Icheon workday lunch: soy crab ssambap set for two at Neul Gogi Jip

This is our Icheon lunch — a hearty spread of crab and pork ssambap (wrap rice) at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip.

When you work at a company, lunchtime rolls around every single day, and while that's welcome, figuring out what to eat can be a real struggle. We're the type who likes to eat properly even for lunch, so this time we decided to go for something more filling and Korean-style than usual.

That's how we ended up at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip. With a name like "Neul Gogi Jip," I first assumed it was just an Icheon grilled meat place, but when I checked the lunch menu, there was a ssambap set featuring both soy crab and stir-fried pork. Since it had all my favorite dishes on one table, I didn't hesitate to order it.

Where is Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch, and is there parking?

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is at 2541 Gyeongchung-daero, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (9-17 Jilli-dong), South Korea, with plenty of parking right in front of the building. Hours are 11:00–21:30 with a break time from 15:30–16:30, and last orders are at 14:30 and 20:30. It's closed only on the day of major holidays, and there's no break time on public holidays.

When you're rushing out on a company lunch break, how easy parking is matters almost as much as the taste. If you spend your limited time circling for a spot, you're exhausted before you even sit down to eat. On that front, Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch was easy to visit by car.

The exterior already looked fairly large, and once inside, it was even more spacious than I expected.

The tables weren't cramped, and each one had its own ventilation system installed. There were also several baby chairs ready, so it looked like a fine place to visit with kids too. It seemed like a solid choice as an Icheon restaurant for a family meal or a group gathering.

Neul Gogi Jip's lunch-only menu: what does the ssambap set cost?

What we ordered at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip was the two-person crab and pork ssambap set for ₩49,800. And once I saw the photo, I couldn't just walk past it, so I added the egg custard too. 🥚

After sitting down, we checked the menu first. Besides the meat dishes, Icheon Neul Gogi Jip had ssambap sets that were perfect for lunch. There were options for 2, 3, and 4 people, making it easy to order according to your group size.

Plenty of people probably visit for the Icheon galbi (grilled beef short ribs), but if you're stopping by during a company lunch break like I was, this kind of ssambap menu can fill you up just as well.

Side dishes and pot rice that come with the set

The basic side dishes at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch included kimchi, namul (seasoned vegetables), perilla leaf salad, and more, and instead of a regular bowl of rice, it came as pot rice. Overall, everything felt clean and neat.

You know how sometimes the main dish is delicious but the side dishes just sit there untouched? Not here — every single side dish at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip paired so well with rice that my chopsticks kept going back naturally.

I especially liked that the rice wasn't just a regular bowl but came as pot rice. Opening the lid to see the warm, glossy rice made me think, once again, that freshly cooked rice really is the best.

Soy crab plus stir-fried pork: one bowl of rice is never enough

The main dishes of the Icheon Neul Gogi Jip ssambap set are stir-fried pork (jeyuk bokkeum) and soy-marinated crab (ganjang gejang). The pork came with an appetizing sauce topped generously with green onion.

Finally, the main dish arrived! The sauce had soaked in nicely, and a piece of pork on top of the rice was a perfect match. Getting to eat pork and so many side dishes together for lunch at an Icheon restaurant felt more satisfying than I expected.

And the dish I especially enjoyed was the crab.

Soy crab can be hard to eat without rice if it's too salty, but for my taste, this one wasn't very salty at all. The shell wasn't overly hard either, so it was easy to eat, and there was even the fun of picking out the meat.

They also gave us disposable gloves for eating the crab. It might seem like a small thing, but getting sauce on your hands while eating crab is always a bit of a hassle, so it was thoughtful of them to prepare for that.

A bite of crab, a spoonful of pot rice, then a bite of pork on top again — the bowl of rice disappeared in no time. If you're craving Icheon galbi, come for the meat, but this ssambap set is also a great way to enjoy lunch there.

The steamed egg that drew a "Wow!" the moment it arrived

The egg custard we added at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip puffed up dramatically over the top of the earthenware pot, topped with a slice of cheese and green onion. The moment it hit the table, I genuinely let out a "whoa~" haha.

You can tell the size just from the photo, right? The soft egg with cheese added made the savory flavor even better. The seasoning was just right for my taste, and while it was great on its own, it was even better eaten with the pot rice.

A bite of crab, a bite of pork, a bite of egg custard — with the side dishes being so good too, the bowl of pot rice was gone before I knew it. If you like egg custard, adding it on is definitely worth it when you visit Icheon Neul Gogi Jip.

Free ice cream and espresso after the meal

One corner of Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch has ice cream and coffee set up for dessert. We came out full, but it turned out that wasn't the end.

I got some ice cream too but forgot to take a photo of it, haha — eating came first, I guess. Pouring espresso over the ice cream instead of just eating it plain made it even better. The sweet, cold ice cream with bitter coffee poured over it was the perfect way to finish the meal.

Getting these little dessert touches too was a nice extra point in favor of this Icheon restaurant.

Worth it for a filling lunch in Icheon?

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon, which we visited during a company lunch break, is a meat specialty restaurant that's great for Icheon galbi, but the lunch ssambap menu turned out to be quite satisfying too, once we actually tried it.

• The soy crab wasn't too salty, and the shell wasn't too hard, so it was easy to eat
• The spicy stir-fried pork and warm pot rice were a great combo
• The basic side dishes were neat and tasty, so between all of it, a whole bowl of rice disappeared fast
• We also enjoyed the eye-catching egg custard and finished with ice cream after the meal

For a company lunch, I felt like we really ate properly. With plenty of parking and a spacious interior, it also seemed like a good Icheon restaurant to visit with family or a larger group.

There are plenty of good restaurants in Icheon out there if you search, but when you're craving a hearty Korean meal, the crab and pork ssambap at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is worth considering. Next time, I'd like to try the Icheon galbi menu too.

We came away well fed from a company lunch at Icheon Neul Gogi Jip — if you like pot rice with crab and pork, it's worth keeping in mind for a meal. 😊 It's the kind of place that comes to mind when you're searching for Icheon restaurants and craving Korean food with meat together, haha.