Jeonju Bibimbap

Bibimbap exists everywhere in Korea, but Jeonju claims the definitive version and will explain why at length. The rice is cooked in beef broth rather than water, which is the main difference and the hardest to notice. On top go seasoned vegetables arranged in a circle, hwangpomuk, a pale mung bean jelly cut into strips, and raw seasoned beef with an egg yolk, though cooked beef is offered to anyone uneasy about that. It arrives in a brass bowl rather than the sizzling stone pot used elsewhere, with a soybean sprout soup alongside and a table of side dishes. You mix it hard before eating.

What to look for

• The brass bowl - the Jeonju standard, not the sizzling stone pot.
• Hwangpomuk - strips of pale mung bean jelly, mild and slippery.
• Yukhoe and yolk - raw seasoned beef with an egg on top.
• Kongnamul gukbap - the sprout soup and rice the city eats for breakfast.

When to go

Year round. Lunch is when the specialist places are at their best and their busiest, with queues around the hanok quarter from noon at weekends. A bibimbap festival is held in autumn. Come hungry, because the side dishes arrive whether you asked for them or not and turning them away is not really an option.

Practical notes

Jeonju bibimbap costs several times what the same dish costs elsewhere, and plenty of visitors decide the difference is not worth it. The hanok quarter versions are aimed at tourists and portions can be small for the price. Raw beef does not suit everyone and has to be ordered around. Vegetarians should ask about the broth and the paste.

Nearby

The hanok quarter, the paper workshops and the old gate area are all within walking distance.