Bundang Korean restaurant in Seongnam for yukjeon: Jinnaedjang

I had a dinner plan with my cousin on a weekday evening, so we got together for a meal after a while.

Since my cousin's office is near Jeongja Station, I was looking for somewhere good to meet after work, and that's how I found Jinnaedjang, a well-known spot near Jeongja Station.

I usually love Korean food, and since they serve yukjeon and doenjang jjigae together, I thought it would be perfect for dinner that night, so I decided to check it out.

What kind of restaurant is Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja?

Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja is a Korean restaurant where the owner-chef, with 38 years of experience in Korean cooking, personally prepares every dish. There was a phrase that caught my eye as soon as I walked in.

"The hand-crafted taste of an owner-chef with 38 years of Korean cooking experience"

Jinnaedjang is a place where the owner-chef, who has walked a single path in Korean cuisine for a long time, cooks everything himself.

They put their Korean cooking know-how into every single menu item, and I heard the jeon (pan-fried dishes) in particular are made with batter aged for 24 hours and fresh vegetables cooked to order, which made me even more excited.

There were so many kinds of jeon that I had a hard time deciding, and in the end we ordered yukjeon and shrimp doenjang jjigae that day.

What side dishes come with the meal?

The basic side dishes at Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja were a variety of things that go well with rice, like mukjeolpan jelly, seasoned namul, and stir-fried potatoes. Extra side dishes were available self-serve. The side dishes arrived first while we waited for the main dishes.

From mukjeolpan jelly to seasoned namul and stir-fried potatoes, there were several side dishes that paired well with rice. We both like eating rice with side dishes, so we naturally look forward to the basic side dishes whenever we visit a Korean restaurant like this — and tasting them one by one, everything was clean-tasting and well-seasoned overall.

Picking at the side dishes one by one while waiting for the main dishes, I was already craving a bowl of rice, haha. It was also nice that we could freely grab more of the side dishes we were running low on since refills were self-serve.

How does the yukjeon taste, and how big is the portion?

The yukjeon at Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja came out fried to a nice golden brown, and the portion was generous enough for the two of us to enjoy slowly while chatting. Finally, the yukjeon arrived!

It came out crispy and golden brown, and the portion was more generous than I expected. With yukjeon, the balance between the meat and the egg coating matters, and eating it right away while still warm, I could really taste how soft and savory it was.

The yukjeon was delicious on its own, but I liked it even more paired with the side dishes or the seasoned chives that came with it. Putting a side dish on top of a piece of jeon and eating it with rice — that's exactly the flavor of Korean food.

The portion was generous enough for the two of us to eat slowly while chatting, which made it a good choice for a weekday dinner.

Does the shrimp doenjang jjigae pair well with the yukjeon?

The shrimp doenjang jjigae was the dish I especially enjoyed that day. The broth was rich, with the refreshing taste of seafood added to it, making it perfect to alternate with the yukjeon.

It arrived still bubbling on the table, and the savory doenjang aroma immediately whetted my appetite. The broth was rich, with a refreshing seafood flavor added in, which paired well with the yukjeon.

Eating yukjeon continuously can get a bit heavy because of the savory richness, but taking a spoonful of the doenjang jjigae broth in between made me reach for the yukjeon again, haha.

In the end, we kept repeating the combo: a piece of yukjeon, a spoonful of doenjang jjigae, a spoonful of rice. Eating it together with rice made for a hearty dinner with nothing missing.

Weekday evening mood and seating at Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja

At Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja on a weekday evening, there were dine-in customers as well as a steady stream of takeout and delivery orders. The restaurant was also bigger than I expected, so it seemed like a good spot for gatherings with friends or family meals.

Since it's open from breakfast through lunch and dinner, it seemed like a good place to visit for different purposes depending on the time of day. Especially in the evening, the menu of jeon and jjigae paired well with makgeolli or soju, so it also looked like a good spot for office workers to grab a meal and a drink after work.

We also lost track of time chatting about this and that, catching up with my cousin after a while.

Craving Korean food near Jeongja Station in Bundang?

This time, I happened to find this place while looking for somewhere to have dinner near my cousin's office. After trying it myself, I could see why people specifically seek out the yukjeon and doenjang jjigae combo here.

I especially loved the combination of yukjeon and shrimp doenjang jjigae. Pairing the savory yukjeon with the hearty doenjang jjigae, along with the various side dishes and rice, felt like a proper Korean meal after a long time.

Next time, I'd like to try the other jeon dishes, and I think it would also pair well with makgeolli if I visit in the evening, haha. If you're near Jeongja Station and craving a clean Korean meal, or thinking about yukjeon and doenjang jjigae, this place is worth a visit.

Jinnaedjang Bundang Jeongja at a glance

• Owner-chef with 38 years of Korean cooking experience cooks everything personally
• Yukjeon and shrimp doenjang jjigae combo recommended
• A wide variety of basic side dishes that go well with rice
• Open for lunch, dinner, and drinks alongside the meal
• A good spot to visit near Jeongja Station when craving Korean food

Today's order: yukjeon + shrimp doenjang jjigae. It was a weekday evening spent catching up with my cousin over a delicious Korean meal after a long time. 😊