There are many tak galbi restaurants in downtown Chuncheon, on Myeondong Takgalbi street and other places. The Paris Baguette at the main intersection has one of the best patbingsu offerings, in season. Another eating zone is the street paralelling Jungangno to the north. The fashion street, just north of the Dakgalbi lane has several eating establishments. The JoongAng Market has some small shiktangs with a variety of food. There's a Pizza Hut, Baskin-Robbins, etc. in the downtown area. And some street vendors with walnut cookies, fish-shaped cookies and such....
There's a food court in the short leg of the underground mall.
A restaurant on the east side of Chuncheon is Hajukol. This place serves only one item, hanjeongshik for 17,000 won (25,000 won if you want beef). It is quite elaborate. The dishes are presented in an artistic manner. They started out with a small square bowl of rice porridge. Then the rest of it: my favourite was prawns on a bed of (?)clover sprouts with a citrusy green sauce. Also thin-sliced small beefsteaks, raw fish in kochujang sauce, pork mini-bossan, crabs (not the real small ones) in red sauce; raw shellfish kimchi; a bowl of kyerantang; twenjang cchigae, crispy fried seaweed; mushroom and deodeok kebabs; sliced mushrooms; squid pancakes (jeon); spinach pancakes; nurungji soup; fried tilefish; vegs. in kochujang sauce; fishguts in kochujang, seaweed, various kimchi varieties. Phone: (033) 256-7963 or 243-7963
The area just east of the intercity bus station in the south side of Chuncheon has a lot of restaurants. Some are takgalbi, but there's a big variety of others. Here's a few:
Chin Mi (written 珍美 in hanja only, with no Hangeul or Roman lettering. Phone number 257-1341. They serve an excellent bori-bap for 4,000 won. All the ingredients are good quality and there's a reasonable variety and good size portions. The tasty twenjang cchigae included is of the thick variety.
Gul Maeul, Nakchi Maeul [1] has oyster dishes - gulgukbap (5,000 won) is one of their basic ones. Also with oysters are haejangguk, twigim, sundubu, galbitang, samgyetang and jeon. You can also get a plate of raw oysters. As the place's name implies, there are also octopus dishes, but not in the same abundance as the gul. This place opens early in the morning - at noon it is packed. Phone # is (033) 256-5536. It's on the same street as the Tojang Sundae place, farther up the hill, just south of the Catholic Church.
Sonsu Haemul 242-7330. Open 10:30-3, and 5-9. Their bibimbap is 5000 won and, though its ingredients are pretty basic, all are high-quality. If you run out of something they'll be watching and give you seconds and thirds. The large quantity of twenjang cchigae included is of the more liquid variety and is kept warm in a wok on a burner in the middle of the table.
Near Toegyero, just north of the bus station area, are some good restaurants too.
Bori Gogi, 033) 241.9363. Go east on Toegyero a couple blocks east of Namburo, then go north a couple blocks. A bit west on the side street and one will find this bori bap place. The basic bori bap is 7,000 won and maybe not as good as some, but if one wants to put out more one will get a pretty good feast. This is just north of the Jasmine Chinese restaurant.
