Barley rice set with self-serve namul bar in Yeontong, Suwon: Boriook

Today I wanted something plain and hearty instead of spicy and heavy, so I went to Boriook Main Branch (보리옥 본점) in Yeontong, Suwon!

I've been eating a lot of meat and noodles lately, so this time I really wanted a proper meal with namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, haha. I looked around and found Boriook Main Branch, known for good barley rice, so off I went. Let's get into it~~~

Location, hours, and parking at Boriook Main Branch

• 📍 Address: 경기 수원시 영통구 영통로200번길 99 1층 (99 Yeongtong-ro 200beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea)
• ⏰ Hours: 10:00 - 21:00 (break time 15:00 - 16:30, last order 20:30)
• 🚘 Parking: Free parking available in front of the building

What's the vibe inside?

Once I got inside, the place turned out to be bigger than I expected! It was neatly kept overall, with plenty of tables, making it a comfortable spot for a meal.

It wasn't flashy — more of a clean, comfortable Korean restaurant feel — so I could focus more on the food, haha.

The menu and what we ordered

We sat down and looked over the menu. Besides the basic barley rice set, there was a grilled mackerel set, gochujang pork set, soy sauce pork set, and more. There were also options combining barley rice with mackerel or pork, so you could pick based on what you're craving. Since I wanted to try the basic version this time, I ordered the barley rice set!

What's on the self-serve bar?

What really caught my eye at Boriook was the self-serve bar. There was a station set up on one side where you could help yourself to the banchan (side dishes) — a variety of namul, kimchi, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), fritters, and more, all good pairings for barley rice. And honestly, barley rice is at its best when you mix in a bunch of different namul :)

The full barley rice set

A little while later, the barley rice set arrived and the table was completely full. Barley rice plus all those side dishes — just looking at it felt satisfying!

I started with the barley rice itself, and it had that nutty, plain flavor barley is known for.

The table sesame oil is the kicker

Personally, the thing I liked most at Boriook Main Branch was the sesame oil set out on the table ^^

For me, barley rice is best mixed with namul. I piled the namul I'd brought over onto the barley rice, added gochujang, and mixed it all together.

After mixing everything well, I scooped up a big spoonful and tried it~

With all the different namul in there, the texture was varied, and with the gochujang's mild spice added in, the rice just kept going down, lol. It wasn't sharp or too salty — more on the mild side — so I could keep eating without feeling weighed down.

Mixing in different banchan along the way changed the flavor each time, even though it was the same barley rice, which made it fun to try different combinations. If you like namul side dishes, you'll probably really appreciate being able to pick exactly what you want from the self-serve bar.

Who should go here?

Overall, the food was clean and the atmosphere was relaxed, making Boriook Main Branch an easy place to eat without any fuss. I'd especially recommend it if you're looking for somewhere to eat with your parents, or craving a healthy Korean meal packed with namul side dishes.