Jeonju Nambu Market’s Affordable Foodie Venues: Donglae Bunsik, Sunjassi Bapjo

When it comes to local dishes, Nambu Market is renowned for the Chungnyun (youth) Mall, soondae (Korean blood sausage), and kongnamul gukbap (bean sprouts soup with rice) venues. However, the market has many hidden gems for the local foodies serving very affordable but tasty dishes.

  

Nambu Market is famous for the night market. However, it continues to serve the tables of the locals. You can find almost anything from food to furniture and miscellaneous goods.

  

Don’t miss Chungnyun (youth) Mall, located on the second floor of the market, too. You’ll discover handcraft shops, flower shops, dress shops, restaurants, and pubs, all fuelled by the unique ideas of the young entrepreneurs.

Donglae Bunsik

I visit Donglae Bunsik when I feel like a warm bowl of sujaebi (dough flake soup in seafood broth). Already featured in national televisions many times, this venue has been in Nambu Market for more than three decades.

The two most popular dishes here are sujaebi and patjuk (adzuki bean porridge). I always find it difficult having to choose between the two. In the end, I ordered a warm bowl of sujaebi which is only 4,500 won.

This is my sujaebi. You may add extra green chilli pepper for extra spiciness. The dough for sujaebi and patjuk are all made on the venue, fresh and chewy.

I came across someone who ordered patjuk from here to be delivered to his mother. I was surprised to find out that people from around the country order dishes from here to be delivered to their family or friends.

I finished my sujaebi completely. In terms of both price and taste, Donglae Bunsik is amazing. I heard there are more places like this in Nambu Market.

 

Donglae Bunsik

Address: Pungnammun 2gil 39, Wansangu, Jeonju

Contact: 063-288-4607

Opening hours: 08:00~20:00 every day

Menu: Saeal Patjuk (Patjuk with dough balls) (6,000 won), Pat Kalguksu (adzuki bean porridge with chopped noodles) (5,000 won), Sujaebi/Kalguksu (4,500 won)

 

 

Sunjassi Bapjo

I was drawn by the retro signboard of Sunjassi Bapjo (literally, ‘bring me food, Ms. Sunja’). The menu here are, surprisingly, all below 5,000 won. Feels like my grandma’s place.

I ordered DIY boribap (barley bowl with vegetables). This dish is served with fried egg, pollack stew, and bean paste stew. Let’s find out how to make boribap!

How to make boribap

1. Grab your brass bowl. Help yourself with the cooked barley.
2. Also put different vegetables displayed at the self-bar into the bowl.
3. Add bean paste, chilli pepper paste, and sesame oil. Start mixing!

I really liked fermented radish kimchi and pan-fried mushrooms. They go really well with boribap. Also, be careful with the bean paste sauce. It can be rather salty.

It’s common to mix fried egg with boribap. When mixing boribap, I prefer using chopsticks instead of spoon, because spoon can crush the barley.

A spoonful of boribap is a harmony of all my ingredients. The pollack stew adds to the richness of the flavour.

I also ‘completed’ my boribap. This dish is very affordable, but also tasty and healthy. In Jeonju, you may try a bit pricy hanjungsik (Korean traditional table d’hote), but humbler options can be surprisingly pleasant too.

 

Sunjassi Bapjo

Address: Pungnammun 1gil 19-3, Wansangu, Jeonju

Contact: 063-282-2168

Opening hours: 04:30~22:00 every day

Menu: Boribap (5,000 won)

 

In Nambu Market, there are more venues where you can have a meal with the amazing price of less than or around 5,000 won. I wish I could introduce more of such venues in the future.