Daejeon kimchi stew restaurant with 5 banchan at dinner: Jeonju House

Today I'm introducing a place that's earned its reputation as a Bongmyeong-dong restaurant worth the trip: 'Jeonju House.' Its signature menu is pork belly grilled on a cast-iron lid and cauldron galbi kimchi stew (Jjigae, a spicy stew). There may be people who've never visited once, but I doubt anyone visits only once — I fell for the deep, rich flavor that makes you want to come back🤤

Cauldron galbi kimchi stew for two at ₩15,000 per person

Cauldron galbi kimchi stew for two (minimum order of 2 people)

The big chunks of aged kimchi give it an incredibly deep flavor. It's ₩15,000 per person, and it's even more appealing because whole rib pieces go in. A place where not just the main dish but even the side dishes come out well — I recommend it as a Bongmyeong-dong restaurant in Daejeon.

Doesn't it look refreshingly spicy just from the photo? Even the thick-cut green onions look appetizing. At first the portion looked small, but the cauldron is actually pretty deep underneath. You'll be stuffed by the end — the portion is truly huge.

Pot rice and nurungji served with the kimchi stew

At Jeonju House, ordering kimchi stew comes with pot rice. This is amazing too~ The moment you open the lid, the savory smell of freshly cooked rice wafts out — the rice alone is fragrant and delicious.

I scooped the rice into a bowl and poured barley water over the leftover scorched rice to make nurungji. The galbi kimchi stew is great as a hearty lunch item! I visited in the evening but wanted something hot, so I chose this dish — though plenty of people order the cast-iron lid pork belly too, so both main dishes are clearly popular. Next time I'll have to try the pork belly grilled on the cast-iron lid as well. Seeing the golden-brown grilled meat, and the fried rice made afterward (at another table), makes me want to come back.

House-fermented aged kimchi and thick rib meat

Once the broth is bubbling, you just fish out the aged kimchi and meat and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Lifting the kimchi, it was huge — homemade, made from scratch during kimjang season..!! The customers at the next table saw our table and admired it too, haha.

They said 'let's get kimchi stew next time too' lol

There are big chunks of meat in it too — thick, tender rib meat. After cutting it into bite-size pieces, I scooped up a ladleful — wow, the broth is amazing! Even with meat in it, it's not greasy, just savory and clean. It goes so well with the pot rice too — I demolished a whole bowl of rice. Should I call it rice-stealing flavor? It's a total rice thief.

The ₩10,000 egg roll is as huge as its name promises

Egg roll

A beautifully golden-yellow egg roll. They drizzled ketchup generously on it — it's seasoned just right, not too salty, so it's delicious plain or dipped in ketchup. A great dish to order with kids, and one adults can enjoy too.

It might be hard to tell from the photo, but it's genuinely huge, just as the name suggests!! It's not just eggs — vegetables are mixed in too, giving it pretty colors and great flavor. It costs ₩10,000.

Why Jeonju House is worth the trip in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon

I recommend 'Jeonju House' as a Bongmyeong-dong restaurant in Daejeon — the staff were all kind too. The generous, delicious main dishes are amazing. I think I'll keep thinking about it whenever I crave kimchi stew. The savory ribs mixed in give it real appeal and umami — a stew made with sour kimchi just can't taste bad..

Just plain water. They first brought two, then suddenly brought two more.. huh? It's individually packaged in small portions and cold, which is nice.

5 banchan with kimchi stew, 10 or more with pork belly

These are Jeonju House's 5 banchan (side dishes). They tasted just like homemade side dishes. They'd probably pair even better with grilled meat, but they're also a perfect match with kimchi stew! Order pork belly and you get to enjoy an even richer spread of 10+ side dishes.

Jeonju House location and parking in Yuseong-gu

Located at the far end of the back gate of Gyeryong Spatel

No separate lot inside the building; parking available within the white lines in the alley

They use the entire building. There were a lot of large earthenware jars placed outside. Maybe that's why it has that 'master chef's hideaway' feel!!

There's a restroom inside, which is convenient to use. Men's and women's restrooms are separate.

It was my first visit, and there were tons of customers on a weekend evening. There were family gatherings, group meetups, and people having company dinners too. Was this a Bongmyeong-dong restaurant only I didn't know about..? Jeonju House feels like a place I'll keep coming back to — it's become my favorite kimchi stew spot😋

What's on the Jeonju House menu?

Here's the menu board! It's hung up large, so it's easy to see at a glance. Besides the cauldron galbi kimchi stew, you can also order it as a hot pot. Other sides include a kimchi stew hot pot, buckwheat noodles (makguksu), and cauldron rice. The buckwheat noodles seem to be popular too — lots of people order it as a dessert after pork belly.

A place where you eat homemade cauldron aged-kimchi stew and thick Korean pork belly grilled on a cast-iron lid

Thanks to the clean, aged kimchi, I could enjoy it with a refreshing kick. It's a lively, cozy local favorite! This time I only had the stew, but next time I definitely want to try the meat too. 200% will visit again — I left truly satisfied. Thanks for the meal!