Dongtan kimchi jjigae restaurant with scissor-cut pork: Yangpuni

Wanted something hot and Korean near Dongtan Central Park, so I headed to Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal. Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) alone can polish off a bowl of rice, but here it comes loaded with chunky pork and tofu, so it turned into a proper meal. Finishing it off with ramyeon sari (instant noodle add-in) was the perfect way to end things full.

Where is Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal in Dongtan?

Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal is in Bansong-dong, Dongtan, and it's close to Central Park too. The address is 36-13 Dongtanbansong 3-gil, 1st floor, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. A handy spot to stop by when you're looking for lunch or dinner near Dongtan Central Park.

At the entrance I saw they serve samgyeopsal (pork belly) as well as kimchi jjigae, and signage says all ingredients are domestic. The kimchi especially is domestic, and I heard even the duruchigi (stir-fried pork) recipe has switched to a Gyeongsangdo-style version.

Inside Yangpuni: seating and grill tables

Once you step inside Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal, it's roomier than you'd expect. True to a grilled-meat restaurant, every table has its own grill and hood installed, and it looked plenty comfortable for a group meal. You could come for kimchi jjigae alone, or it works just as well for samgyeopsal and drinks in the evening!

Yangpuni menu and prices, ordered by tablet

Ordering is done through the tablet on each table. Kimchi jjigae is ₩10,000 per person, duruchigi is ₩11,000 per person, samgyeop kimchi jjim is ₩11,000 per person, and there are set menus for two as well.

• Kimchi jjigae: ₩10,000 per person / ₩26,000 set for two
• Duruchigi: ₩11,000 per person / ₩28,000 set for two
• Samgyeop kimchi jjim: ₩11,000 per person / ₩28,000 set for two

There are also good side dishes to order alongside, like egg roll or naengmyeon (cold noodles), so if you come with a group it seems like a fun spot to order a bunch of things.

What's at the self-serve side dish corner?

The basic banchan (side dishes) at Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal are self-serve, so you can grab as much as you need. Seasoned seaweed flakes are ready too, so sprinkling those over rice and mixing it with the kimchi jjigae broth would definitely taste good. The table already had a small plate and utensils neatly set.

Starting with the egg roll

Before the kimchi jjigae arrived, the egg roll came out first! It's the thick-rolled style, so it looked appetizing from the start. With a dish as boldly seasoned as kimchi jjigae, the egg roll pairing really works. Easy to cut into pieces, and it calmed down the spice in between bites too — glad I ordered it alongside.

Yangpuni kimchi jjigae: pork chunks cut with scissors

And then the main event, the kimchi jjigae! True to its name, it comes in a huge yangpuni (metal bowl), and you simmer it bubbling away right at the table.

As it starts boiling, the kimchi jjigae smell rises up, and that's when you really start craving rice. They say they use domestic kimchi along with fresh vegetables and domestic raw pork. The kimchi was well-fermented and the tofu came in big chunks too.

Most of all, the pork wasn't just scattered in bits — it came in genuinely big chunks. The staff lifted them out with tongs and cut them into bite-sized pieces with scissors.

Once cut up, you could see there was quite a lot of meat in the stew, so even meat lovers wouldn't feel shortchanged. Picking up kimchi and pork together — that combo is hard to mess up.

How is the kimchi stew broth with rice?

The broth is what really matters with kimchi jjigae, right? The longer it simmers, the deeper the kimchi and pork flavor sinks into the broth, and it turns into something that goes perfectly with rice. A spoonful of broth, then a bite with kimchi and pork piled on rice. With the tofu added in too, you barely needed any other side dishes.

The kimchi especially wasn't the overly fresh, crisp style — it was well-fermented in a way that suited long simmering perfectly.

Finishing the stew with ramyeon sari

You can't have kimchi jjigae without ramyeon sari (instant noodle add-in). After eating a good amount, we added one in!

They dropped the noodles in among the remaining kimchi and tofu and simmered it well. As the broth soaked into the noodles, it took on a completely different flavor from the first round of kimchi jjigae.

Once the ramyeon was fully cooked, I lifted up a big bundle of noodles for a bite. With the broth now even richer, it paired beautifully with the ramyeon sari. Rice plus ramyeon — truly a filling meal, finished!

Is Yangpuni worth it in Bansong-dong, Dongtan?

Yangpuni Kimchi Jjigae & Samgyeopsal was a handy spot near Dongtan Central Park whenever you're craving kimchi jjigae or Korean food. With domestic kimchi and a yangpuni-style stew packed with chunky pork and tofu, it suited a day when I wanted a hearty meal. Pair it with the egg roll and finish with ramyeon sari — the combo really works!

Beyond kimchi jjigae, there's also duruchigi, samgyeop kimchi jjim, and samgyeopsal, so the menu range covers everything from a Korean lunch to a full dinner. If you're looking for good eats in Bansong-dong, Dongtan or near Dongtan Central Park, this one's worth keeping in mind :)