Ramyeon sari and sungnyung finish at Gojan-dong: Choburi Kimchi Jjigae

An Ansan stone-pot rice spot worth knowing about, and a lunch recommendation in Gojan-dong: Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch.

Location and hours

📍Location: 705-3 Gojan-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 📍Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:30–17:00) ※Last order 20:30※

On a day I was craving something with rich, deep broth, I wanted a hearty one-dish meal, so I headed to Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch, a kimchi jjigae spot in Gojan-dong, Ansan.

Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch is, as far as I know, the only restaurant in Ansan that focuses on a single menu item — kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) — and it's a third-generation, number-one kimchi jjigae spot in the city. Not a franchise; it started in Sa-dong and expanded/relocated here to the Gojan branch.

58 spacious seats — any lunch-hour wait for office workers?

The clean interior has 58 seats total, spacious with generous table spacing, so it didn't feel cramped even during mealtime. I could totally see it being a sanctuary for office workers on weekday lunches haha. Great atmosphere for a date, family gathering, or any kind of get-together — a kimchi jjigae place anyone could comfortably visit.

I'd heard Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch is a popular lunch spot with office workers too, and even though I visited at 2pm, customers kept streaming in nonstop. I bet there's a wait if you come during the actual lunch rush.

What I ordered and the prices

• Kimchi jjigae 2-person set 📌₩28,000 (stone-pot rice + perilla-oil fried egg + ramyeon + drink)
• 30cm extra-large Bongpyeong scallion buckwheat pancake 📌₩8,000

🌟No-lose event🌟 They're also running Naver photo review and Karrot/Google review events, so join in and grab a gift~~

Self-serve bar with unlimited refills

💛Self-serve bar At the self-serve bar, rice, side dishes, and broth are all unlimited. Having this bar means you can freely top up whatever side dish runs low.

Side dishes, ramyeon noodles for the sari (extra noodles), and a fried egg came out. If you order the perilla-oil fried egg set here, you get three eggs — genuinely nutty and rice-thief good,,,,

Golden gardenia stone-pot rice and the full spread

Golden gardenia stone-pot rice! Glossy, freshly cooked stone-pot rice arrives. Tip: leave the scorched crust at the bottom, scoop out the rice on top, and pour warm water over the crust!

With the scallion buckwheat pancake and the main kimchi jjigae arriving too, a mouthwatering full spread was complete! 🤤 Just looking at the kimchi jjigae, the broth looked deep and rich, and there was plenty of kimchi and meat.

How to eat it right (6 → simmer 7 min → 3)

😋How to eat it best Let it simmer on heat level 6 for 7 minutes as the staff set it, then lower it to level 3 to eat.

Apparently Choburi's kimchi jjigae tastes best once the broth reduces down to a thick, low-liquid stew.

Mixing in the nutty perilla-oil fried egg is the best.

Maybe because it's made with their own 72-hour aged special red seasoning, the broth was savory yet clean and refreshing. Well-fermented aged kimchi that melts in your mouth, plus big chunks of pork with no off smell! I demolished a bowl of rice🐷 It's also a certified official Hanwoo Korean pork retailer and rated "Excellent" — the top hygiene grade from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety — so you can trust what you're eating👍

Dropping in ramyeon sari and finishing with sungnyung

Once I'd mostly finished the stew and the broth had reduced down, I added more broth and dropped in the ramyeon sari (extra noodles).

If it tastes too salty, pour in more broth to adjust! Ugh, my mouth is watering again just writing this

Maybe because the broth is so good, the ramyeon was delicious too. Kimchi + meat + ramyeon combo — words fail me🤤

Finished it off with sungnyung made from the stone-pot rice~ I kept saying "this is so good" the whole meal, and it was even better because I could eat without feeling like I was overspending.

Dessert service

Paul Bassett coffee, Starbucks Maxim mix coffee, and three flavors of ice cream. Choburi's got the coffee covered too haha.

The meal kit is cheaper if you dine in first

Choburi's kimchi jjigae meal kit is 2+1, totaling 3 servings 📌 normally ₩20,000, but ₩18,000 if you dine in. You can buy the meal kit for less right after your meal. I'm thinking of buying one next time to take camping!!

There are a lot of places these days where kimchi jjigae is just sweet, but Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch wasn't heavy or cloying at all — it had a genuinely deep flavor. The broth got richer and more savory the longer it simmered, and it completely cured my hangover from the night before. Next time I'm thinking of properly enjoying it as drinking food.

If you're looking for an Ansan stone-pot rice spot, a Gojan-dong restaurant, or a place near Gojan Station, I recommend ♥️Choburi Kimchi Jjigae Gojan Main Branch♥️.