As part of the slow food movement in Korea, this chain of restaurant Bonjuk 본죽 本粥 that primarily serves rice congee is extremely popular throughout South Korea, it even has branches in the US.
Juk 죽 粥 is an East Asian traditional food – rice (or/with other grains) cooked with a lot of water or stock over a few hours into a sticky gruel. It is usually a breakfast or a lunch food, or taken a lot in convalescence.
It is the ultimate comfort food, that mothers cook for you before sending you off to school, or when you’re running a high fever to help you break into sweat.
Here in Bonjuk, they have turned my childhood food into a huge variety of flavours.
We love their abalone juk, their oyster juk is likewise so tasty. There is also the spicy kimchi juk that leaves you wanting more.
What I also like about Bonjuk is everything is so elegantly designed, from the interior to their menu. Their service counter and payment area is extremely hi-tech, it gives a very different twist to a millenial-old dish.
Try out their juk when you are next in Korea. They are literally everywhere, so I’m sure you’ll find a Bonjuk near where you are staying. Here is a list of all their locations on EatinKorea.com.