Hanok Korean set-meal dinner in Anjung, Pyeongtaek: Suksudaega

I was trying to figure out where to take my mom for her birthday, and ended up booking a weekday evening reservation at Suksudaega, a Korean restaurant (hanjeongsik) I'd heard great things about in Anjung, Pyeongtaek.

My mom rarely says restaurant food is good — she always says it's too sweet or too salty — but that day she said "this is delicious" without me even asking, and I thought, great choice.

From the first dish to the last dessert, everything was clean and not overly seasoned, which made it really nice to eat with my parents.

Where is Suksudaega, and is parking easy on a weekday evening?

Suksudaega is in Anjung, Pyeongtaek, and easy to visit by car. We had a weekday 5:30pm reservation, and when we arrived the lot already had quite a few cars in it.

At first I thought there might be no spots, but once we drove further in there was a much bigger parking area.

When you're looking for a family-gathering spot in Anjung, Pyeongtaek, a lot of families show up in separate cars, so it was nice not to have to worry much about parking.

Suksudaega's hanok courtyard and private rooms: the mood for a birthday dinner

The moment we arrived, my parents' first reaction was, "Wow, this place looks great."

The hanok, with its tiled roof and wood blending together, has a wide courtyard and a garden with pine trees and stones, so even before we sat down to eat, it already felt like we were being treated to something special.

Standing there with a light breeze, the sound of a water wheel, and all that greenery in the garden — it genuinely felt relaxing and lovely.

The interior kept the hanok atmosphere going, and the dining spaces are separated by doors so you can talk without other guests mixing in.

On a day like a birthday or family gathering where you want to talk quietly among yourselves, a too-open restaurant can feel a bit stressful — but here you don't need to worry about that at all.

Looking through reviews, I noticed a lot of people had held sangyeonrye (formal meetings between families before a wedding) here, and after visiting, I completely understood why.

The restrooms are also separated by gender inside, and they were clean.

Once we sat down, they brought out a hand towel for wiping our hands. Not a thin wet wipe but a proper thick towel, which made it feel like we were getting extra service.

And 😀 there was a small bowl at each seat, and I thought, what's this, a water bowl? So I poured water into it and drank from it! Haha, turns out... it's actually the bowl for scooping out rice from the hot-stone pot (sotbap) 🤣 If you want water, there are paper cups on the table for that!

Suksudaega menu and prices, from the 19,000-won lunch special

There's an especially appealing menu option for weekdays.

The lunch special set is ₩19,000 per person, and comes with a starter dish, dongchimi (watery radish kimchi), seasonal salad, vinegared appetizer, shrimp-pine nut salad, royal bulgogi cold salad, royal japchae, a special jeonyuhwa (pan-fried dish), Korean beef tteokgalbi, hot-stone pot rice with side dishes, and doenjang soup.

It's limited to 20 servings a day, available until 2pm, so next time I'd love to try it as a weekday lunch.

The grilled croaker (jogi) set is ₩30,000, while the braised rib set and Beopseongpo dried croaker set we had are each ₩39,000.

On weekends, the braised rib and dried croaker specials are ₩49,000 each and include Korean beef tartare, so the composition is a bit different from weekdays.

For something more special, there are also the Jinyeonsang (₩67,000) and Jinchansang (₩94,000) course menus.

What comes with the 39,000-won braised short rib set at Suksudaega

The braised rib set we ordered is ₩39,000 per person.

Everything from the starter dish and dongchimi to the salad, vinegared appetizer, shrimp-pine nut salad, bulgogi cold salad, royal japchae, jeonyuhwa, Korean beef tteokgalbi, braised ribs, and hot-stone pot rice arrived almost all at once, laid out generously so you can dig into whatever you like first.

Of everything, the shrimp-pine nut salad, royal japchae, and Korean beef tteokgalbi stuck with me the most.

The shrimp-pine nut salad was served in bite-sized portions on a spoon — the nutty, mildly sweet pine nuts, a crispy chip on top, and the plump shrimp all hit at once, and the texture was really great. The sauce wasn't too sweet either, which made it even better. It was so good I asked, and apparently they make the sauce themselves 👍

The royal japchae had a good amount of burdock root in it, and the glass noodles were cooked to a moist, well-done texture. Even without meat, the burdock kept giving it a nice bite so the texture never felt flat.

The Korean beef tteokgalbi is also made in-house, they said — small and cute in size but full of juice. Unlike the usual sweet tteokgalbi seasoning, this one wasn't overly sweet, so it never got tiring to eat.

The main braised rib dish was my favorite thing about the whole meal precisely because it wasn't sweet. Each portion had three rib bones, so there was plenty, and the meat was tender enough to fall right off the bone. Mixing the sauce into the rice made it completely addictive.

I was a little sad there wasn't glass noodles in the braised ribs, but then I tried adding the leftover royal japchae into it... and that combo was great! The noodles soaked up the rib sauce and tasted like a whole different dish.

But the thing I remember most is my mom, who never says restaurant food is good because it's too sweet or salty, saying "this place is delicious" that day.

That one line alone made me feel like I'd nailed the choice for her birthday.

Who is Suksudaega best for?

Suksudaega feels especially suited to gatherings that span multiple generations, like a parent's birthday or a family meal out.

The food itself isn't overly sweet or salty, and you get to try a little of many dishes, so it worked well for everyone from my parents to a kid.

Since you eat in a space separated by doors, I'd also recommend it for anyone looking for a family-gathering spot in Anjung, Pyeongtaek, a sangyeonrye venue, or a place for an important meeting or business dinner.

We went for my mom's birthday, and overall satisfaction was high — not just the food, but the parking, the atmosphere, and the space too.

If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Pyeongtaek to take your parents to, Suksudaega is a great pick. If your family prefers clean, well-balanced Korean food over intense flavors like ours does, I think you'll be pretty satisfied. I'd love to come back for the weekday lunch special next time! :)

Oh, and right now they're also selling wine at low prices, so if you'd like to pair wine with your hanjeongsik, this is a perfect spot for it. They said if you leave a receipt review, they'll give you a wine gift too!

So this Korean restaurant in Pyeongtaek doubles as a solid wine spot too! Wine and hanjeongsik really is a great combo, so give it a try ❤️

Suksudaega hours, last order and booking info

• Address: 131 Gangbyeon-ro, Anjung-eup, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30 - 20:50
• Break time: 15:30 - 17:30
• Last order: 14:00, 19:20