Mangpo, Suwon barley rice buffet: sibling lunch in 2 rounds, Boriook

Today I came for lunch at Boriook Main Branch (보리옥 본점), a popular all-you-can-eat barley rice place in Suwon.

Boriook Main Branch hours, parking and waiting

• Address: 99 Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 10:00–20:30
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Parking and groups: both available

There is a roomy parking lot in front of Boriook Main Branch, so it was easy to park and head in. It is so popular that the waiting gets intense at lunch and dinner peak times, and the lot was full when I visited.

There is a waiting machine at the entrance, which tells you how often people have to wait here.

Atmosphere and seating

Inside, the restaurant feels quiet and calm, with a tidy interior that stands out right away, and standard 4-person tables with plenty of room. It is loved for family meals, family gatherings and get-togethers.

What is on the menu?

Besides the basic barley rice set, the menu offers sets with a main such as spicy stir-fried pork (jeyuk), mackerel or soy-sauce pork. We ordered the barley rice set for 2.

We ordered quickly and easily on the order pad on the table. Each table already had gochujang (red chili paste), sesame oil, water cups and more, and the barley rice came served in a brass bowl as the basic setting.

What is at the all-you-can-eat self-bar?

The unlimited bar has both barley rice and white rice, plus nurungji sungnyung (scorched rice tea), so you can finish with scorched rice as a closing dessert, which I loved.

The variety of Korean side dishes was really good, and I enjoyed the fritters and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) so much.

Fitting for a barley rice buffet in Suwon, more than 10 kinds of namul (seasoned vegetables) and kimchi were neatly laid out, and getting all of this unlimited for around ₩13,000 felt like a real bargain. I was super satisfied!!

Dessert and drinks

For dessert there were puffed grain snacks (ppeongtwigi) and hangwa (traditional sweets), and for drinks, coffee and plum and peach iced tea! You get a full course from one barley rice set. At Boriook Main Branch, the barley rice buffet in Suwon, what's not to be happy about~~

Barley bibimbap with yulmu kimchi and cheonggukjang

My sister and I each carried back a tray of neat side dishes, put namul on the barley rice, added sesame oil and gochujang, and mixed it all up. Mild and nutty, and packed with fiber, it made a great barley bibimbap. Then I laid sour yulmu kimchi (young summer radish kimchi) on top, and wow, so delicious!! That tangy, spicy yulmu kimchi is totally my style~~♡

The cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) that comes along is a free service, and this savory, mild stew is the perfect addition to barley bibimbap!! It isn't salty at all, just rich and deep, and mixed into the bibimbap it was packed with flavor!

Round two with white rice, and why it's good for parents

Before I knew it, I had mixed up a huge, hearty bowl of barley bibimbap and finished it in one go!! Then I fetched white rice for round two and went all out with braised tofu and fritters. I was so full that I skipped dinner that day!! Boriook Main Branch, the barley rice buffet in Suwon, feels like a place your parents would love if you bring them~~♡