Never Skip a Breakfast When Staying at Jeonju

For busy people who tend to skip the breakfast in their daily life, one of the excitements of travelling is the breakfast. Also, a good breakfast can make the day for travellers. This week, I present the accommodations offering nice breakfasts that live up to the reputation of Jeonju as the gourmet city of Korea.

Breakfast buffet at Ramada Jeonju Hotel

Ramada Jeonju Hotel is renowned for the breakfast buffet. Also, the high-rise building at the center of the older part of the city, the view is magnificent.

The buffet is located at the 2nd floor. The elegant interior, the music, and the lightings are perfect for a nice hotel breakfast. Although I came here for the breakfast, the wine display filling a whole wall is impressive too.

The buffet has more than everything you’d expect in a hotel. There’s the Korean food section with rice, soup, and side dishes. The continental breakfast section offers a variety of bread, scrambled egg, bacon, sausages, and more. The fusion Asian style section has dim sums, dumplings, glass noodle, beef bulgogi, and the like. Different soups, salads, cereals, and juices are located among the sections. Fruits, desserts, coffee, and teas conveniently located on the opposite of the Korean section.

Ramada Jeonju Hotel
Opening hours: 07:00-10:00
Address: Paldalro 227, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 063-711-9000

Croffle (croissant-waffle) at Bugyeongdang

Bugyeongdang is a hanok accommodation run by friendly mother and daughter. The accommodation is renowned for the beautiful garden recognised by the city. The original building is more than 70 years old.

There are eight rooms, and each room has unique veranda. The guests can enjoy ‘croffle’ and black sesame porridge for breakfast at the veranda while enjoying the view of the beautiful garden.

When having breakfast here, I recommend trying the warm black sesame porridge first, then eating the chewy and sweet croffle to fill your stomach, and finishing with the seasonal fruits and juice. The breakfast is quite filling, and the black sesame is home-grown by the mother. The cute bowls and dishes are made by the daughter.

Bugyeongdang
Address: Hanjigil 99-5, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 010-5327-8736

Rice cake soup at Seunggwangjae

Seunggwangjae is the hanok accommodation run by a descendant of the Joseon Dynasty’s royal household. The premise consists of four buildings, and the well-managed rooms feel like walking into a museum. The garden, clay jars, and stone walls all express elegance of the royal household.

I felt very welcome the moment the hostess opened the door for me. I enjoyed the afternoon tea table comprised of flower tea, dried fruits, and sweet bean jelly. The accommodation runs several experience programs such as the tea ceremony, natural dye, making rice cake, and the like. The guest can easily spend a whole day at the premise.

Also, it’s the motto of this house that the guest should not leave with an empty stomach. The breakfast tteokguk (rice cake soup) is served in a heavy brassware. The deep taste of tteokguk reminded me of the effort and care put into running the place in the name of the royal household.

The breakfast is served in the small old table. The tteokguk is accompanied by various side dishes made with home-grown ingredients such as the zucchini pancake, pickled perilla leaf, turnip kimchi, salty roasted black beans, pickled cucumber, and the like. It replenished me with the warmth and hospitality.

Seunggwangjae
Address: Choimyeongheegil 12-6, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 063-284-2323

Soup at Wang-ui Jimil(Royalroom)

‘Wang-ui Jimil’ is the hanok hotel with the majestic two story hanok buildings lined up along the premise. The restaurant ‘Samtaegeuk’ is in a separate hanok. It talks a short, pleasant walk from the room across the grass to the restaurant.

The smell is awesome. The interior is wide, with big tables that easily sits six people and comfortable chairs. Here, all the walls between the pillars are huge glass. Anywhere I sit, I can enjoy plenty of the autumn sunlight.

There are only two dishes on the breakfast menu. Kongnamul gukbap (soup with bean sprouts and rice) and Hwangtae kongnamul gukbap (soup with dried pollack, bean sprouts, and rice). How the soup is served: a good handful of fresh bean sprouts, dried pollack, and tofu are in the boiling broth, topped with finely chopped fresh green chilli peppers and red chilli pepper powder. This dish is probably favorite hangover relief for most Koreans.

Across the steam from the soups, I can see that everyone is busy eating. The restaurant also prepared bread, salad, cereal, milk, and juice section for children.

Wang-ui Jimil
Opening hours: 7:30~8:30 and 8:30~9:30 (open every day for the hotel guests)
Address: Chunhyangro 5218-20, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 063-284-1004