Jeonju Tour: Experience the City’s Flavors andElegance

< Jeonju Buseong Food Tour > Explore the Tasty Bibimbap, Mul-jjajang, and the Allure of Jeonju!

Today, I’d like to introduce the “Jeonju Buseong Food Tour”, one of Jeonju tours that proved to be a big hit during its brief four-time session run last year. It’s back this year with an even more enjoyable and tasty Jeonju tour program.

This culinary tour was packed with diverse charms of Jeonju from its stories to its performances. Come join me for a virtual preview online.
For ‘Jeonju Buseong Food Tour,’ I applied online first and then received a pre-tour contact via text message and phone call regarding travel insurance signup, the meeting location, and other details before the tour.

Our meeting point was Jeollagamyeong Provincial Office at 11:00 AM.

We received information about today’s schedule and the instructions for , a hands-on activity we’d be doing after our meal. After the briefing, we headed to our first stop, Jinmi Banjeom.

After hearing a short explanation about the restaurant’s history and the origin of Mul-jjajang from the second-generation Chinese owner, we had lunch with Mul-jjajang and fried dumplings.

Mul-jjajang was born when customers wanted to try the Chinese-style Udon the owner’s family enjoyed.
The owner, who had difficulty with Korean, would explain “water”, which means Mul in Korean, goes in the jjajang noodle. This phrase was how “Mul-jjajang” became its name. Jinmi Banjeom offers two variations of Mul-jjajang: the mild white one and the spicy red one.

After the meal, the Jeonju tour began in earnest and we had to complete nine missions. Using the mission cards we received, we could explore meaningful places all over Jeonju, capturing photos at each spot.

The itinerary thoughtfully guided us to a historical spot like former Bakdaok, the first large Japanese restaurant established in Jeonju in 1920. One of local favorite such as Jeonil Gabo, famous for its unique sauce and house-brewed beer, was also included. All the experiences incorporated enjoyable strolls through the Hanok Village.

There were ample time and you can complete the missions with friends and family and even win some fantastic prizes.

After our mission adventure, I relaxed with a coffee enjoying the view of the cafe’s garden with a drink coupon given when started and then returned to Jeollagamyeong, initial meeting location.

The prizes seemed to vary depending on the specific tour session and the number of missions completed. On this day, I received a pouch and a traditional hand mirror as gifts.

Next, it’s time to appreciate the style of Jeonju through a Gayageum Sanjo (solo instrumental music) and Pansori performance.
The musicians played both the 25-string and 12-string Gayageum versions to fully engage the audience. It was also a delight to learn a short segment of the love song “Sarangga” and even try singing it myself.

Once the cultural performance is over, only the final stop of the Jeonju tour remains.
We are off to savor Jeonju’s iconic dish, Bibimbap for dinner.

Jeonju, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, once was a central hub for agricultural and marine products from the Honam region. This abundance resulted in high utilization of diverse ingredients compared to other areas and Bibimbap stands out as the ultimate culmination of this.
‘Seongmidang,’ established in 1965, is renowned as the choice of the President and has also been showcased on numerous television shows.

Jeonju Bibimbap isn’t something locals in Jeonju eat out very often, so it was a while since I’d had it. Sharing this meal, I chatted with my fellow Jeonju tour participants in a friendly atmosphere.

It turned out that they visited from various regions despite the bad weather. They mentioned was very satisfying because it offers more affordable price than they expected and many delicious foods.

Hearing their wishes to recommend it widely, I hope that more people will remember Jeonju through its delicious food and unique charm, and that the traditional tasty restaurants and cultural heritage will steadily continue their legacy.

📍Jinmi Banjeom

📍Jeonju Hanok Village

📍Jeollagamyeong

📍Seongmidang

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