Solo dining for cheonggukjang and soy crab at Gim Myeongju, Bucheon

A standalone three-story hanjeongsik restaurant near Sinjung-dong Station

I was craving a warm home-cooked meal, so I went to Gim Myeongju Tteuranchae Bapsang Sinjung-dong Branch. This place runs an entire three-story standalone building, so it looks grand and sizeable even from a distance. It hasn't been open long, so both the exterior and interior were spotlessly maintained. With a base spread of over a dozen varied side dishes, savory cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew), and a neat single-dish menu on top, it struck me as a perfectly fitting spot for gatherings with parents or friends. If you're looking for a hanjeongsik meeting spot or a well-made Korean restaurant in Bucheon, this place fits the bill.

The restaurant sits at 70 Jungdongno 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, occupying part of the 1st floor plus the 2nd and 3rd floors. It's open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with last order at 8:50 p.m. Group dining, takeout, and reservations are all available, and the restrooms are hygienically separated by gender, which made things very convenient. The ground floor has a spacious dedicated parking lot and a café, with a central staircase leading comfortably up to the floors above. Restaurants near Sinjung-dong Station often lack dedicated parking, so having a proper lot here meant I felt no hesitation driving in from farther away.

What the menu board at the entrance showed

Near the entrance, the full menu lineup was laid out in detail, so it was easy to browse what I might eat before going in. Reservation-only specials included spicy stir-fried duck, roasted duck, and pork belly, and alongside the signature Tteuranchae Bapsang set were various single-dish options like dried corvina, soy crab, and charcoal-grilled pork. What especially stood out was that the rice is made from yellow rice milled fresh every morning. The restaurant is also a member of Blue Cesco, a thorough pest-control certification, which gave me confidence about hygiene — this felt like a trustworthy hanjeongsik place to bring parents to.

Seating comfortable enough to dine solo

Even though I visited alone well past the lunch rush, in that awkward mid-afternoon stretch, plenty of other guests were already dining. The tables had generous spacing, there were open window seats, and further inside the hall were cozy sections naturally divided by partitions as well as private reservation rooms. It was a roomy layout that could comfortably handle everything from a small family meal to a large group gathering. Even dining solo, the staff kindly welcomed me and showed me to a wide, comfortable seat, which I really appreciated.

Tteuranchae Bapsang ₩13,000 + soy crab side dish ₩18,000

Ordering was simple through the tablet installed at each table. The base Tteuranchae Bapsang set costs ₩13,000 per person, and the system lets 1 to 4 diners add one side dish of their choice. The side dish options included dried corvina, soy crab, charcoal-grilled pork, octopus, cockle salad, grilled mackerel, and more. Dining alone, I ordered the base Tteuranchae Bapsang set for one along with my favorite rice thief — the ₩18,000 soy crab side dish.

What's at the self-bar

A staff member kindly explained in detail how to use the self-bar set up right in the middle of the restaurant. The self-bar had not only a dozen or so basic side dishes but also freshly milled yellow rice, savory barley rice, and generous amounts of cool plum tea and omija tea, perfect for cleansing the palate after the meal. Sweet, crispy lotus root candy, crunchy cabbage salad, and cool yeolmu kimchi — none of which come with the initial table setting — were also neatly stocked there, so don't skip checking out the self-bar if you visit.

12 side dishes, cheonggukjang, and yellow rice in a stone pot

After ordering, the food came out quickly. Seeing the Tteuranchae Bapsang and soy crab spread fill the table, I was amazed — it hardly looked like a single-person meal. Adding the lotus root candy and yeolmu kimchi from the self-bar made for a spread rich enough to rival a royal table. Twelve Korean side dishes, cheonggukjang bubbling away in a earthenware pot, freshly made hot stone-pot rice, and an appetizing plate of soy crab — it was a filling sight on its own.

The side dishes included pickled kkwarigochu (shishito-like peppers), slightly bitter godeulppagi (bitter lettuce), well-fermented kimchi, fragrant wild greens, chewy japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), fresh wrapping greens, fluffy braised potatoes, soft braised eggplant, and spicy-tangy doraji (bellflower root) salad, all neatly arranged. Each side dish carried real care and depth of flavor, mild rather than sharp, and comforting like home cooking while still delivering excellent flavor. On top of the yellow rice, freshly milled that morning and cooked in the stone pot, sat a modest scoop of beans; the rice glistened with a shine, was gloriously chewy, and tasted sweet like honey with just one big spoonful.

I'd especially been craving a deep, rich cheonggukjang that day, and true to a Bucheon Korean restaurant, this one exceeded expectations. Well-fermented tangy kimchi, dense and savory cheonggukjang beans, and soft tofu came together generously — it felt like tasting a perfect example of traditional cheonggukjang. It came filled to the brim in the earthenware pot, so even eating alone and ladling it into a side dish, there was no shortage. Mixing the savory cheonggukjang broth into the chewy yellow rice and topping it with pickled perilla leaves or bitter godeulppagi kimchi made for a wonderful meal all on its own. As someone who loves Korean food above all else, I felt genuinely happy the whole meal through, getting to enjoy such a precious, well-made meal all by myself.

Domestic yellow crab soy crab — more than enough for one person

The ₩18,000 soy crab side dish I added came with about four domestic yellow crabs, neatly cleaned and piled generously on the plate. Since it's really meant to be shared among several people, it was more than plenty for one person alone. After cutting the crab into manageable pieces with scissors, I got a mouthful of plump crab meat — the saltiness wasn't overdone, and a gentle sweetness and deep savoriness lingered pleasantly. The soy sauce seasoning wasn't too salty and had no fishy smell at all, which impressed me. The tender crab meat burst juicily with every bite, truly living up to its reputation as a rice thief.

Finishing with sungnyung nurungji from the stone pot

I wrapped up the meal with sungnyung nurungji, made by pouring water into the stone pot beforehand to let the scorched rice steep into a savory broth. Spooning up the warm, soft scorched rice cleaned up my palate after the rich meal and settled my stomach comfortably. Thanks to the spacious, pleasant restaurant, I could enjoy a great meal at ease even alone, without feeling self-conscious, and the staff's warm kindness left me with a good impression right to the end. The place is so clean and well-divided into separate spaces that I found myself thinking I'd definitely bring my parents next time and treat them to the dried corvina and soy crab. If you're looking for a refined hanjeongsik restaurant in Bucheon, I highly recommend stopping by.