The 3 Suwon Restaurants Only Locals Know — Revealed by Celebrity Hyun Young
Why This Episode Had All of Suwon Buzzing
Sikgaek Heo Young-man's Baekban Gihaeng — loosely translated as "The Gourmet's Local Table Journey" — has been one of South Korea's most beloved food travel shows since its 2019 debut on TV Joseon. Comic artist Heo Young-man travels each week with a celebrity guest to track down authentic neighborhood restaurants away from tourist traps. The show is so popular that visited restaurants regularly see lines stretch around the block within days of an episode airing.
Episode 321 was special. Hyun Young, who broke onto the scene as a top supermodel in 1997 before becoming a household name as a singer, MC, and actress, returned to her hometown of Suwon. She walked the walls of Hwaseong Fortress like a personal runway and delivered impromptu live performances of her hits before guiding the crew through three restaurants that have fed Suwon locals for decades.
Midway through the episode, a surprise guest made things even more memorable: Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, joined the table to share his own long-time favourite noodle shop — a place tied to childhood memories of his mother — adding an unexpectedly touching dimension to what could have been a straightforward food segment.
Suwon's Food Identity Goes Deeper Than Galbi
Most visitors associate Suwon with Wanggalbi — the city's famous king-cut beef ribs, a culinary legacy built around the royal heritage of the UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress. That reputation is well-earned, and one of this episode's restaurants taps right into it. But Suwon's food culture runs deeper: generations of neighbourhood restaurants serving everyday workers, students, and families have forged a parallel tradition that's harder to find and frankly, more satisfying when you do.
The three spots Hyun Young picked — galbi (beef ribs), bukeojjim (dried pollack stew), and kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup) — cover completely different genres, yet each one represents exactly that kind of place: unpretentious, consistent, and built on decades of trust with their regulars.
The Three Restaurants, Fully Decoded
Stop 1 — Suwon Galbi Story · Hanwoo Beef Ribs & Rich Bone Broth
Tucked just a five-minute walk from the east entrance of Hwaseong Haenggung (Hwaseong Palace), this galbi restaurant punches well above its modest shopfront. Instead of the heavy soy-based marinades you'll find at most commercial galbi houses, the kitchen here uses a lighter blend of salt, sugar, and fresh fruit to let the quality of Korean Hanwoo beef do the talking. The result is closer to a home-cooked family meal than a restaurant performance — and that's precisely the point.
| Address | 20 Jeongjoro 801-beon-gil, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do |
| Phone | 031-252-2798 |
| Hours | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM daily |
| Break | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (afternoon break) |
| Closed | Every Thursday · Occasional unannounced closures — call ahead |
| Parking | No dedicated lot — use nearby public parking near Hwaseong Haenggung |
Stop 2 — Donghae Bukeojjim · A 40-Year-Old Neighbourhood Institution
Open since 1984, this no-frills restaurant in Gwonseon-gu has been serving the same loyal clientele for four decades. The centrepiece of the menu is the jjukkumi bukeojjim — a thick, fiery stew combining dried pollack and spicy baby octopus, piled high with banchan side dishes that seem to keep arriving even after you've run out of table space. During filming, Hyun Young launched into a spontaneous home-shopping parody pitch for the dish, telling the camera "I could sell anything with this jjim behind me" — and honestly, she had a point.
| Address | 49-17 Seji-ro 94-beon-gil, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do |
| Phone | 031-224-7329 |
| Hours | Mon–Sat: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Closed | Every Sunday |
| Parking | Limited street space — paid lot nearby recommended |
Stop 3 — Chakan Kalguksu · Hand-Cut Noodles for ₩6,000 & a Governor's Fond Memory
The name translates literally to "Good-hearted Knife Noodles" — and the pricing makes good on that promise. At just ₩6,000 per bowl, this hand-cut noodle shop has been quietly feeding the people of Paldal-gu with minimal fuss and maximum flavour for years. The broth is deep and slow-cooked; the noodles are cut fresh to order. When Governor Kim Dong-yeon stepped in to recommend the restaurant, he spoke about how it reminded him of coming here as a child with his mother, turning what might have been a casual plug into the emotional centrepiece of the entire episode.
| Address | 13 Suwoncheon-ro 258-beon-gil, Paldal-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do |
| Phone | 0507-1447-3447 |
| Hours | Weekdays 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM / Weekends 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
| Closed | Check their latest notice — schedule can change |
| Parking | Street parking available in surrounding area |
One-Day Suwon Food Itinerary
All three restaurants fall within a manageable orbit of Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Haenggung Palace — meaning you can combine a half-day of UNESCO-listed sightseeing with three genuinely good meals without covering more than a few kilometres. Here's how to sequence the day:
Practical Questions Answered
The Real Takeaway from Episode 321
What made this Suwon episode land better than a typical food travel segment was the combination of place, memory, and food. Hyun Young wasn't just showing off restaurants — she was walking visitors through the city she grew up in, complete with the fortress walls, the markets, and the neighbourhood counters where the rice never runs out. Governor Kim's quiet story about his mother at the noodle shop gave the whole thing an emotional weight that the food alone couldn't carry.
If you're planning a trip to Korea and want to see a side of Suwon beyond the standard tourist circuit: start at Hwaseong in the morning, eat at these three places across the day, and leave with a completely different picture of the city. It works.
Post a Comment