“Hundred Year Shop†is a policy of the Ministry of Small and Medium Venture Enterprises to help small merchants who have been managing a well for more than 30 years or places that continue to operate a family business to survive and grow for over 100 years. The Ministry of Finance evaluated various aspects such as products, management, marketing, and innovation, and selected a total of 35 food, retail, and retail businesses for the first time this year, following 81 last year. The Mid-Term Donation Department plans to provide consulting, promotion, and education support to the final selected locations, and will gradually add companies that meet the requirements in the future. Here are 5 of the best 100 year restaurants that are taking strong steps for 100 years.
1. Changnyeong Geonam-ri's 'Lee Bok-dang, 'a refreshing soup that relaxes the inside
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Image source: Courtesy of Lee Bok-dang owner
Image source: Courtesy of Lee Bok-dang owner
“Ibongdang†began when the founder Moon Jeong-ja sold gukbap and noodles using watermelons at Ibang Market in 1977. Since then, they opened a store in their current location on September 15, 1980, and have remained in place until now. At the end of 2018, her daughter-in-law Choi Eun-young was taught by her mother-in-law. Based on the business policy “Food is culture and sharing,†they are actively participating in ethical management by providing food to Kyungro Feast and sharing meals with disadvantaged neighbors.
This place sells a variety of dishes, such as gukbap, noodles, and stir-fries, with the main ingredient being the sugukure, which is a special part between the skin and the flesh of the belly of a cow. The soup in the signature menu “Sugure Gukbap†is based on beef bone broth, which contains a deep flavor made by stewing beef bones over a long period of time. Watermelon, persimmons, vegetables, and condiments were added to the carefully prepared broth and simmered to add a refreshing yet sharp flavor. Watermelon, which uses only domestic products, has an excellent chewy texture and a savory flavor that spreads as you chew. “Sugure noodles,†which are chewy noodles mixed with soup instead of rice, are also a delicacy. Recently, they have been continuously working on developing new menus, such as adding menus such as “briquettes and grilled yakiniku.â€
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 1, Okya-gil, Ibang-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
â–²Opening hours: 06:00-21:00 every day
â–²Price: Sugure Gukbap 7,000 won, Sugure Noodle 6,000 won
â–²Testimonial (Shikigami Ukiki 9212): The amount was really good for the price. I tried it for the first time, but the texture isn't really a joke. Hehehe, the soup is also rich, so it's a relaxing flavor. I also ordered grilled yakiniku on the briquettes, and it was delicious, and they were rice thieves!
2. 'Mujin Janggalbi Village' in Namjung-dong, Iksan, with a hearty meal prepared with carefully selected ingredients
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Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Mujin Janggalbi Village
Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Mujin Janggalbi Village
“Mujin Janggalbi Village†incorporates the know-how gained from running a restaurant business in the Iksan area into a store. Kim Tae-jung and Lee Hyun-ok opened a Korean restaurant in Iksan Jungang-dong in 1982, then moved to Hapyeol-eup and opened the current store in Namjung-dong in November 1997. Since 2012, their son Kim Young-dae has been preparing to take over the family business by learning about work from his parents at the store.
All ingredients in the food, including beef and pork, which are the main menu items, use only domestic products. Mujin Janggalbi Village offers 15 kinds of side dishes when ordering meat and about 8 to 10 kinds of side dishes when ordering meals. The signature menu, “Korean Beef Special Assortment,†consists of high-quality tugong, cone-shaped apron, skirt, beef ribs, and pork ribs are also added depending on store conditions. “Rib soup,†which is a broth made from beef bones that have been carefully prepared for over 24 hours, is also a favorite meal menu. The light, non-greasy soup contains plenty of meat and vermicelli, so you can enjoy a hearty meal.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 58, Seonhwa-ro 31-gil, Iksan-si, Jeonbuk
▲Opening hours: 11:00 — 22:00 every day, closed on the first and third Sundays
â–²Price: Special Korean beef platter (500g) 90,000 won, rib soup 12,000 won
â–²Review (thumbnail of Shikigami): A place I often went to eat out with my parents! I always eat assorted dishes, but the variety of ingredients makes it fun to pick and eat each part~ And there are so many side dishes, you can fill a bowl of rice with just one side dish! The rib soup is also delicious, but if you roll up the rice and eat it with kakuteki on it, you'll give it a thumbs up!
3. Noodles picked immediately to order, 'Hamheung Naengmyeon' in Bupyeong-dong, Incheon
Image source: Shikigami Contents Team
Image source: Shikigami Contents Team
“Hamheung Naengmyeon†has continued its 43-year history from 1974 to now by the founder, Grandma Heo Hong-rye. It offers the same taste over a long period of time based on noodle making techniques taught by 3 Hamheung cold noodle technicians. They pay so much attention to each ingredient that they personally visit the flour milling company for starch, which is the core of cold noodles, and carefully examine and purchase everything from ingredients to prototypes.
The signature menu, “cold noodles,†is made directly at every store, including broth, noodles, and sauce. If you order cold noodles, a broth made from beef bone, brisket, pork, etc. is served every morning. The broth, which contains a rich meat flavor, is hot and soothes the stomach. The noodles used in cold noodles are mixed with starch and buckwheat in a 7:3 ratio to further enhance the chewy texture. The characteristic of noodles is that they are picked and cooked as soon as they are ordered without having to boil them in advance. “Hamheung Naengmyeon†is made by putting cucumber, radish, pear, egg, and large flat meat on top of noodles finely mixed with red sauce, and “hae-naengmyeon†contains thick sliced stingray sashimi instead of flat meat. After eating about half of the cold noodles, pour in the cold broth that comes with it and eat it in a cool watercress style is popular.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 21, Sijang-ro 20beon-gil, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon
▲Business hours: 11:00 — 22:00 every day
â–²Price: Hamheung Naengmyeon 7,000 won, Hoe Naengmyeon 8,000 won
â–²Testimonial (from a customer with a warm meal): Hamheung Naengmyeon reminds me of summer! I think I definitely go there 3 times a month. I keep thinking that the broth served before the food is served has an addictive flavor. If you eat half of cold noodles with a sweet and spicy sauce and pour ice broth at the end to eat, even if it's hot!
4. 'Bok Seoul Haejang Guk' in Seongnae-dong, Chungju, the rich charm of Seonji
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Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Bok Seoul Haejang Bureau
Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Bok Seoul Haejang Bureau
'Bok Seoul Haejang Guk' has been competing with one Haejang soup menu. CEO Yoo Young-ja, who opened his first restaurant at the age of over forty, continues to serve hearty portions over a long period of time based on the belief that “let's prioritize customer satisfaction over profitability.†In 1995, it was selected as a Haejang soup restaurant by the Korea Traditional Food Preservation Association, and the following year, it was selected as a traditional culture preservation celebrity by the Korea Traditional Culture Preservation Association and became a representative restaurant in Chungju.
The signature menu, “Seonji Haejang Soup,†is made from beef bone and beef, which has been simmered for a long time, and contains plenty of large seonji. The point is to keep it to a minimum so as not to impair the original taste and flavor of Sunji. When you scoop up the shenji and taste it, you can feel the chewy texture and rich flavor that envelops your tongue. The sweet garlic contained in the soup captures flavors that can easily get greasy and has a great balance. The owner's own marinated kakuteki and Chinese cabbage kimchi have a refreshing yet fresh flavor that enhances the flavor of gukbap. If you want to eat something a little spicier, you can soak the green onion sauce that comes with it in the soup and enjoy a sharp version.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 16 Gwana 1-gil, Chungju-si, Chungbuk
▲Opening hours: 05:00 — 15:00 every day
â–²Price: Seonji Haejang Soup 7,000 won, Ugeji Haejang Soup 7,000 won, Bones Haejang Soup 8,000 won
â–²Testimonial (Shikigami Sari Choo): A friend of mine in Chungju highly recommended this place. Like a restaurant that specializes in Haejang soup, they only sell Haejang soup menus, and I ordered it from Seonji, which is the most popular. I liked the freshness of the seonji, and I was satisfied that the soup was as refreshing as if it were a relief from the inside. When I ate it, I thought of alcohol, but it is said that they don't sell alcohol separately.
5. Fresh eels caught off the coast of Gijang, 'Gijang eel' in Myeongryun-dong, Busan
Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Gijang Goma Eel
Image source: Courtesy of the owner of Gijang Goma Eel
“Gijang eel†began in 1979 as a long-time seller near a rebar factory by CEO Kim Jin-ryun. After that, it was operated in the form of a full-fledged store in 1985, and was remodeled on a large scale in 2013, and was reborn as a comfortable and clean space with 3 floors. It has been featured in Japanese magazines and is loved not only by domestic travelers but also by foreign tourists.
The signature menu is “grilled eel†where eels caught in Gijang-gun, Busan are prepared and grilled on a grill. The sight of a bear eel wriggling as if it were dancing on a hot fire catches the eye. When grilled with salt without any seasoning, you can fully enjoy the fresh flavor of eel. If you dip a nicely grilled eel in sesame oil and eat it, the rich flavor comes out even more. The secret sauce made from domestic red pepper powder and the sauce grill, which you enjoy stir-frying with onions, has an excellent mouth-watering flavor and a texture that pops in your mouth. The sauce itself combines just the right amount of spiciness and sweetness, making it easy to enjoy. You can enjoy the same flavors you've eaten at stores anywhere in the country using a delivery service.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 271 Myeongnyun-ro, Dongnae-gu, Busan
▲Opening hours: 10:00 — 22:30 every day
â–²Price: Grilled eel (2 people) 40,000 won, fried rice 2,000 won
â–²Testimonial (huge number of eels eaten): There are more plentiful eels than other places. I've been going there often with my parents for a long time, and the flavor and quantity are always the same. Eel has a chewy texture and addictive flavor that brings out the soju. Hmm, you have to eat fried rice, which is eaten by removing eel and stir-frying it with leftover condiments, as a must-have course! Hehe, my own tip is not to eat all the eels, leave some of them behind and eat them with fried rice ^^