the dumplings too.

There was also iced coffee at the entrance that reminded me of Deowisanyang. It was nice to drink cold after the meal on a hot day.

From how many servings can gukbap be ordered for takeout?

I was told that gukbap can be ordered for takeout from two servings. I also heard that takeout orders come with more meat and broth.