Cheongju lunch spot: gochujang pork for 2 with kimchi noodles

I heard about a spot in Sajik-dong, Cheongju that only opens for 4 hours a day, from 11am to 3pm, grilling gochujang (red chili paste) pork over charcoal — I was so curious I had to go! It hadn't been open long but was already packed with customers~!

Here's my review of Ttukbangjip (뚝방집), a Korean restaurant in Sajik-dong, Cheongju known for its charcoal gochujang pork🌟

Ttukbangjip hours, parking, location

• 🔆Hours: Tue–Sun 11:00–15:00 / last order 14:00 / closed every Monday
• 🔆Parking: Available in front of the restaurant
• 🔆Location: 1st floor, 435 Musimseo-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

Interior vibe and the Saturday wait

The inside of Ttukbangjip was clean and comfortable overall~ The big window wall gave it an open feel, tables had plenty of space between them, and there were enough tables for larger groups too~!

I visited on a Saturday, and there was already a wait after we came in,,! The place itself is pleasant but has that old-school neighborhood-favorite vibe, so the atmosphere was great too — and to think it's a waiting-list restaurant even though it only operates 4 hours at lunch, I felt like I'd really found a gem👍

One menu item: gochujang pork, and what we ordered

True to a charcoal gochujang pork specialist, the signature dish is just one thing — gochujang pork! You could add extra meat separately, and for the meal side there was kimchi-rolled noodles and rice~ Order the meat and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) comes free with it — I'd read in other reviews that this cheonggukjang is the real kicker, so I was excited🤤,,

Also, at Ttukbangjip, writing a Naver review gets you a whole bottle of local Cheongju makgeolli (rice wine)!! Everyone, write a review and grab your makgeolli ෆ

• Charcoal gochujang pork, 2 servings (₩28,000)
• Kimchi-rolled noodles (₩6,000)
• Rice, 2 servings (₩2,000)

Domestic misakjeonji pork on the charcoal fire out front

Ttukbangjip's pork is domestic misakjeonji, apparently! Misakjeonji is pork shoulder with the skin left on, known for being both lean and chewy~~ The owner grills it over charcoal in the space right in front of the restaurant ෆ

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The side dishes were scallion salad, radish pickles, sautéed squash, sautéed fish cake, and cabbage kimchi, plus lettuce for wraps along with chili peppers and garlic!!

Extra side dishes are self-serve at the side bar🍀

The cheonggukjang that comes with the meat order

The cheonggukjang that comes free with a meat order!! There was a regular at the next table who told the owner she comes here just for this cheonggukjang, raving about how delicious it is~~

And honestly, it really is the kicker!!! So good…🤤🤤 The broth's light color made me think it might be bland, but it was actually really spicy?? Deep, rich, spicy-savory flavor was so good I ended up having a whole bowl of rice with it before the meat even arrived ՞•🐽•՞

So how does the charcoal gochujang pork taste?

The pork came out cooked over charcoal, full of smoky flavor~! The plate piled high with meat looked incredibly appetizing,,,🤤 It was spicier than I expected, but in the exact right way, perfect with a bowl of rice~~

Being grilled over charcoal meant every bite had a gentle smokiness that I loved, and the misakjeonji pork was really chewy and tender~~ It was good with the scallion salad too, but our favorite pairing that day was the radish pickles!! The pickles cut through the meat's spiciness and were so crunchy and delicious🤤~~~

There were two kinds of wrap greens, lettuce and perilla leaves, so I could switch between them for different flavors! The charcoal-grilled meat paired best with perilla leaves for me, so I mostly wrapped it with those~~!

Kimchi-rolled noodles are a must-order

Almost every other table was eating the kimchi-rolled noodles, so we got curious and ordered it too — and after tasting it, I understood why everyone was eating it! Honestly, the broth looked the whitest of any kimchi-rolled noodles I've seen, so I thought it might be bland, but it wasn't bland at all — the seasoning was exactly right and delicious~~

The kimchi in the noodles is apparently aged for 360 hours, and you could really taste it — insane umami depth and a refreshing finish!!! If you visit, ordering the kimchi-rolled noodles is non-negotiable,, ⭐️

Since this place only operates 4 hours a day, I'd really wanted to check it out, and the gochujang pork was so good with all that charcoal smoke flavor that I'm already craving it again,,,👍 I'll definitely be back haha. If you're looking for a Korean restaurant in Sajik-dong, Cheongju, I recommend Ttukbangjip~~~