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| Goryejeong Parking and Front Entrance |
Are you in the mood to try various Korean food, but you aren’t sure what to order? Look no further than Goryeojeong, certified as one of the best restaurants in town, according to Pyeongtaek City. Goryeojeong boasts its healthy, locally grown, and seasonal ingredients with minimal added sugar and preservatives. The four-course set menu is perfect for any indecisive foodie.
Pyeongtaek City's Best
This restaurant is versatile enough for a healthy lunch or a fancy date night because the tasting menu has levels for various budgets and appetites. Prices vary depending on the time of day, with lunch ranging from 15,000 - 35,000 won per person and the evening menu topping out at 119,000 won per person. If you plan to splurge on the highest price, you must make reservations at least a week in advance. Although some dishes remain constant, many menu items will change depending on the season. Goryeojeong is an example of a traditional location for families to meet for dinner following an engagement.
The first and second course, including a few of my favorites: Gaji, Japchae, Yeongeun Jorim, and Jjukkumi
Goryeojeong serves the meal in four courses: Jujeonburi, Appetizer, Main Cuisine, and Dessert. The number of different dishes will increase as the price does, but even with our 18,000 won set lunch menu, our table filled rather quickly, and I was elated by all of the flavor profiles in front of me.
I enjoyed everything I tried, but some of my favorites were the fried eggplant ‘gagi’ (it tasted like a doughnut!), the glass noodles ‘japchae’, the braised lotus root ‘yeongeun jorim’ with black sesame sauce, and the spicy grilled baby octopus ‘jjukkumi.’
The waitress served us our rice, and we waited until the end of our meal to eat the sungyung
After eating our meal, Claire offered me ‘nurungi,’ the scorched rice remaining in the bottom of the rice cauldron released by pouring hot water into the pot. It creates a unique ‘sungnyung’ rice broth that neutralizes any remaining acid after eating salty or spicy food. Therefore, Korean tradition recommends you finish your dish by eating/drinking sungnyung for digestion.
The four-course seasonal lunch menu with bulgogi 
Hangwa and Omija tea for dessert
For dessert, we had hangwa, a traditional Korean confection, paired with omija tea. Omija translates to “five-flavor berries” because these berries are said to give five different flavor profiles: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.
As we are still dealing with a global pandemic, it’s worth noting that Goryeojeong is a “safety” restaurant. Patrons must have their temperature taken upon entry, sign in for contact tracing purposes, and maintain social distancing.
Under normal circumstances, there are up to 600 seats available, and the restaurant is happy to accommodate large groups and business meetings. There is a large parking lot right out front, and the restaurant can also be reached in about 10 minutes by bus from Pyeongtaek station.
This article is written by Emily Peacock a PIEF Foreign Reporter
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