Boribap: The Korean Countryside Meal That's Always Delicious

I’m often asked for my tips and tricks for traveling around Korea and finding good food. While there are a plethora of both Korean and international food options when you’re in the heart of Seoul, get out into the countryside and sometimes it can be difficult especially if you’re traveling with children or picky eaters. So, let me tell you what works EVERY TIME! Find the boribap (보리밥) restaurant.

Boribap restaurants can look unassuming, rustic even, and sometimes just a room attached to a house, but you will absolutely find the best food made with locally grown vegetables and on top of that, it’s kid-friendly, vegetarian-friendly, and the best part, delicious!

Pretty simple, simply understated, but definitely delicious. My biggest tip for finding delicious Korean food in the countryside is to look for the boribap restaurant:

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What is Boribap?

Boribap is a meal that is served with a bowl of barley rice central to the dish. On the table are plates of prepared local seasonal vegetables. What can be among the mix varies according to the region and the season but typically has a variety of greens, or namul, there can also be mushrooms, bean sprouts, and zucchini among other vegetables.

After choosing the combination of vegetables that suits your bowl, you then add a dollop of spicy gochujang chili paste or doenjang sauce. Mix it all together and you have a delicious make-it-your-own dish. If you’re looking for kid-friendly Korean food, this is definitely up there in our books. It’s delicious as you can tell from the photos above which is as close to a mukbang as I’ll get.

To complete the meal, there is also usually a doenjang jjigae or doenjangguk and kimchi side dishes when it’s served in its simplest format. But it can most definitely have more food on the table as you can see below.

Korean food, boribap (보리밥), bossam jeongsik (보쌈정씩)

Simply Good Or Elaborately Filling

A meal with boribap can be simple or elaborate and the difference depends on a few things; where you are, what you’ve ordered, and how hungry you are. In the photos at the top of this article, you can see a super simple boribap meal, straight to the point, load me up, and get on your way.

But boribap can also be served with meat dishes, fish, tofu, and a lot of other food as well. In the picture just above you can see there’s a build-your-own boribap, but we’ve also got bossam (보쌈) for the meat lovers. The meal is larger, more filling, but again, is a great option for both kids, vegetarians, and people that want different options.

In the end, the table is always covered with enough variety for everyone making it one of the most diverse meals with a range that suits every palate. So, as I said, when you’re traveling in Korea, whether in Seoul or Jeolla, look for a boribap restaurant because you’ll definitely get a filling, healthy, and budget-friendly meal.

Boribap Restaurants In Seoul

This list is by no means extensive, but mostly for the new to Korea tourists to find this particular meal. If you want to find the place nearest you, just search “보리밥” on your trusty Korean map app and see what you can find. And definitely when you’re traveling, look look look for the boribap!

Seondong Boribap (선동보리밥): The first pictures in this article are from my visit to Seondong Boribap in Seongbuk-gu. We had walked up and over the hills and were desperate for food and it was just what we needed. Rustic, simple, and good.

Address: 134-4 Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm

Bongibap Insadong (봉이밥 인사동점): If you’re in the Insadong area, a good option for boribap is the Bongibap restaurant. They sell boribap in single platings if you’re on your own, but have extra dishes that you can add if you want that more filling elaborate spread.

Address: 446-34 Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Hours: Every day: 11:00am ~ 10:00pm (Monday – Friday, breaktime: 3:00pm ~ 5:00pm)

Yeonhui Boribap (연희보리밥): While the Yeonhui-dong and Yeonnam-dong areas cater to a young crowd looking for cool new restaurants with kitschy themes, there are still some places there that are have plenty of tried and true and more traditional eats. This option goes traditional in food, but has a young flare fitting with the area.