A helpful Korean came over and tried to understand us, kindly explaining that locals don’t usually refer to eateries as “restaurants” instead, they call them “sigdang,” which interestingly sounds quite close to the Mandarin term “食堂.” Moments like these made the cultural exchange feel warm and genuine.
While the eateries we originally planned to visit were all closed, we ended up here thanks to the Korean’s recommendation and the inviting restaurant signage along the road.
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| Kyungcheondae Pension Town |
We had to remove our shoes before entering the place, and as we stepped inside, everyone looked at us like we were aliens. As usual, it took us some time to understand the menu. During peak hours, we had to wait a while before the staff approached us. Watching other tables enjoy grilled fish, I used my translation app to ask about ordering fish, only to find out that if we ordered two meals, a grilled fish would come free. The 2 meals must be of the same.
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| Interior |
Their banchan wasn’t the usual spread we were used to, it included marinated raw crab and even a Western-style salad, alongside the typical pickled vegetables. And of course, I finally got to enjoy my grilled mackerel.
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| Banchan |
Then came the fish roe rice in a sizzling stone pot. The vibrant mix of colours, from seaweed and greens to pickles and glistening fish roe, was instantly appetising. We gave everything a good stir to mix the flavours evenly before digging into the warm, hearty rice.
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| Fish Roe Stone Pot Rice |
We noticed a distinct difference in Korean dining culture,l ocals tend to finish their meals quickly and leave soon after, allowing for a high turnover in the restaurant. By the time we finished our meal, the place had mostly emptied out.
Kyungcheondae Pension Town 경천대펜션회타운
Location: Chungbuk Chungju-si Geumga-myeon Yeonhapgangbyeon-gil 8Chungbuk Chungju-si Geumga-myeon Wonpo-ri 523, 27445
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