March 11, 2025
SEOUL – “Baekbanjip,” or a restaurant serving home-style meals that include a bowl of rice, soup and a variety of freshly prepared side dishes, are on their way out as consumers gravitate toward something new.
Amid the rise of social media culture, many people seek out stylish settings that offer unique dining experiences, ambiance and laid-back enjoyment.
Changing tastes, rising costs
Kim Young-hee, 70, the chef and owner of a baekbanjip called Cheongju Restaurant in Hapjeong-dong, western Seoul, bears the brunt of changing consumer demands.
Grilled mackerel is served with a bowl of rice and six side dishes at Cheongju Restaurant in Hapjeong-dong, western Seoul. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Ten years ago Kim served an average of at least 100 customers a day. Today, that number has dwindled down to around 50. When she opened her eatery 20 years ago, there were around 10 baekbanjip nearby. Now, hers is the only one remaining in the area popular among young people.
Kim sighed in frustration, noting that the closures reflected the struggles of old-style restaurants serving simple, home dishes. Once a staple of Korea’s culinary culture, these eateries now face competition from trendy food options.
“The traditional cuisine we once loved cannot keep up with the changes. People now go for Western culinary tastes or something fusion. I can tell that many young customers who come to the area head to the ramen restaurant next to mine rather than to my place,” Kim told The Korea Herald.
Cheongju Restaurant in Hapjeong-dong, western Seoul. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Jeil Miga, a popular baekbanjip near Sungkyunkwan University, which served budget-friendly meals to students for over 30 years, shut down in 2021, according to Kim. A baekbanjjip near Hallym University in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, which operated for nearly two decades, also closed its doors in March last year.
Rising costs of ingredients are also to blame for the difficulties, according to Kim. A 4.5 kg box of spinach which cost 10,000 won ($6.90) 10 years ago, now costs around 20,000 won.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency report last April, a serving of kimchi stew and rice cost 8,000 won in 2023. By comparison, a meal at Kim’s Cheongju Restaurant that comes with kimchi stew, rice, and six side dishes costs 9,000 won.
Menu board at Cheongju Restaurant in Hapjeong-dong, western Seoul. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
Preparing fresh side dishes everyday is also a challenging task. Kim wakes up early to prep the ingredients and make six side dishes for the day.
“What I am doing right now is biting off more than I can chew. But I want to warm my customers’ hearts and tummies with a meal that reminds them of home and feels comforting,” Kim said.
Diners seek other options
Baekbanjip owners are not going down without a fight, however.
Han, the 60-something chef and owner of Hansikdang in Hwayang-dong near Konkuk University Station on Subway Line Nos. 2 and 7, turned to a modern restaurant dinnerware concept three years ago to survive the downturn.
Having worked in the food industry for 30 years, Han believed offering better dining experiences with a stylish interior and dinnerware would attract customers who were moving away from old-style cuisine.
“The change in style did help me attract young customers and even foreign tourists, but nothing is left in my pocket after running the business like this. So, I am thinking of serving fewer side dishes in the coming months instead of increasing the price,” Han told The Korea Herald.
A pork ribs set is served at a Korean Restaurant in Hwayang-dong near Konkuk University Station on Subway Line Nos. 2 and 7. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD
At Han’s place, a stir-fried pork dish served with a bowl of rice and nine side dishes, including boiled quail eggs, kimchi and steamed broccoli, costs 12,000 won, which she considers reasonable.
Such efforts, however, cannot stem the tide of diners seeking other culinary options.
Ha Yoo-jeong, 24, a university student in Seoul, said she and her friends usually have malatang, spicy Chinese hot pot, for lunch or eat at the university cafeteria.
“It is easy to grab a bowl of malatang between classes since many malatang restaurants offer fast service. Baekban restaurant meals are dishes that we can eat at home and the restaurant interior is too old-fashioned for me to hangout with friends,” Ha said.
Yoon Hye-jeong, an office worker in Seoul in her 50s, said she usually eats at the company cafeteria, where a meal costs around 7,000 won.
“Company cafeterias these days provide a diverse selection of meals at a lower price than restaurants. So, I find little reason to eat at restaurants outside,” Yoon said.
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, emphasized that the struggles experienced by baekbanjip are unlikely to end anytime soon, as they will continue to face challenges from changing consumer preferences and economic environment.
“Fewer people prefer home-style meals at restaurants because they are similar to what they eat at home. Consumer food trends are shifting toward more specialized and diverse dining options such as Western food like pasta,” the professor said via phone.
“Also, raising prices is difficult even as operating costs rise because baekban restaurants have traditionally been viewed as being affordable, whose main customers are working-class people who typically look for budget-friendly meals. If owners charge more, they risk losing customers who expect cheap meals,” Lee noted.