Cheongju rib restaurant for a couple's weekend lunch: Hongdeung 1997

Craving something spicy for weekend lunch? Hongdeung Sikdang 1997 in Yullyang-dong

If you're looking for a lunch spot in Yulryang-dong and something spicy is calling your name, I'd recommend Hongdeung Sikdang 1997. My husband and I basically eat out every weekend. Weekends are our little "cheers to surviving another week" ritual — okay, honestly it's also because we're too lazy to cook, haha. This week both of us had an especially stressful stretch, so we were craving something spicy and sharp-tasting. Without much thought, we headed to this Yulryang-dong favorite, Hongdeung Sikdang 1997, for spicy braised pork ribs.

Hongdeung Sikdang 1997 Cheongju Main Branch: address and hours

• 📍Address: 7 Satteum-ro, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
• ⏰Hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–24:00 (closed Tuesdays)
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• 🚗Parking: Private lot next to the restaurant / enforcement-free zone on the street in front 11:30–14:00

Where to park: a private lot right next door

Hongdeung Sikdang 1997 was pretty accessible for a lunch outing in Yulryang-dong.

What I loved most was the parking!! Parking is low-key one of the most stressful parts of weekend dining in Yulryang-dong. You come out for a good meal, and then you're circling around looking for a spot and get worn out before you even eat... But Hongdeung Sikdang has its own private parking lot right next to the restaurant. That made things so much easier, haha.

Clean interior and a group room

Honestly, since it's a spicy braised rib place, I kind of imagined an old-school, well-worn atmosphere. But the moment we walked in, I was surprised at how clean and polished it was, haha. The lighting was nice and the whole place felt sophisticated — good for a date with my husband, but also great for bringing parents or having a family meal.

There was also a separate group room. Braised ribs are exactly the kind of dish that's best enjoyed sitting around a table with a group, haha. It seemed like a great fit for family gatherings, friend meetups, or work dinners for anyone searching for a Yulryang-dong restaurant.

Menu: braised ribs, soups and a single-serving rib hot pot

When you think of Hongdeung Sikdang, a well-known Cheongju lunch spot, the braised ribs are obviously the star. I thought that was all they served, but it turns out they also have galbitang (short rib soup) and gukbap (rice soup), so there were more options than I expected.

What I especially liked is that you can order the braised ribs as a single-serving hot pot. You know how it goes when one person wants ribs and the other wants soup, haha. No need to force everyone into the same dish — great for a Cheongju lunch outing.

My husband and I decided to blow off some steam and ordered the spicy braised ribs for two, haha. We're both classic "like spicy food but can't actually handle it" types, so we went with the mild level, haha. From what I tasted, even the mild level had about the spiciness of Shin Ramyun. It wasn't the kind of intense heat that hurts your mouth, more of a sharp, addictive kick that kept pulling us back in — perfect for the two of us.

How spicy are the braised pork ribs? Side dishes to rice balls

Before the ribs even arrived, the basic side dishes already had my heart racing, haha. Mukchbap (a jelly noodle salad) came out first, and having a bite of that cool, refreshing dish before the spicy food hit was really nice.

But the real trouble was the corn cheese and steamed egg... I love corn cheese way too much, haha. Even before the ribs showed up, I was so distracted by the corn cheese I had to hold myself back from asking for a refill. The steamed egg paired perfectly with the spicy ribs too, one spoonful at a time. Side dishes like this are such a blessing for people who can't handle much spice, haha.

And finally, the spicy braised ribs arrived!! Hongdeung Sikdang says they use domestic chilled pork ribs, and the first thing I noticed the moment I took a bite was how tender the meat was.

I pulled at it a bit with my chopsticks and the meat just slid right off the bone, haha. I've had rib dishes before where the meat clings so stubbornly to the bone that I had to gnaw at it with my front teeth, but here there was none of that struggle — it came off so easily. I liked the sauce too. Spicy braised ribs can sometimes be delicious for the first bite or two and then just leave your mouth burning and your stomach hurting by the end, but with Hongdeung Sikdang, my stomach was genuinely comfortable even after finishing the whole thing!!

Also, be sure to try the perilla leaf and radish wrap combo that comes with it, haha. Wrapping a piece of rib meat in a perilla leaf along with the radish wrap gave it a crisp, fragrant flavor — a totally different experience!!

My husband and I went back and forth for a while over fried rice versus rice balls, haha. This time we went with the rice balls. Verdict: also a success. The savory rice balls dipped lightly in the spicy rib sauce went really well together.

Verdict: Hongdeung Sikdang 1997 for a Cheongju weekend lunch

We honestly went in just thinking "we're stressed, let's eat something spicy," but once we actually tasted it, the meat was tender and the sauce wasn't overly aggressive, so we really enjoyed the meal, haha. With the private parking lot and clean interior, this isn't just a place with good ribs — it's the kind of Yulryang-dong restaurant I'd think of again for bringing parents or dining with a group. If you're craving something spicy for lunch in Cheongju or looking for a place to eat in Yulryang-dong, I'd recommend Hongdeung Sikdang 1997 Cheongju Main Branch :)