Eruhwa in Jeonju: Tteokgalbi & Cold Noodles
I finally went on a trip after a long time. Whenever I had free time like this, I used to travel abroad often, but because of the pandemic, I ended up traveling domestically. I wondered where to go, and since I had never properly visited the Jeonju Hanok Village, I headed to Jeonju.
Naturally, my number one priority when traveling is eating. Nothing gives as much satisfaction as a gastronomic adventure. When you think of Jeonju food, bibimbap comes to mind, but locals always say you're a fool if you eat bibimbap in Jeonju. So, after asking around, I decided on tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties) for my first meal. On the way there, my travel companion did some extensive searching and chose a place called "Eruhwa."
We arrived at Eruhwa after a long drive, and even before going inside, I was in a good mood seeing the large parking lot—big enough to easily fit 10 cars—and the restaurant looking like a grand traditional mansion. Inside, I saw a buffet area, plenty of seating, and quite a few people. Even though it was a weekday, there were a lot of people who looked like tourists. We grabbed a seat and looked around to see what we should eat, and everyone was having tteokgalbi and noodles. Being quick to catch on, we followed suit and ordered two portions of tteokgalbi and one bowl of dongchimi guksu (radish water kimchi noodles).
The tteokgalbi came out first, but instead of looking like a hamburger steak, it was spread out flat like a jeon (Korean pancake). There were actual pieces of rice cake embedded in the middle of the meat, making me wonder, "Is it called tteokgalbi because they put tteok (rice cake) in the meat?" Unlike other places, it didn't look dripping with grease; it really looked like a savory pancake. It was also unique that they heated it with solid fuel instead of a gas burner. We had no idea if we could eat it right away or if we needed to grill it a bit more, so we just kept glancing around. Just then, an older man at the next table, giving off major regular-customer vibes, was confidently cutting his tteokgalbi with scissors and gently grilling it. We might be city slickers from Seoul, but we are number one at copying others. We casually followed his lead, and right when our meat reached a similar level of doneness, the dongchimi guksu arrived.
I naturally thought tteokgalbi was a rice thief, so I was eating it with rice. Up until then, I was just thinking, "Hmm, this is pretty good." Then, without thinking much of it, I grabbed some noodles when they came out and ate them with the meat. Instantly, I thought, "I just wasted two pieces of meat!" The tteokgalbi, which wasn't too sweet and had a soft chew but felt slightly dry, paired with the refreshing dongchimi guksu created an incredible balance, making it a perfect summer delicacy. I finally understood why every table was full of cold noodle bowls. The meat here is good, but the noodles are truly delicious. The dongchimi guksu is refreshing enough to instantly wipe away the heat, and the bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) isn't overly spicy, offering just the right amount of heat and sweetness. I tried eating just the noodles, but it felt like something was missing. Eating just the meat felt lacking, too. It strongly felt like both the meat and the noodles were seasoned specifically to be eaten together—they achieve the best taste and balance only when paired.
Even if you order the cold noodles as a "dessert" (smaller post-meal portion), you get about two-thirds of a regular bowl. If you want to try various noodles, it's best to just order the dessert sizes. One portion of tteokgalbi, one dessert bibim naengmyeon, and one dessert dongchimi guksu. The portions can be a bit large, so if you go with a group, I recommend mixing and matching well.
I was very pleased with my first meal in Jeonju. I'm not sure if they were local seniors, but there were quite a few elderly customers in the restaurant. The meat is soft enough for a 4-year-old to eat easily, and the noodles emphasize softness over chewiness, making them easy to eat for people with weak teeth. If it's your first time visiting Jeonju, I highly recommend having your first meal at Eruhwa. It only takes about 5 minutes by car from the Jeonju Hanok Village.