Korean fish lunch specials in Cheongju: Jeju Badang

Jeju Badang in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju: Visitor Information

• Open 10:30 / close 22:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00
• High chairs and a playroom available; parking available

Jeju Badang (제주바당) is one of those Cheongju restaurants that makes you determined to come back after just one visit.

I had only heard about this place through word of mouth, but moms recommend it so much as a gathering spot! There is plenty of parking around here too, so there is no parking stress, and it really has loads of things that make it perfect for a get-together haha.

And no wonder—the tables are spacious and the whole place feels so comfortable! The seating is a mix that includes sofa-style chairs, so it is really comfy to sit in too.

A Playroom That Makes It Great With Kids

Another reason this place is popular with parents is that it even has a playroom! There are so many books for little ones, plus blocks, a slide, and coloring activities. This will definitely keep the kids occupied, and let you eat a little more comfortably too, right? Haha.

Jeju Fish Dishes and Lunch Specials

The signature dishes here are grilled and braised premium silver hairtail from Jeju. There are also dishes that feel like Jeju has been transported here wholesale, including okdom (tilefish), a specialty caught off the Jeju coast, and horned turban shell hand-harvested by haenyeo (women divers)! Haha. You can enjoy them as sets like this too.

If you visit for lunch like I did, you can choose a great-value lunch special too!!

There was a drinking-food set here too, and it comes with one complimentary bottle of alcohol—such an amazing deal, isn’t it? Hahaha. And another special thing about this place!! There is a separate grilled atka mackerel menu for children, so preschoolers can order their own meal like this!! (The owner’s thoughtfulness is the best!)

There are plenty of other options too, so you can order according to your taste haha.

A 15-Dish Korean Side-Dish Bar

Once we ordered, the basic side dishes were set out. There was already enough food to finish a whole bowl of rice just with the banchan (Korean side dishes)! I do not usually eat miyeokguk (seaweed soup) at home, but why is it always so delicious when I have it out...? Haha. The stir-fried pork was so tender and delicious too ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

But that was not all the side dishes!!! Another reason this restaurant is famous is its Korean side-dish bar with 15 different items!

You can tell just from the photos that everything is so well managed, right? Every side dish was fresh, and you could immediately feel the care that went into them. The japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) was seasoned so perfectly that I wanted to have it over rice, hahaha.

The chicken here is seriously insanely good! It kind of reminded me of Ashley chicken, but the meat was so tender and the batter was wonderfully soft too ㅠㅠㅠ While I was enjoying the chicken, our ordered dishes arrived.

Lunch Special: Mackerel Set With Pot-Cooked Rice

Lunch special mackerel set (pot-cooked rice): ₩17,000

The moment you look at that mackerel, you can tell it is crispy outside and moist inside, right? It was genuinely grilled mackerel, and the aroma was unreal from the moment it arrived ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ The outside was crisp, while the inside was unbelievably juicy. The flesh was so plump too—just putting it on plain rice made it perfect ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

And they serve pot-cooked rice too? Who could resist that glossy, chewy rice with mackerel? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ You just cannot resist this!!!!!

This combination... you know it, you know it, right? Moist mackerel on white pot-cooked rice with a little dab of wasabi! Ahh, that alone is enough to polish off a meal.

Easy-to-Eat Boneless Braised Silver Hairtail

Lunch special boneless braised silver hairtail (pot-cooked rice): ₩23,000

Wow... the braised hairtail was incredible.... It is boneless. Every bone has been removed, so it was so, so, so easy to eat!! It was beautifully glossy too, with a slightly spicy-sweet sauce.

Put it over the pot-cooked rice and it is game over. It is so hard to have this combination at home, right? Pot-cooked rice and fish dishes... But here, I got to enjoy them to my heart’s content.

You know the real star of a braise is the radish, right? It had soaked up all that sauce and was seriously delicious ㅠㅠ haha.

Finishing With Scorched Rice and Rice Crackers

Once you properly finish the scorched rice from the pot, it feels like the end of such a happy meal—but there is still dessert! Hahahahaha. I have an old-fashioned palate, so I really love rice crackers haha. The rice crackers here are not hard; they are super soft, sweet, and nutty!!!! I was ready to give up if they were hard, but after one soft bite, I ate two hahaha.

There is also maesilcha (plum tea) and iced tea for dessert drinks. Rice crackers with plum tea—that is the perfect dessert finish, right? Hahaha.

I felt like I might burst, but I absolutely could not let this combination go, so I properly ate more hahaha. There was genuinely not one thing to miss among the dishes at Jeju Badang. It is not called one of Cheongju’s great restaurants for nothing. There has to be a reason places become famous!!

It had been such a long time since I had a satisfying Korean meal. I visited with my parents, and seeing how much they liked it made me happy too haha. I highly, highly recommend it for bringing your parents, like I did, or for a gathering over a wholesome Korean meal! And of course, families visiting with little kids will be very satisfied too haha.