Homemade banchan and gochujang jumulleok near Pyeongtaek Station

I visited Pyeongtaek for the first time in a while, and I found a favorite gochujang jumulleok place near Pyeongtaek Station. Here's the review.

How far is it from Pyeongtaek Station?

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok is located near Pyeongtaek Station, about an 8-minute walk or a 3-minute drive away. I was passing through on a train trip so I walked there, and it was a nice way to feel autumn under warm sunlight.

Atmosphere

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok Pyeongtaek Station Branch is a designated Baengnyeon Gagae (a government-recognized century-old store) with 50 years of history. Maybe that's why it had an exterior showing its age. We all know that kind of vibe means a real hidden gem, right?

The interior still kept the frame of the old house it was built in. It was divided into what looked like three former rooms. I was seated in the 'Maesil' (plum) room, which you enter with your shoes on.

I came in early for lunch, and unlike the weathered sign outside, the tables inside were clean and spacious. There were tables for 4, 6, and 8 people, and baby chairs too, so it looked great for family meals as well as group gatherings or company dinners.

It turns out this is a genuine local favorite that has appeared on several TV shows!

Fitting for a Baengnyeon Gagae, the walls were lined with various awards, and after tasting the gochujang jumulleok, I immediately understood why.

They also run a lunch special (the Pyeongtaek Jumul Honbap Set) — pork jumulleok, hangover soup, rice, and 4 side dishes — for just ₩10,000, which made it look like a great lunch spot too.

The food

Gochujang jumulleok

I ordered the gochujang jumulleok labeled 'MZ Popular' (that's what it said on the kiosk, haha). Once I tasted it, I immediately understood why it's so popular.

What about the side dishes?

Once you order, the banchan (side dishes) come out, and these side dishes are genuinely delicious. The spicy-sweet and sweet-salty flavors stood out, and I thought, ah, this is really homemade. So I asked the owner, and she said her mother makes them every day. That's probably why I felt like I could just eat rice with these side dishes alone and be happy — truly home-cooked-style banchan! Best side dishes I've had at any restaurant I've visited so far! A place where you could eat well on banchan and rice alone!!

This shrimp jang (soy-marinated shrimp) is really delicious, make sure you try it!

The gochujang jumulleok comes out on a griddle, along with a burner, so you cook it right at the table.

Just a heads-up — rice has to be ordered separately!

Once the jumulleok was cooked, I tried wrapping it with the side dishes into a ssam (lettuce wrap), and the spicy-sweet sauce was really striking! I'd planned to save some jumulleok to make fried rice at the end, but instead I ended up polishing off the jumulleok and rice completely. Ah... I should have made the fried rice.... If you order it as fried rice, they give you oil and gim (dried seaweed) for free, so definitely try the fried rice version~~

Overall review

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok Pyeongtaek Station Branch is a Baengnyeon Gagae located an 8-minute walk or 3-minute drive from Pyeongtaek Station. True to its 'century-old store' title, the old sign made an impression, while the tables inside were spacious and clean, making it comfortable to eat. I ordered the gochujang bulgogi, and the side dishes came out first. The handmade banchan — eggplant, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), cucumber muchim, shrimp jang, and more — were all delicious, good enough to eat with just rice. The gochujang bulgogi had an addictive spicy-sweet sauce, perfect for wrapping into ssam with the side dishes.

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok was my favorite jumulleok place I've found near Pyeongtaek Station. If you're looking for a good restaurant near Pyeongtaek Station, Pyeongtaek Jumulleok could be a great choice!

Pyeongtaek Jumulleok Pyeongtaek Station Branch info

• Address: 52 Pyeongtaek 1-ro 9beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 07:00–21:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Last order: 20:00