Gachiul Korean restaurant with a Catch Table wait of 3: Gim Myeongju

I had such a satisfying meal at a different branch of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang not long ago!

While we were eating that time, my husband and I kept saying how much our parents would love this place. And this time too... I went with my husband again haha

To match his weekday off and squeeze in a lunch date, we visited the main branch of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang near Gachiul Station.

Same restaurant brand, but the atmosphere here is different from the Sinjung-dong branch, so it was fun comparing the two.

How long is the weekday lunch wait at Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang?

I figured a weekday lunch would be a bit more relaxed, but no way!! When we arrived, people were already waiting, and there were about 3 parties ahead of us. There was a Catch Table set up at the entrance, so we registered and waited.

I liked that there's a separate waiting area too. This neighborhood happens to have a cluster of good restaurants in Jak-dong, and it's a spot that's more convenient to reach by car than by public transit.

Seeing this many people show up even on a weekday made me think that a good restaurant will draw a crowd no matter what. The ones who came on foot like us were probably nearby office workers haha

A large parking lot with an attendant, easy when you bring your parents

Parking matters a lot for anyone driving in! Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang's main branch has a large lot and even a staff member managing parking on-site, so it's easy to use even during the busy lunch rush.

It's not far from the city center, but the surroundings feel quiet and close to nature, giving it a different charm from the Sinjung-dong branch. The calm, relaxed atmosphere was really nice.

12 side dishes plus cheonggukjang and stone-pot rice

We each ordered a set meal again and added grilled mackerel as the main dish. Seeing the table fill up with side dishes immediately brought back the satisfaction from last time.

A wide variety of 12 side dishes, savory cheonggukjang, and piping hot stone-pot rice!

None of the side dishes were overpowering, so it was easy to sample a bit of everything, and eating a properly set-out Korean meal like this always makes me feel like I've had a healthy meal.

So among Bucheon's good restaurants, this one seems especially suited to anyone looking for a Korean restaurant to eat at with their parents!

The self-bar was kept clean too, which I appreciated!

Grilled mackerel for 16,000 won, the dish nobody cooks at home

There are several main dishes on the Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang menu.

Lots of people around us were ordering the charcoal-grilled ribs and soy crab, but I was craving grilled mackerel, so that's what I ordered!!

• Tteuranchae Bapsang (set for 1) ₩13,000 × 2
• Grilled mackerel ₩16,000

Fish is delicious, but grilling it at home means dealing with the smell and the cleanup, so it's hard to make often. That's exactly why it's such a welcome menu item when eating out! The mackerel was large with plump, tender flesh, and seasoned just right — not overdone.

A piece of mackerel on top of the stone-pot rice with a side dish alongside — you barely need anything else! We ended up finishing every last bite haha

Why I'll bring my parents here next time

Looking around while we ate, there were a lot of customers around my parents' age. Somehow, when a Korean restaurant like this draws a lot of older customers, it feels like the flavor's already been vouched for, doesn't it? Haha

With neat side dishes, cheonggukjang, stone-pot rice, and grilled fish — lots of dishes the older generation would love — plus a spacious parking lot, this feels like the perfect spot for a family meal. If you're after a carefully set Korean meal in a calm atmosphere, or looking for good restaurants near Gachiul or in Jak-dong, I'd recommend the main branch of Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang.

Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Bucheon Main Branch: address and hours

• 800m from Gachiul Station Exit 2 (Line 7)
• Hours 10:30–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• Parking available