19,000-won fish sets and self-bar chicken in Cheongju: Jeju Badang

Jeju Badang is a Korean restaurant at 627 Gagyeong-dong, 28 Seohyeonnam-ro, 2nd floor, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk. It's open daily from 10:30 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:30. There's a kids' play room, and you can park in the lots in front of or behind the building.

Let me introduce Jeju Badang, a Cheongju restaurant, Cheongju Korean food spot, and Gagyeong-dong Korean restaurant :D

These days when choosing where to eat out, meat or Western food is nice, but sometimes I really crave Korean food with lots of side dishes and warm rice. This time we went to Jeju Badang, a Korean restaurant in Gagyeong-dong, for a family meal. The menu ranges from Jeju specialty dishes to grilled fish, so it seemed like a solid spot for a family outing.

Where is Jeju Badang, and is there parking?

Jeju Badang is located in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, and there are ground-level parking lots both in front of and behind the restaurant, so it was easy to visit. Inside, the dining hall was spacious with a calm wood-tone interior, giving off an overall comfortable and clean feel. The tables were spaced generously apart, and I spotted both couples out for a meal and families. There's also a kids' play room, so it seemed like a good pick for anyone looking for a Cheongju restaurant to visit with children.

Jeju Badang menu: Jeju specialty dishes and grilled fish

Ordering was simple, so I took my time browsing the menu. Jeju Badang has Jeju specialties like boneless braised hairtail and Jeju black tilefish grilling, along with crowd-pleasing grilled fish like mackerel and atka mackerel that are easy for everyone to enjoy. There were also various set combinations depending on group size, so it looks like a great place for a larger group to eat generously. :D

Fried chicken at the self bar: two plates before the fish arrived

Before diving into the fish, I checked out the self bar first, and I couldn't believe my eyes 🙈 Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) at a self bar, fine, but fried chicken too? Honestly I didn't expect much from self-bar chicken, but the quality was surprisingly good. It wasn't just thick batter — the meat inside was plump, so I kept going back for more haha. In the end, I ate two plates before the fish even showed up;; lol

Order details Grilled mackerel set (per person) ₩19,000 Grilled atka mackerel set (per person) ₩19,000 Kids' half atka mackerel (preschool) ₩6,500

How were the banchan and the pot rice at Jeju Badang?

The banchan (side dishes) came out beautifully arranged one by one, like at a full Korean set-meal restaurant, so it didn't feel like just fish on its own. There was fun in picking through the various dishes, and with pot rice included too, it felt like a proper full spread haha.

I grabbed extra from the self bar haha. The pickled greens were also seriously delicious~!

The japchae had chili peppers mixed in, so it wasn't just sweet — there was a little kick that woke up your appetite. I wondered how the kids would take to it, but surprisingly my niece ate even more than I did. If you're looking for Gagyeong-dong Korean food and care about the side dishes, I think you'd like Jeju Badang.

Atka mackerel vs. mackerel: which grilled fish won?

The rice wasn't just plain steamed rice but pot rice, and it was noticeably tastier. Taking a spoonful of warm rice topped with a piece of fish, I got why people come to Jeju Badang.

Both the mackerel and the atka mackerel came out grilled to a nice golden brown without being burnt or dried out.

The grilled atka mackerel had thick yet very tender flesh. When you nudged it with chopsticks, big chunks came off easily, not dry at all, moist inside! There was also a subtle savory note, so anyone who likes mild fish would enjoy it. The grilled mackerel, on the other hand, was a bit oilier and had a stronger savory flavor than the atka mackerel. The flesh was plump and soft, and piled onto warm pot rice, it was an absolute rice thief haha.

The atka mackerel has a mild, tender charm, and the mackerel has a rich, moist charm, so it was hard to say which one was better. But with so many side dishes, between eating banchan, japchae, and chicken in between, we actually ended up leaving fish on the plate...?! lol This was the first time that's happened to me at a grilled fish place.

I love fish, but I never feel up to grilling it at home. Once you grill it, oil splatters around the kitchen and the smell lingers for a while, making the aftermath more of a chore than the meal itself. ㅠㅠㅠ That's why coming out for Cheongju Korean food, being able to enjoy nicely grilled fish, a wide variety of banchan, and warm pot rice all at once was perfect for a family meal. Especially with kids, having self-bar options besides just the fish meant more choices, which I really liked.

Is Jeju Badang worth it for a family meal?

From grilled fish to pot rice, tidy banchan, and even the unexpected self-bar fried chicken lol, we left surprisingly full and satisfied. I plan to come back the next time I'm craving Cheongju Korean food. This time we focused on grilled fish, but afterward I got curious about the boneless braised hairtail too. Watching someone nearby eat that dish made me think I should try the braised version next time. If you're in the mood for a clean, tidy Gagyeong-dong Korean spread, or looking for a Cheongju restaurant to comfortably eat at with parents or kids, Jeju Badang was a good choice.