Bukjang (Bukchigo Jangguchigo) Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam

Food Quality
Atmosphere / Services
Reasonable Priced
Summary

There is no better place to have Korean food other than the Korean town in Coquitlam. We were heading to H-Mart for some grocery shopping and thought to stop by this authentic Korean Restaurant called Bukjang. It is a little confusing when we googled Bukjang and “Bukchigo Jangguchigo” showed up. We double-checked the location to confirm it’s just a change of name and went in. Bukjang is 2 store-front away from another Korean restaurant called Kimbab Cheonguk. The food type and atmosphere between the two are completely different, but they are equally qualified as authentic Korean food.

Strength: Authentic Korean food for drinking
Weakness: Intestine-heavy food type may not be for everyone

Other Korean Restaurants

Dolpan Seoul BBQ (4.5 Stars)
Potters Garden (3.5 Stars)
Wang Ga Ma (왕가 마), King of Korean Stew (5 Stars)
Kimbab Cheonguk (4.5 Stars)

Name Changed from Bukchigo Jangguchigo

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Logo on Menu

If like me, you found Bukchigo Jangguchigo when you googled Bukjang, don’t be alarmed. Here is proof that they are the same store.

Bukjang Korean Store

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Front

This restaurant has a very modest storefront. It is located at the end of a corner. With black and white signage and tinted glass to obscure the view to the interior, it doesn’t draw much attention.

Traditional Korean and cozy Interior

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Interior

Bukjang is more of a place for drinking. There are sections of the menu that are dedicated to dishes that goes well with alcohol. The menu is also versatile in featuring some of the traditional Korean dishes. The dishes served here are very good, but even better if you have it with friends and alcohol.

A world separated from outside

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Interior 3

The interior space is quite dark compared to outside because of the tinted windows. With limited natural daylight, the lighting and atmosphere can be better controlled. We noticed the interior was a little stuffy after walking out of the store.

The special menu on the walls

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Interior 4

Similar to some Chinese restaurants, you can find some special items in Korean that are not on the menu. The wallpaper with floral prints seems to come with standard size and pieced together. You can see the seam in between. This little detail makes the place feel cozier.

Ceramic bowls for rice wine

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Wine cups

It was interesting to see all these bowls with different glazing and inscriptions. I asked one of the waitresses and she explained to me that these are bowls from different regular customers. They would come here to have rice wine with their own bowl. It just shows that this place kept a lot of Korean’s traditions.

Metal utensil and water bottle

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Utensil

The metal chopsticks are rectangular in profile. They have interesting detailing at the back. Again, we received a bottle of cold water to pour for ourselves. The waitress are very friendly and always smiling when coming to our table. Their English has quite a heavy Korean accent because Bukjang’s customer base are mostly Korean.

Three types of complementary sides

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam Sides

The three side dishes were bean curd, preserved daikon, and preserved onion with jalapeño. The sliced bean curd was chewy and sweet. Daikon was quite sour, and the onions are less sour with a bit of spiciness to it. I like the crunchiness of the onion side dish.

Stir-Fried Pork Intestine

This dish is filled with Korean spicy sauce which is known to be slightly on the sweet side. We ordered this dish with medium spiciness but it is still quite spicy. I guess the spicy profile goes well with soju.

The outer shell of pork intestines is tough at some parts. This requires some efforts on the teeth. Small pieces of the intestines were left as an oval shape, but they would cut it in half if the pieces get too big. There is also some pork blood rice cake. It feels hollow because the rice came out during the cooking process.

Seafood Tofu Soup

The soup was very delicious. It’s like a flavor explosion in my mouth. There are squid, clam, shrimp, and prawns in them. After swallowing the soup, the flavor stays in my mouth for a couple more seconds.

The tofu was very tender that you cannot pick up with chopsticks. They also have a strong clam note. The cast-iron bowl kept the soup hot til the end of my visit

Thoughtful to-go box

Bukjang Korean Cuisine in Coquitlam To-Go Box

This is the first time seeing anyone putting a layer of aluminum foil inside the styrofoam container. I say this is very thoughtful because the food in Bukjang is served on a hot iron plate. The aluminum foil prevents the container from being melted by the hot food. Whether you believe this or not, the aluminum foil takes away the concern.

604 Food Critic Assessment

Bukjang is a small Korean restaurant. Tradition and authenticity can be observed throughout the store. The food was individually made to order and they are very tasty. We ordered 2 items and it cost us $20 per person so they are not exactly cheap. I think the atmosphere was set up for drinking, and that is what I am going to do on my next visit.