Cheongju Korean restaurant for stone-pot rice: Oneul Haru

Today, I had an errand at Hana Hospital and stopped by Oneul Haru (오늘하루) for a hearty lunch nearby. Tucked into the alley behind the hospital, this place had been bustling with customers ever since it opened. I kept putting off my visit because I thought lunch would be difficult, but I finally made it! Homemade side dishes, warm gondre stone-pot rice, spicy yet savory gochujang bulgogi, and grilled fish too! It was a generous spread that left me happily full.

Oneul Haru location and parking information

Located in the alley behind Hana Hospital, it is a nice place to eat after an appointment. It is also a 5–7 minute walk from both the Gagyeong-dong intercity bus terminal and express bus terminal, so it is easy to reach by public transportation. You can park in the building's underground lot and receive a 1-hour parking coupon. Parking around Hana Hospital can be a little crowded, but roadside parking is available nearby.

A warm stone-pot rice restaurant tucked into an alley

In this quiet alley, we serve a warm meal of stone-pot rice made with care. Homemade side dishes every day and stone-pot rice cooked fresh to order. It may not be flashy, but we have prepared a meal that stays true to the basics.

There is a separate menu board at the entrance, which is nice for deciding what to order in advance. You can also enjoy Oneul Haru's menu comfortably at home through Baemin delivery and free delivery for Wow members.

Interior atmosphere and seating for small gatherings

Inside, wood tones and white come together for a clean, bright atmosphere. The artwork on the walls adds a warm touch to the space. Passing by the restaurant, I wondered whether it might feel a little cramped inside, but once I entered, the space extended farther to the left than it appeared from the entrance, so it was quite roomy.

Further inside was a room-like area that felt even cozier and seemed suitable for small group gatherings.

Kirin beer was displayed above the counter at the entrance, so I think it would be nice to have a light drink with dinner in the evening.

What side dishes are at the self-service bar?

At the self-service corner to the left of the entrance, you can refill a variety of side dishes.

There were napa cabbage leaves and ssamjang (savory dipping paste) for wraps, crisp green peppers, cabbage salad, steamed cabbage, water kimchi, assorted pickles, kimchi made with young radish and green napa cabbage, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sweet potato and eggplant tempura, grapes, and more. The tteokbokki, eggplant tempura, and sweet potato tempura were especially popular.

Oneul Haru menu and ordering

• LA galbi set meal ₩26,000
• Gondre stone-pot rice set ₩13,000
• Grilled fish stone-pot rice set ₩15,000
• Gochujang bulgogi stone-pot rice set ₩15,000
• Homemade pork cutlet & cheese roll ₩13,000
• Pork cutlet curry ₩13,000 / shrimp tempura curry ₩13,000
• Buckwheat soba shrimp tempura set ₩12,000 / buckwheat soba pork cutlet set ₩12,000

The grilled fish and gochujang bulgogi stone-pot rice sets both come with gondre stone-pot rice as standard.

Grilled fish stone-pot rice set and gochujang bulgogi stone-pot rice set

We ordered the grilled fish stone-pot rice set for ₩15,000 and the gochujang bulgogi stone-pot rice set for ₩15,000. You can order using the kiosk. Before the stone-pot rice arrived, I picked up some side dishes at the self-service corner.

I brought back a little of each item from the self-service corner to taste. Eating tteokbokki and tempura made the wait fly by.

The gochujang bulgogi stone-pot rice set

A neat, home-style individual meal tray arrived. It included gondre stone-pot rice, gochujang bulgogi, miyeokguk (seaweed soup), stone-pot rice sauce, water kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, what looked like seasoned dried filefish, broccoli, roasted seaweed, and napa cabbage leaves. Everything came piled onto such a large tray that the two-person table felt small—it made me feel properly treated.

First, I scooped out the gondre rice and poured in hot water to make sungnyung (scorched-rice tea). Mixed with the sauce, the fluffy rice was nutty and mild, and it sat comfortably in my stomach.

Spicy-sweet gochujang bulgogi

It was spicy with just the right amount of sweetness and well seasoned—a flavor anyone could enjoy. There was no unpleasant smell at all, and it was even better wrapped in cabbage and roasted seaweed.

I think it was seasoned dried filefish, and this side dish was so tasty that I even stole some of my daughter's.

The grilled fish stone-pot rice set and wasabi

The grilled fish stone-pot rice set has the same side dishes as the gochujang bulgogi set above, but grilled fish comes in place of the bulgogi.

The fish arrived appealingly grilled, nutty and without any fishiness, along with lemon and wasabi. Adding wasabi to the fish gave it a pleasantly sharp flavor that made it even more satisfying. My daughter ordered it because she had been craving grilled fish lately, and it must have suited her taste—she cleaned her entire tray.

A refreshing finish and final thoughts

After the grilled fish and bulgogi, we each popped a Polo mint into our mouths to freshen up and headed out.

Today's visit to Oneul Haru in Gagyeong-dong gave us a delicious lunch, with a clean, cozy atmosphere, neatly prepared side dishes, warm stone-pot rice, grilled fish, and gochujang bulgogi. I also liked being able to help ourselves to extra side dishes and food from the self-service corner without any pressure.

Do they say the grass is always greener on the other side? The braised mackerel with radish and pork cutlet cheese roll at the next table both looked unbelievably delicious. I have already bookmarked the other menu items for next time. It is great for solo dining, family meals, or a date. If you are looking for delicious Korean stone-pot rice in Gagyeong-dong, Cheongju, I recommend Oneul Haru.