Cheonan Korean restaurant for late-night budae-jjigae: Cheongwon

Cheongwon Restaurant in Cheonan really is a great budae-jjigae spot.

I kept seeing Cheongwon Restaurant: Cooking Budae-jjigae, Cheonan Dujeong Main Branch come up while searching for a good budae-jjigae place in Cheonan, so I went to try it. Looking through reviews here and there, it was always highly ranked as a budae-jjigae spot in Dujeong-dong, so I went in with some expectations. To give you the conclusion first: I immediately understood why so many people seek it out.

Location and parking at Cheongwon Restaurant, Dujeong Main Branch

Cheongwon Restaurant, a budae-jjigae spot in Cheonan, is located at 1F, 32-4 Dujeongsangga 4-gil, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. It is closed every Sunday and operates from 11:00 to 21:00. Word is that it gets even busier at lunch.

Cheongwon Restaurant does not have a dedicated parking lot. But I was able to park in a nearby alley or in front of the restaurant!

A busy restaurant even late at night

At Cheongwon Restaurant, a Korean restaurant in Dujeong-dong, the table was set up right away as soon as we sat down. The staff were incredibly quick with their hands, and so, so kind.

My husband and I visited after work, after 8 p.m., and it was too busy for me to take photos of the inside. There were still lots of people even that late. It is not called a great budae-jjigae spot in Cheonan’s Dujeong-dong for nothing.

Cheongwon Restaurant has a self-service bar inside. You can help yourself to kimchi and bean sprouts, and refill your rice and ramen noodles there too. I grabbed more bean sprouts first. Seeing that there was a separate room, it looked like group work dinners would be possible too. Among Korean restaurants in Dujeong-dong, it has a layout that works well for groups. Even though we went late, the turnover seemed quick, so it was nice that we could sit down right away without waiting long.

Budae-jjigae loaded with ham

Once you order at Cheongwon Restaurant, the staff bring it over right away. As written inside the restaurant, a staff member opens the lid, so you should wait until they do. I waited for it to boil a little, then a staff member opened it for me.

As you would expect from a Dujeong-dong favorite, doesn’t the budae-jjigae (army stew) look delicious from the start, loaded with ham? They do not hold back on the ham, so there is no need to add extra ham. I was a little sad that there were no rice cakes, though.?

The moment my husband took a spoonful of the broth, he ordered soju. There was so much ham that I do not think you really need to add extras. Sadly, there were no rice cakes. You could add glass noodles, but we were going to have ramen noodles, so we did not add them.

All the side dishes were neatly prepared and tasty, so we kept getting refills. I do not know why fish cake is always so good at budae-jjigae restaurants. We refilled the fish cake twice alone. Just so you know, the fish cake is not at the self-service bar. Ask the staff for more.

The staff at Cheongwon Restaurant set everything up for us, so all we had to do was eat. My husband started his meal with soju.

True to its reputation as a great budae-jjigae spot in Cheonan, it was packed with ingredients. There was never a moment when the ham felt lacking. Being able to eat until you are full is another plus.

First of all, knowing that rice and ramen noodles are unlimited makes you feel secure. It was nice not to have to ration my rice. So yes, I had another serving of rice. That is right. I am a pig.

Oh, and at Cheongwon Restaurant, a Korean restaurant in Cheonan’s Dujeong-dong, you also get a rolled omelet for participating in a Naver review. The rolled omelet was wonderfully plump and tasty too. It goes so well with budae-jjigae.

We did not want the ramen noodles to overpower the broth, so we dropped them in after eating some of the budae-jjigae. Honestly, aren’t ramen noodles essential in budae-jjigae? I am honestly a little disappointed by budae-jjigae restaurants that charge for ramen noodles.

Why I want to return

If you have not yet settled on your go-to budae-jjigae place in Cheonan, I recommend Cheongwon Restaurant. My husband and I are 100% willing to return. The broth, side dishes, and service all came together perfectly, and next time I thought it would be nice to bring other friends for a group dinner in the private room. If you are looking for a great budae-jjigae spot in Cheonan or considering a Korean restaurant in Dujeong-dong, I recommend giving it a visit.