Jeonju Pungnam-dong lettuce-wrap galbi hot pot: Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi

Traveling around Jeonju with my husband, I was looking up what food the city is famous for and came across mulgalbi (water-based galbi hot pot). I found Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi near Hanok Village, made a reservation, and headed over. It was my first time trying this Pungnam-dong, Jeonju specialty, so I was extra excited. Thanks to the reservation we got in without waiting, even though the place was already packed.

Where is Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi, and what are its hours?

• Address: 28 Dongmun-gil, 1st floor, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–16:30
• Parking: Available in front of the restaurant; use the Hanok Village public parking lot when full

Parking at Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi and the first impression inside

Right in front of the restaurant there was space for about 6 cars. There was also signage telling you to use the Hanok Village public parking lot if it's full. We got lucky and parked right in front of the store.

The exterior felt open and refreshing, thanks to a fountain and an outdoor space.

The interior was clean too, and the big glass windows gave a nice sense of openness looking out onto the street.

Ordering the galbi hot pot set with yukjeon for two

We added two bowls of rice to the galbi hot pot set for two. Being able to have mulgalbi and yukjeon together seemed like a great choice for a first visit.

The side dishes included lettuce, dressed chives, seasoned bean sprouts, cabbage kimchi, and pickled onions. The dressed chives were sharp and refreshing, pairing well with the rich galbi seasoning, and the bean sprouts were crisp and clean-tasting. The sweet-and-sour pickled onions also went nicely with the meat.

Thick-cut yukjeon: the best part of the set

The yukjeon (egg-battered beef pancake) came out first, and it caught my eye for being thicker than I expected. Topped with sesame seeds over a golden egg coating, it looked delicious from the first glance.

It looked like it might be greasy given the visible oil, but it turned out not to be heavy at all once we tried it. Underneath the soft egg coating, the thick pork had a satisfying bite, and the seasoning was spot-on even without any dipping sauce. The savoriness and saltiness blended naturally, and I kept reaching for more.

Why the mulgalbi needs 7 to 8 minutes of simmering

The mulgalbi came piled high with bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms, vegetables, and glass noodles — it looked hearty from the start. As the restaurant instructed, the key is to simmer it well for the first 7-8 minutes!

You move the meat under the noodles to the edge of the pot, then start with the noodles, bean sprouts, and vegetables. Around the time we were moving the meat, the owner came by and kindly explained how to eat it. You can add cheongyang chili peppers if you want more spice, but I found the base flavor spicy enough on its own, so I skipped it haha.

Lettuce wraps: crisp greens with chewy galbi

We tried the bean sprouts and glass noodles together first. The bean sprouts kept their crisp texture, while the noodles soaked up the red seasoning and had a nice chewy bite.

The crisp bean sprouts against the chewy, springy noodles made for an interesting textural contrast. The sweetness from the mushrooms and vegetables also deepened the broth, so the flavor got richer the more we ate.

Galbi that tastes better as the broth reduces

Once the meat was fully cooked, we cut it into bite-sized pieces. We let it sit a bit longer in the now-reduced broth, and the red seasoning soaked deeply into the meat. One bite gave us chewy galbi drenched in a spicy-sweet sauce that instantly made us crave rice. With the flavors of bean sprouts, mushrooms, and meat all mingling together, it felt like a hot pot that deepened the longer it simmered. I could see exactly why people looking for the best mulgalbi in Jeonju would love this place.

Plain rice instead of fried rice with the galbi hot pot

Instead of fried rice, we each ordered a bowl of plain rice. Wrapping rice and galbi in lettuce let the leaf soften the rich seasoning while adding its own freshness. Topping the rice with galbi and dressed chives was also a great combination — the sharp bite of the chives cut through the richness of the sauce nicely.

Hanok Maeul Mulgalbi in one line

The mulgalbi was spicy-sweet and rich, while the yukjeon was savory and light, so it was fun switching back and forth between the two dishes. This was my first time trying the mulgalbi that's famous in Pungnam-dong, Jeonju, and the whole eating process felt distinctive enough to stick with me. If I come back, I think I'd choose the mulgalbi and yukjeon set again. This time we had it with plain rice, but next time I want to save some room for the bean sprout and chive fried rice too.