Paju Korean restaurant with mandu hot pot: Bubyeokjeong

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu near Paju Book City: the basics

My husband and I were craving mandu hot pot and, while looking around, found Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu (부벽정평양만두), a place with a whopping 5,000 reviews—and every one sounded great! We went, and since we ate so well, I had to tell you about it :) 🤍

It is near Paju Book City, so it was also close to Paju Lotte Outlet :) It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with last orders at 20:00. Weekday break time is 14:30–17:00; there is no break time on weekends.

The free parking area was generous, with space for more than 40 cars. The building itself was huge and the parking plentiful—such a good first impression!

The interior was also very clean-looking in white and wood tones. There were lots of guests when we visited, so I took another photo as we were leaving, haha.

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu menu and order

You can order from the kiosk.

• Meal menu: Pyongyang mul/bibim makguksu (buckwheat noodles), Pyongyang mandu soup, Korean beef/mandu jjabak-i, and kids' mandu soup 🧒🏻✨
• Hot-pot menu: one Pyongyang mandu hot pot option, with a choice of spicy or mild broth
• Side menu: mung-bean bindaetteok pancake, arongsatae beef slices, seasonal greens with tofu, and Pyongyang plated dumplings
• Takeout menu: all restaurant dishes can be packed to go; hot-pot broth is sold separately

After trying it, I could see why they sell the broth—it is that good. We ordered the mandu hot pot, Pyongyang bibim makguksu, and seasonal greens with tofu. When will the two of us ever order food for only two people?

I liked that the paper menu gave the detailed explanations right there. Mandu jjabak-i is yukgaejang plus Pyongyang dumplings, while Korean beef jjabak-i is Korean-beef yukgaejang broth plus Pyongyang dumplings. I understood everything else, but was curious what those two were. I guess the difference is the Korean beef.

Mandu hot pot, Pyongyang bibim makguksu, and seasonal greens with tofu

The side dishes were white kimchi, kimchi, and yuzu pickled radish. You could bring more side dishes from the self-service bar if needed. They also had baby plates, baby water cups, tongs, scissors, and cutlery.

Here is the Pyongyang mandu hot pot we ordered! They poured in the broth first, and extra broth was available at the self-service bar :)

It came with mung-bean sprouts, napa cabbage, oyster mushrooms, wood-ear mushrooms, white wood-ear mushrooms, pine mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, bok choy, perilla leaves, four slices of arongsatae beef, eight dumplings, and kalguksu noodle add-ins. The mandu hot pot is ₩14,000 per person, yet it includes the beef and kalguksu noodles 🥹 I assumed the noodles would be extra, so I loved that they were part of the standard set 🤍

Seasonal greens with tofu! The greens were seasoned chwinamul and minari, and the tofu was Gangneung Chodang tofu. The seasoned greens were so delicious and went beautifully with the tofu!

I piled the greens properly onto the tofu and ate it,, ◻️ (tofu)

The Pyongyang bibim makguksu was made with 100% buckwheat noodles and topped with house-made sauce, and it was seriously sooo delicious. I wondered whether there was too much sauce, but it was not overly seasoned at all—just perfect!

How to enjoy the mandu hot pot

• Once the broth boils, add the vegetables and dumplings, then take them out after 2–3 minutes. The dumplings are almost cooked already, so they do not taste good if boiled too long!!
• Set the induction burner to level 8 for the kalguksu, let it boil thoroughly, then eat.
• Tip: The broth gets salty once you add the kalguksu noodles, so ladle some into individual bowls beforehand ✨✨

Seriously, so, so good,, the broth is incredible 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 The perilla leaves made it taste clean and lovely! And why was the beef so tender too,, 🥹

The dumplings were meat dumplings generously filled with tofu. I do not usually love tofu that much, but they were truly mild and delicious 🥟

We even cooked and enjoyed the kalguksu noodles properly.

The dumplings were mild, yet the natural flavors of the ingredients really came through; they were neat and moreish at the same time *.* The broth was especially a work of art. Its 1++ Korean beef and subtle Joseon soy sauce flavor made it mild while giving it wonderful, deep savoriness!

We left after such a delicious meal and bought some packaged products from the display case on our way out! I have an amazing husband who always thinks of both sets of parents whenever he eats something delicious 🥹

There was no wait when we visited, but they had misutgaru grain drink and desserts ready for when there is one! Having puffed rice snacks is such a thoughtful touch 👍🏻 With kids' mandu soup and puffed rice snacks, Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu really has everything 🥟🥟

Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu: final thoughts

If you want mandu hot pot with a clear, deep broth, I strongly recommend Bubyeokjeong Pyeongyang Mandu ✨ It was not just the hot pot that was delicious—everything on the menu was. I enjoyed the bibim makguksu so much that now I am curious about the clear, clean Pyongyang mul makguksu too. If I return, I am definitely ordering that!

Paid for by myself; I want to return ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐