Paju Heyri restaurant: duck leg confit family meal, Mokushura Table

[Paju Heyri Village restaurant] An honest review of Mokushura Table, where we went on a weekend family outing! The perfect match of duck leg confit and pasta

Where to Take Your Mother-in-Law for a Family Meal in Paju Heyri Village?

On a weekend, we took my mother-in-law on a family outing to Heyri Village in Paju, and had lunch at a Western restaurant called Mokushura Table (모쿠슈라 테이블). The interior is clean and stylish, so it was a perfect place to bring her.

Last weekend the whole family, mother-in-law included, headed out to Heyri Village in Paju for some fresh air, which we hadn't done in a while. Heyri was full of early-summer green, and just walking around felt healing. As the saying goes, even Mount Geumgang is better after a meal, and the most important part of any outing is, of course, good food.

We thought hard about where to go, and ended up at Mokushura Table, a Paju restaurant known for its good atmosphere and great menu. The clean, stylish interior made it a really fitting place to bring my mother-in-law.

What Does the Manjo Salad at Mokushura Table Taste Like?

The Manjo salad at Mokushura Table is seasonal greens topped with grilled flat iron steak and plenty of grilled vegetables like eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms. The steak was grilled so it wasn't tough, so my mother-in-law ate it comfortably, and it made a great appetizer before the meal.

We sat down, ordered with excited hearts, and the first dish on the table was the Manjo salad. Golden-grilled flat iron steak and a generous pile of grilled vegetables on fresh seasonal greens — the look of it alone got our appetites going.

The moment I put a thick slice of flat iron steak in my mouth, the juices burst out so softly that I couldn't help exclaiming. It wasn't tough at all and was grilled just right, so my mother-in-law enjoyed it comfortably and happily. Add the grilled eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms, and their natural sweetness and savory depth blended perfectly with the meat. The crisp freshness of the seasonal greens kept the mouth clean, which made this a great appetizer to whet the appetite before the main meal.

Will Kids Eat the Duck Leg Confit at Mokushura Table?

The duck leg confit at Mokushura Table is a main dish of two duck leg pieces served with raspberry sauce, orange pickle and Shine Muscat grapes. It was the star of the meal: my usually picky son picked it up and gnawed it off the bone.

If I had to pick the star of this meal, it would be the duck leg confit that my son ate with sparkling eyes. Two big pieces of duck leg (2ea) come as the main, surrounded by sweet-tart red raspberry sauce, fresh orange pickle and plump Shine Muscat grapes. It looked like the main dish at a fancy restaurant from the first glance.

From the moment I cut into the duck leg with my knife, it was the textbook example of "gyeotbasokchok" (crispy outside, juicy inside). Slowly and carefully cooked, the tender meat practically slid off the bone. The duck was light and savory with the grease gone, and dipping it in the tangy raspberry sauce was an amazing combination.

With the fresh orange pickle and sweet Shine Muscat, the aftertaste of what could be a heavy meat dish was washed clean. My usually picky son ate with such gusto that just watching him pick the bone up and gnaw it clean made me feel full. It was a treat that everyone from kids to adults could enjoy, no pickiness involved.

Is the Scallop Oil Pasta Too Greasy?

The scallop oil pasta at Mokushura Table is an oil-based pasta with generous, big scallops. The savory oil and garlic aroma soaked well into the noodles, so it wasn't greasy at all. It was a nice clean noodle dish to have between the meat dishes.

While enjoying the meat dishes, we started craving a clean noodle dish, so we ordered the scallop oil pasta too. It had big, plump scallops with no skimping, so it felt abundant just to look at. Oil pasta can easily turn greasy, but at Mokushura Table the savory oil and fragrant garlic soaked into the noodles so well that it wasn't greasy at all.

The well-seared scallops were chewy yet melted softly the moment they hit my mouth, which was a work of art. The more I chewed, the more the scallop's own sweet, briny taste of the sea spread subtly, and it went perfectly with the oil sauce. The noodles were cooked just right with a nice bite, and with one bite of pasta and one bite of plump scallop, the plate was empty in no time. Addictive!

Gorgonzola Pizza: A Sweet-and-Salty Combo Dipped in Honey

The gorgonzola pizza at Mokushura Table has gorgonzola cheese on thin, crispy dough and comes with honey. It was great to share among the whole family, and as a closing dish it even won over my son's elementary-schooler taste buds.

Finally, we hit the peak of the meal with a gorgonzola pizza, great for the whole family to share. On thin, crispy dough, it was full of gorgonzola's funky, rich savoriness. Seeing the freshly baked cheese stretch, we reached for another slice even though we were already full.

When you dunk the pizza in the sweet honey served alongside and take a bite, the salty cheese meets the deep sweetness of the honey, and that "dan-jjan-dan-jjan" (sweet-salty, sweet-salty) charm swirls through your mouth. The dough isn't thick but crispy like pastry, so we could finish every bit down to the crust. It worked as both dessert and meal, and hit the spot for the adults and for my son's elementary-schooler taste buds.

Overall Verdict on Mokushura Table: A Family Meal in Paju Heyri

All four dishes we ordered at Mokushura Table in Paju Heyri with my mother-in-law were a big success. Followed by a stroll around Heyri Village after the meal, it made a perfect weekend outing.

Since we were there with my mother-in-law, I was worried about the food and the atmosphere, but all four dishes we ordered, the Manjo salad, duck leg confit, scallop oil pasta and gorgonzola pizza, were a big success. Each dish had its own character and great quality, so the whole family smiled and chatted happily throughout the meal. After filling our bellies with good food, we finished with a leisurely walk around Heyri Village, which made it a perfect weekend outing.

If you're looking for a family restaurant in Paju with a nice atmosphere and reliably good food, I sincerely recommend giving Mokushura Table a visit!