By Lawrence Stahl
Jeungpyeong Middle School
When people think of good places to eat in Chungbuk province, I'm almost certain that the first place they think to visit is Cheongju, the capital, and central hub of Chungcheongbuk-do. However, 30 minutes (give or take) outside Cheongju is a small "Gun" (군) or "Village" known as Jeungpyeong that may look small on the surface, but offers so much more. Most of the restaurants here are located on or nearby the main road of the town, and are thus easily accessible if you feel like leaving the bright lights of Cheongju and succumbing to small town tranquility.
1. Paldo Gangsan
If you take the main road into Jeungpyeong towards "Vivaldi Apartments" and drive past them for about two minutes, the first good restaurant you can find is right behind a "Family Mart" knockoff, "SM Mart" (Same blue and green banner). Behind this convenience mart is a restaurant called "팔도강산" (Paldo Gangsan), which can be seen by the big yellow sign on the roof that simply says "감자탕" (Kahmja Tang) which translates to "Potato Soup", a wonderful Korean soup with Potatoes, Chili Base, and delicious pork spine. This delicious dish, however, is best enjoyed with at least 1 or 2 other friends, as it is too big and expensive to eat alone. It can be purchased in small, medium, or large servings.
The other noteworthy dish here is the restaurants "뼈해장국" (P'yo Haejang Guk) or Pork Spine Soup. For just 5,000 won, you can get this soup which is immensely popular in Jeungpyeong. This soup is a little messy to eat, so caution must be applied when trying it, but it's well worth the trouble. It's served in a steaming black stone bowl, and is also a chili based soup with large bones topped off with various herbs and seasonings rising out of the bowl. To eat this soup, you have to take the bone(s) out of the soup very carefully, and using your chopsticks, hands, and/or spoon, break the bones apart, and then take the meat off carefully, and then put it back inside the soup. Once this is done, the soup is the perfect temperature for eating, and is truly one of the best meals Jeungpyeong has to offer. The side dishes are also fantastic, and are usually Radish Kimchi, Cabbage Kimchi, and very fresh Green Chili peppers served with spicy chili paste. While the food alone is worth the trip to this restaurant, my favorite part of it is the service. The owner generally always stops by every table to make sure everyone is greeted and enjoying their meal, and the rest of the waitresses and chefs are incredibly kind and friendly as well, and go above and beyond to make sure you are satisfied and enjoying your meal.
2. Seon Bi Chohn Bossahm Jokbal
If you get back on the main road and go straight, you will reach the downtown area of Jeungpyeong. Driving straight through for about 3 or 4 minutes, you will reach a 4 way stop by the Jeungpyeong bus terminal. If you make a right turn and then turn left into the first alleyway, you will see a giant yellow sign with the restaurants name that says "선비촌 족발/보쌈" (Seon Bi Chohn Bossahm/Jokbal) and there you can find some delicious pork feet. Initially I thought it would be too strange to eat, having never had any desire to eat that as it's not commonly eaten my part of the States, but quickly adapting the "When in Rome" mentality, I was pleasantly surprised upon trying this dish. For 6,000 Won for lunch, (7,000 won for dinner), you can get the restaurant's "Kimchi Bossam" platter, and it's truly a work of art. You get a large variety of side dishes (from raw chili octopus, to salted shrimp and bamboo shoots), some truly delicious Bean Paste Soup (된장찌개/Dwaenjang Chigae), and a large heaping plate of Bossam and Sweet Kimchi to wrap it in the complements it perfectly. The restaurant itself is quite nice. You get to sit on a heated floor, and there's a lovely fountain filled with fish near the entrance.
3. Seongsan Garden
Driving straight out of the alleyway and getting on the main road and driving straight, away from Jeungpyeong, you will see an exit sign for the highway to Chungju. Get on that highway going east, and you will see the sign for Jeungpyeong's famous Chuwotang (추어탕/Mudfish/Loach Soup) restaurant, 성산가든 (Seongsan Garden). This restaurant is literally located in a field with nothing around it, so it's a bit tricky to get to, but this place is always busy, despite its obscure location. The restaurant is run by just two people, a man and his wife, who keep slightly odd hours as they both run this restaurant as well as a farm, so it's best to call ahead and make sure they're open before venturing out. Once there, most everyone orders the Chuwotang. It's 5,000 won day or night, a bargain compared to every other restaurant (7-8,000 won). The food is served with a variety of consistently delicious side dishes such as perfectly seasoned bean sprouts, pickled peppers, and some great radish kimchi. The soup itself can be eaten as is, but most opt to put their bowl of rice in the soup, as well as add some pepper and dried and diced green peppers.
While the Chuwotang is the favorite of the restaurant, my personal favorite there is their Kimchi Chigae/Kimchi Stew. A simple dish to some, it's one of my favorite Korean foods. It can only be purchased here if ordered by two people, but they serve so much I think it's best to bring 3. It's served in very large wok with a fire burning underneath it, and it's loaded with so many ingredients I think it almost resembles Budae Chigae! It has everything, Kimchi, a generous amount of pork, some rice cakes (ddeok), and some stewed vegetables. It's all blended fantastically, making me believe it's truly well-aged Kimchi served there. It costs 10,000 Won.
So thus, if you're looking for a change of pace, some great country food, and some really friendly people, I would strongly recommend you give Jeungpyeong a try. At the first glance, it might not appear to be anything special (something I am guilty of thinking at first), but once here, the people, the friendly environment, and of course, the delicious food grows on you, and you'll find it endearing almost immediately! 맛있게 드세요!