Jubuk-ri Korean buffet in Yongin: budaejjigae and sweet and sour pork

I finished my short 3-hour morning shift and headed off for lunch with the coworkers. But you know what... happiness really isn't complicated, is it?! After a hard morning's work, not having to cook the meal myself, not having to wash the dishes, just eating a meal someone else made — it's pure bliss for us aunties haha 😂

So today I went out for a proper meal. This is a place I'd heard was good from friends around me quite a few times, so I followed along without doing much research myself, and it turned out better than expected, so I wanted to introduce it. This is Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak (대동한식뷔페&도시락), in Jubuk-ri, Yangji-eup, Yongin.

What is Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak? A new 9,000 won buffet in Jubuk-ri

Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak is a Korean buffet that newly opened in the Jubuk-ri area of Yangji-eup, Yongin. They say they serve hearty, delicious home-style meals made with healthy ingredients, and going there in person, I found the food selection was pretty varied and everything was kept clean overall. Best of all, the parking lot is on the larger side, so it was easy to visit by car.

You pay upfront. If you bring your receipt, you can also get a discount at the café next door.

Weekday lunch wait at Daedong, and the regulars on monthly tabs

We visited on a weekday, just before 1pm, and got seated right away. But according to the coworkers who came with me, when they'd come around 11am before, the place was absolutely packed. It seems like this spot gets swamped during lunch peak hours, so if you want to eat a bit more leisurely, it might be good to avoid that time slot haha.

And right after walking in, I glanced at the tab ledger by the counter, and it already had that 'this must be a local favorite' vibe hahaha. There was a whole row of names lined up haha. Seems like a lot of people from nearby companies open monthly tabs and come here~~ You can really tell when a place is popular with the neighborhood locals~~!!

Is 9,000 won per person good value at Daedong?

There were three of us, and it was ₩9,000 per person. These days even one dish can easily run over ₩10,000, so being able to pick and choose whatever you want at a Korean buffet...!!!! For ₩9,000, the price alone already won me over.

The dining area was clean and the table spacing was decent. And something I personally liked was that the bowls were nice and big! I prefer places like this, where you can pile food generously into large bowls, over places that give you small dishes from the start. It just feels more generous somehow hahaha.

There were two kinds of trays too. There was the classic school-cafeteria-style tray we're all used to, and also round trays, so you can pick whichever you prefer.

Menu of the day: budaejjigae, sweet and sour pork, dumplings and jjajang

The day I visited, the menu was quite varied.

• Budaejjigae (army stew)
• Fried rice
• Eolgari geotjeori (young cabbage salad)
• Fried dumplings
• Sweet and sour pork
• Jjajang (black bean noodle sauce)
• Mung bean sprouts
• Salad
• Braised mackerel with kimchi
• And even janchi-guksu (banquet noodles)!

I figured a Korean buffet would just have a few basic side dishes, but the menu lineup was more varied than I expected, so it was fun picking a bit of this and that. The braised mackerel with kimchi in particular went great with rice, and with dishes like sweet and sour pork, fried dumplings and jjajang, there were also families with kids visiting. We came as a group of adults, but seeing families with children there was a bit of a surprise.

They had budaejjigae out that day, and I had it with rice — dishes like this really do taste best hot and fresh from a buffet spread. 😆 Staff kept checking and refilling anything that was running low, so no station ever felt empty.

The janchi-guksu at Daedong looks plain but keeps you going back

And surprisingly, the janchi-guksu was really good. Honestly, when I first saw it I thought 'it's just janchi-guksu, how special can it be~' hahaha, but it turned out tastier than expected. I was already pretty full, but after having noodles too, I genuinely felt like I was going to burst.

And they also had ramen you cook yourself! There was a gas burner and a metal pot set up, and quite a few people were cooking their own ramen while eating. Eating a full meal and then boiling up ramen on top of it — that's basically a proper mukbang session hahaha.

Dessert at Daedong: too full for anything but sikhye

Dessert was set up too. There was rice cake, and apple jam and strawberry jam to spread on toast. I told myself 'I'll have dessert after the meal~' but... in the end I was too full to eat any of it hahaha 😂 I just had a cup of sikhye (sweet rice punch) and headed out.

I was genuinely so full walking out that I had that 'I might just fall asleep right here I'm so stuffed' feeling hahaha.

How clean are the food stations at Daedong?

When I check out a Korean buffet, what I look at closely isn't just the variety of food but how well the food stations are maintained. Here, the food stations stayed clean, and I could see staff regularly checking and refilling things. The bowls and tongs and such were all kept tidy overall, so there was no discomfort eating.

Most of all, given the price, I really had no complaints about the variety or quantity of food.

Is Daedong Korean Buffet good for families?

We went as coworkers on a weekday lunch, but personally I think this would work well for a family meal too. There actually were families with kids there, and since the menu is Korean-food-centered but also includes things like sweet and sour pork, fried dumplings and jjajang, there were options for kids to eat too.

The parking space is generous too, so it's fine to visit by car. That said, since lunch hours can get crowded, if you want a relaxed meal, it might be worth avoiding peak time a bit.

It's a bit of a distance from my home, which is a downside, but I'd still go back! You know those days after work when you think 'I truly don't want to do anything today'? On days like that, wanting someone else to make you a meal — a Korean buffet like this is the best option. I don't have to agonize over what to order, I just pick what I want and fill my tray, and afterward I don't even have to do dishes... isn't this basically happiness for us aunties hahaha 😂

If you're around Yangji-eup or Jubuk-ri in Yongin looking for a good Cheoin-gu buffet spot, it's worth a visit. No stress deciding what to order, a wide range of side dishes and desserts, that cozy home-cooked taste!!! Really satisfying.

Side note — at other Korean buffets I've been to, there's always been something to complain about, like a burnt taste in the soup or a sign saying you can only use one bowl. Here, everything was to my liking haha. Even a spacious parking lot on top of it~~!!!

📍 Daedong Korean Buffet & Dosirak: hours, price and directions

• Address: Jubuk-ri, Yangji-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si
• Hours: Entry 6:00–14:30 / dining until 15:00
• Reservations: Walk-ins welcome, no reservation needed
• Parking: Large parking lot available
• Wait: I was seated immediately the day I visited

Who Daedong Korean Buffet suits best

• ✔️ Anyone near Yangji-eup, Yongin looking for a filling meal
• ✔️ Anyone looking for a Korean buffet in Cheoin-gu, Yongin
• ✔️ Anyone wanting a relaxed family meal spot
• ✔️ Anyone who wants to sample a wide variety of side dishes
• ✔️ Anyone looking for a restaurant with easy parking
• ✔️ Anyone looking for great-value lunch

Next time I go, I'm definitely going to try the rice cake and toast for dessert hahaha. This time I was way too full, dessert was simply not happening 🤣