No-wait weekday pot rice in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju: Sorori Sotbap

A weekday visit to Sorori Sotbap, pot rice in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju

I'd been craving pot rice for a while, so I headed to Sorori Sotbap, a well-known spot near I'Park in Gagyeong-dong. Sorori Sotbap is already a famous Cheongju restaurant, so it feels like a place you can trust going in, haha.

This was my first visit to the Gagyeong branch. Apparently all their branches are directly operated, so they manage everything themselves. I've been to another branch before, and I remember waiting during weekend peak hours, haha. This time, visiting the Gagyeong direct branch on a weekday, I got in with no wait at all!

Parking at Sorori Sotbap: the entrance is down the slope, not up

Parking for Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch is right in front of the store. The spaces were really wide, which I liked.

With spacious parking and easy access, this seems like a great Gagyeong-dong I'Park restaurant to visit with kids. I got confused about the entrance at first — you don't go up the hill, you actually go down. It's not a basement, but it kind of feels like one, haha. The parking lot is at the lower part of the building, and Sorori Sotbap is right in front of it. You pay for parking inside the store before you leave.

Inside Sorori Sotbap and how the table kiosk works

The interior of Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch was clean and had a nice atmosphere for a meal. You order through a kiosk placed at every table.

What is on the self-serve side dish bar?

If you need more side dishes, you can help yourself at the self-serve bar.

Beef rib pot rice at Sorori Sotbap

After thinking over what to order, I went with the beef rib pot rice. I also ordered the fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap.

Besides beef rib pot rice, there were so many other delicious options — the summer-only chicken pot rice, eel pot rice, hairtail pot rice, abalone butter pot rice, and more. I was curious about the chicken pot rice since it's only available in summer, but unfortunately it was sold out. T.T I've had the hairtail and mackerel pot rice, and the crab pot rice before too, and those were delicious as well.

Doesn't it look amazing!! The meat was so tender that, exaggerating a little, I feel like you could eat it even without teeth, haha.

Overall, it was a neat, well-arranged table setting. It came with seaweed, butter, side dishes that go well with pot rice, and seaweed soup. The seaweed soup was packed with clams, and the refreshing flavor was great.

How to eat pot rice: move the rice, then make nurungji

First, transfer the rice and meat from the pot into a separate bowl.

Then pour in the water that comes with it and eat it like scorched rice. I really love scorched rice, so I think that's another reason I end up eating pot rice so often. If you're looking for pot rice in Gagyeong-dong, definitely visit Sorori Sotbap, haha.

Mixing in butter and wrapping it with the dried seaweed that comes on the side made for a great combination too.

They said all pot rice menu items are available for takeout too.

With the sweet beef rib seasoning, adding a salty side dish or some furikake on top makes it even more delicious.

Fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap

Next up, the fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap!

This is buckwheat gimbap made with plump fresh salmon and rolled egg.

At first I wondered — would gimbap made with buckwheat noodles instead of rice actually be good? But once I tried it, I kept eating it for its own charm, different from rice. A slightly plain, subtle flavor? Dipping it in wasabi and soy sauce was the perfect combination.

Doesn't it look delicious just from the photo!? The ingredients were fresh, so it was really tasty. And you know the end pieces of gimbap are the best part, right? Haha.

I don't usually eat pickled ginger, but the fresh salmon buckwheat gimbap at Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch, a Gagyeong-dong restaurant, was actually delicious eaten together with the ginger.

Good for a Cheongju date or a meal with parents

Writing this post is making me want to eat it again..♥️ With a nice atmosphere and delicious food, it's a perfect restaurant for a date in Cheongju.

I remember visiting with my parents before, and they said it was delicious and really enjoyed it, haha. If you're looking for a restaurant near Gagyeong-dong I'Park, be sure to visit Sorori Sotbap Gagyeong Direct Branch~~!