Tongbok Market grill with thick glass noodles: Pyeongtaek Jumulleok

After grocery shopping with my husband at Tongbok Market near Pyeongtaek Station, we were trying to decide on dinner when we remembered Pyeongtaek Jumulleok, a place that's been around since 1973, was nearby. We were on the hunt for a good Pyeongtaek Station restaurant, and honestly I was craving something spicy with rice, so I was even more excited.

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok hours, closing day and parking

• Address: 52 Pyeongtaek 1-ro 9beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: 07:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00, last order 20:00)
• Closed: every Sunday
• Parking: use Tongbok Market public parking lot, then walk over

Walking over from Tongbok Market: what the old-school dining room is like

We parked at the Tongbok Market public parking lot and walked over to the restaurant. It's tucked inside an alley, so parking nearby and walking in seemed like the way to go. The exterior clearly showed its age, and a sign noting that all the meat is domestically sourced made me even more curious about the taste.

Following the hallway, there were rooms split off on either side, and you could walk right in without taking off your shoes. The interior had a cozy, grandma's-house-in-the-countryside feel, and the tables were spacious enough to settle in comfortably.

What comes with the MZ-popular gochujang jumulleok for two

We ordered the [MZ-popular] gochujang jumulleok for two, two bowls of black rice, doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), and 500ml sikhye (sweet rice punch). An old-school restaurant with a menu item literally called 'MZ-popular' — haha, kind of a fun twist. If you're looking for Pyeongtaek gochujang jumulleok, this is a menu worth checking out.

The banchan side dishes at Pyeongtaek Jumulleok

The banchan (side dishes) included spicy radish salad, pickled onions, soy-marinated shrimp, white kimchi, and seasoned bean sprouts. The radish salad and bean sprouts even came with free refills! The radish was crisp and refreshing, and the bean sprouts were mild and savory — a nice pairing with the rich jumulleok.

How to grill the jumulleok and when to add the thick glass noodles

The jumulleok came out with a burner, and even before cooking, the meat and vegetables were coated thickly in bright red sauce — instantly mouthwatering.

They stir-fried the scallions, cabbage, and onion together, and once the meat was nearly cooked, they cut the larger pieces into bite-sized chunks and stirred everything evenly.

At the end, they added thick glass noodles, similar to Chinese-style dangmyeon, that the owner gave us. Adding the noodles last meant they came out perfectly chewy, having soaked up the sauce really well.

How spicy is the gochujang marinade?

The meat had a good balance of lean and fatty parts, giving both tenderness and chewiness. But what I loved most was the sauce — it wasn't too sweet, salty, or spicy in any one direction. The balance of sweet umami and gentle heat was just right, and I kept reaching for one more bite.

The natural sweetness from the onion and cabbage added even more depth, and the thick glass noodles, chewy and bouncy with the sauce clinging to them, were just as much of a highlight as the meat.

Wrapping the pork with black rice

We piled black rice, jumulleok, and radish salad onto lettuce leaves and wrapped them up big. The warm rice mellowed out the rich sauce, and the chewy meat combined with the crunchy vegetables made each bite feel that much more satisfying. Coming to Tongbok Market looking for a good restaurant and finding a spread this cozy really felt like a proper home-cooked meal.

Doenjang stew made with homemade-tasting soybean paste

The doenjang stew smelled like something simmered at home from the very first whiff. My husband took one bite and said, "This tastes like my mom's doenjang jjigae" — haha.

I tried it too, and the deep, savory taste of homemade doenjang paired with the subtle sweetness from the vegetables really went well with the black rice.

Free self-serve fried rice with sesame oil and seaweed flakes

Checking the tablet order screen, we noticed the sesame oil and seaweed flakes for fried rice were free! So we went straight into making fried rice with the leftover rice and meat.

After chopping up the meat and vegetables and frying the rice, adding sesame oil and seaweed flakes brought out a stronger umami from the concentrated sauce along with a nutty aroma.

It was so good we scraped up every last crispy bit of rice stuck to the pan — haha.

Finishing with 500ml of sikhye

At the end, we ordered a 500ml sikhye. Shaking the carton and pouring it into a cup, the sweet, cool flavor and malty aroma cleaned up the palate nicely.

After eating so heartily from the jumulleok all the way to the fried rice, the sikhye paired even better — enough that I found myself thinking this was a place that even nails the drinks.

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok Pyeongtaek Station Branch in one line

At a solid restaurant near Pyeongtaek Station, we ended up having a proper full meal — jumulleok, doenjang stew, fried rice, and sikhye all in one sitting. The warm, old-school atmosphere and home-cooked-style spread stuck with me, and I'd love to stop by again next time we're shopping at Tongbok Market. If you enjoy that old-school charm and cozy home-style food, the gochujang jumulleok at Pyeongtaek Jumulleok is worth trying.