Yangbanga Jeonju Hanok Village: Hanjeongsik Review

For my in-laws' 60th birthday celebration, we visited Jeonju, and for dinner,

we stopped by Yangbanga, a fantastic Hanjeongsik restaurant in Jeonju Hanok Village!

Honestly, we couldn't get a same-day reservation at the Hanjeongsik restaurant inside our accommodation,

so we hastily booked this place,

but it turned out to have generous portions and good taste, so we really enjoyed our meal.

Since it was a special occasion, we opted for the Traditional Table Course, which was the most expensive option.

As this was a paid-for-by-me visit, I'm going to share my honest review.

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Jeonju Yangbanga

A Hanjeongsik Gem in Hanok Village

Jeonju Hanok Village Hanjeongsik

Yangbanga

Yangbanga in Jeonju is nestled right within Jeonju Hanok Village.

It's also super close to Gyeonggijeon Shrine,

just a 5-minute walk from Gyeonggijeon's main gate!

Of course, there are plenty of other great Hanjeongsik restaurants in Jeonju even outside the Hanok Village,

but for travelers looking for a meal,

having it right inside the Hanok Village felt incredibly convenient and easily accessible.

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However, given its prime location, parking isn't exactly easy.

While parking at the Hanok Village public parking lot is an option,

when we visited this time, the Hanok Village was still a bustling hotspot.

So, we opted for the Korea Traditional Culture Center parking lot, which is about a 10-minute walk away but much more spacious.

If your parents don't mind a short stroll,

parking there could be a great alternative!

Visited for a 60th Birthday Celebration:

Jeonju Hanjeongsik Gem, Yangbanga

Since both my father-in-law and mother-in-law were celebrating their 60th birthdays this year,

I wanted to find an even nicer place for our meal, which is why I looked into Hanjeongsik restaurants.

Among the options, I chose Yangbanga because

it's located right in Hanok Village, making it close to our accommodation,

and its interior had a charming, old-world atmosphere!

It really looked like a remodeled old traditional house,

and it made you feel like you'd stepped into a traditional noble's home.

Plus, the beautifully placed lighting throughout created a fantastic evening atmosphere : )

We were guided to a separate annex, so I couldn't explore the entire interior,

but if you look closely, you can definitely feel the traces of time.

However, my in-laws prefer this kind of atmosphere,

and I quite enjoy this ambiance myself, so I was really pleased : )

Jeonju Yangbanga

Traditional Table Course Review

A total of 5 of us visited,

and the pricing structure involved adding an extra person's fee to a 3-4 person course.

So, while the base price for Yangbanga's Traditional Table Course for 3-4 people is ~$292,

we ultimately paid ~$365.

* ~$73 deposit paid in advance

Next up, the Surasang course is ~ $219 for 4 people,

While the Surasang course features Bori-gulbi (dried yellow croaker), the traditional course, the Jeontongsang, offers a different selection.

Instead, it's packed with delightful dishes like marinated abalone, marinated shrimp, grilled hairtail, and abalone porridge.

Curious about the full lineup? Just click on the menu above for all the mouth-watering details!

Dining with a group of five meant the price was a bit on the higher side,

but every bite was worth it – the food was absolutely delicious,

and what truly amazed us was the incredible abundance of food!

It felt like the table legs were truly groaning under the weight – a feast fit for royalty!

One dish that really stole the show was the incredible grilled hairtail (Galchi-gui)!

It was unbelievably thick and so melt-in-your-mouth tender.

What truly stood out was that all the dishes at Yangbanga were exceptionally well-seasoned overall,

and the grilled hairtail was no exception – not too salty, just absolutely perfect.

We also savored the delicious Tteok-galbi (grilled short rib patties) and Galbi-jjim (braised short ribs).

Having visited Jeonju three times now, I can confidently say that among all the Tteok-galbi I've tasted,

this was hands down the juiciest and most generously sized, making every bite incredibly satisfying.

As for the Galbi-jjim, maybe because we were a larger group,

they generously brought out two simmering hot stone pots! It was almost a shame we couldn't finish every last bit!

My parents absolutely loved the Samhap (a traditional trio of fermented skate, pork, and kimchi).

I'm personally not a fan of hongeo (fermented skate), so I stuck to the delicious pork and kimchi,

but it seems they cater to a wide range of palates, as

the hongeo wasn't heavily fermented, meaning the characteristic hongeo smell was barely noticeable.

Now, for me, the Sinseollo (royal hot pot) was a first, and I was incredibly curious to try it!

To be completely honest, it wasn't quite to my personal taste.

It's hard to compare, as I haven't tried other versions of Sinseollo before.

But my in-laws absolutely loved it, so I guess it just comes down to individual preference!

Beyond those, the spread also featured delightful dishes like abalone, ganjang-gejang (marinated crab), and mun-eo-sukhoe (blanched octopus),

and their quality was so impressive that even I, someone who doesn't typically gravitate towards seafood, found myself drawn to them.

I personally can't handle raw seafood, so I tried the abalone and octopus instead,

and both were absolutely delicious!

Because the seasoning was so consistently perfect across the board,

even staple dishes like Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and abalone porridge were incredibly flavorful.

With such a huge spread of side dishes, if the flavors had been too strong, it would have been overwhelming.

Instead, everything was so perfectly balanced and clean, making it a truly enjoyable meal.

We visited in late August, so our sweet ending was a refreshing slice of watermelon for dessert,

and it was perfectly sweet and utterly satisfying : )

My only minor regret was that it took a little while for the food to arrive at our table.

It seemed to be because there were several large groups dining on the day we visited.

It was a busy Saturday evening, after all...

Based on other reviews, this doesn't seem to be a regular occurrence,

so if you're on a tight schedule, it might be a good idea to mention it when you make your reservation.

By the way, if you're looking for drinks, you can check out the beverage menu in the picture above!

Since this isn't on Naver Maps, I'm sharing it here.

Here's my honest review of Jeonju Yangbanga, paid for with my own money!

Since we went to celebrate a 60th birthday, I was a bit worried the food might not be great,

but while it wasn't fantastically delicious,

we ate until we were pleasantly full and enjoyed the meal.

I think it's a wonderful place to spend a special anniversary.

It's already a famous spot for Korean traditional set meals in Jeonju,

and being located within the Hanok Village, you can really soak in that classic mood.

So, if you're planning to visit with your parents, I highly recommend it! : )

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