5 Must-Try Restaurants in Icheon
- 'Naratnim Icheon Rice' in Sa-eum-dong, Icheon — rice set even a king would love
- 'Santa's Stone Jjajang' in Icheon — a magical combo of seasoned crab and jjajang
- 'Seongsuni Aged Kimchi' in Icheon — a hot pot overflowing with aged kimchi and beef shank
- 'King's Rice House' in Sugwang-ri, Icheon — Icheon rice you must try before you die
- 'Sammi Bunsik' in Icheon — became a market success with snacks and spicy chicken feet
Icheon, where wide plains meet gentle hills, has long been celebrated for its food. Ingredients grown with clean water and fertile soil give local dishes a naturally deep flavor. From time-honored restaurants to spots that spotlight local produce with personality, every meal here carries a sense of place. These five restaurants are worth a spontaneous stop on a road trip — or a dedicated detour.
A rice set fit for a king — 'Naratnim Icheon Rice' in Sa-eum-dong, Icheon
'Naratnim Icheon Rice' in Sa-eum-dong is proud of its generous seasonal banchan and standout specialty dishes. Expect glossy, perfectly sticky pot-cooked rice paired with tidy, homey side dishes. The classic Icheon rice set — featuring marinated crab, grilled flounder, and a variety of sides — is excellent. But the Naratnim set, which adds a delicate tteokgalbi and smoky stir-fried webfoot octopus, really steals the show. There's also plenty of parking, so it's easy to stop by.
See more about 'Naratnim Icheon Rice' on Siksin▶
✔Location
3052 Gyeongchung-daero, Sa-eum-dong, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
✔Hours
Daily 10:00 AM–9:00 PM (last order 8:00 PM)
✔Prices
Naratnim Set: 33,000 KRW (≈ $24.75 USD), Naratnim Taepyeongseongdae Set: 30,000 KRW (≈ $22.50 USD)
Seasoned crab meets jjajang — 'Santa's Stone Jjajang' in Icheon
'Santa's Stone Jjajang' is famous for its playful pairing of blazing-hot stone jjajang and seasoned crab. The dish comes out on a sizzling 250°C (482°F) stone plate heaped with toppings — delicious on its own — but the twist is mixing the crab sauce into the jjajang and finishing with spoonfuls of crab meat. The result is a flavor combo that's unexpected and addictive.
See more about 'Santa's Stone Jjajang' on Siksin▶
Location
1062-67 Deokpyeong-ro, Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
Hours
Tue–Sun 11:00 AM–8:00 PM (break 3:00–4:30 PM / last order 7:00 PM) / Closed every Monday
Prices
Santa Stone Jjajang (medium): 29,000 KRW (≈ $21.75 USD) Santa Stone Jjajang (large): 40,000 KRW (≈ $30.00 USD) Rudolph Seasoned Crab (half plate): 23,000 KRW (≈ $17.25 USD)
A hot pot brimming with aged kimchi and beef shank — 'Seongsuni Aged Kimchi' in Icheon
Seongsuni Aged Kimchi is all about generous portions — the pot looks ready to spill over. They use kimchi aged 18 months in a low-temperature cellar to build the stew's deep flavor. As it simmers, the kimchi develops a sweet-savory balance and combines with scallion kimchi and young radish kimchi to create a one-of-a-kind three-kimchi profile. The owner brings in whole pork shoulder (with skin on) daily and trims it by hand — reportedly thousands of precise cuts — producing tender, springy meat that gives the hot pot a rich, layered taste.
See more about 'Seongsuni Aged Kimchi' on Siksin
- ✔Location
106 Jungnicheon-ro, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ✔Hours
Contact for details
- ✔Prices
Aged Kimchi Beef Shank Hot Pot (large): 50,000 KRW (≈ $37.50 USD), Aged Kimchi & Octopus Hot Pot (large): 50,000 KRW (≈ $37.50 USD)
Icheon rice you have to try — 'King's Rice House' in Sugwang-ri, Icheon
'King's Rice House' in Sugwang-ri is run by a certified Korean cuisine chef who has stuck to a 20-year rule: source the best ingredients and cook everything by hand. No premade shortcuts here — side dishes and mains are all homemade. Standouts include hand-ground tteokgalbi, perfectly prepared dried yellow corvina without any fishy smell, and house-made soy-marinated crab bursting with roe. Expect an elevated, carefully plated Korean set meal.
See more about 'King's Rice House' on Siksin▶
✔Location3134 Gyeongchung-daero, Sindun-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
✔Hours
Daily 10:30 AM–9:00 PM (last order 8:00 PM)
✔Prices
King's Set: 61,000 KRW (≈ $45.75 USD) Soy-Marinated Crab Set: 50,000 KRW (≈ $37.50 USD) Sura Set: 46,000 KRW (≈ $34.50 USD)
'Sammi Bunsik' in Icheon — a market snack counter turned wealthy local business
Sammi Bunsik reportedly turned a simple market snack stall into a business making 1.6 billion KRW (≈ $1,200,000 USD) in annual sales on the strength of flavor alone. Their menu covers a wide range: clean, crisp fried snacks, mildly sweet tteokbokki, crunchy gizzard fritters, and fiery chicken feet — everything from a quick bite to late-night bar fare. With generous portions and low prices, the shop is beloved by students and seniors alike. Pro tip: dunk a crispy fry into the spicy chicken feet sauce for a deliciously unexpected combo.
See more about 'Sammi Bunsik' on Siksin
- ✔Location
9 Jungnicheon-ro 21beon-gil, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
- ✔Hours
Daily 7:00 AM–1:30 AM / Closed every third Sunday of the month
- ✔Prices
Chicken feet: 15,000 KRW (≈ $11.25 USD) Gizzard fritters: 10,000 KRW (≈ $7.50 USD) Chicken feet tteokbokki: 7,000 KRW (≈ $5.25 USD)
