This is the barley rice I tried when I visited Korea last fall. Barley rice is a wonderful healthy meal. It is rich in dietary fiber, which may help with fullness and digestive health, and it is said to raise blood sugar more slowly than white rice.
Although “barley rice” simply refers to a grain dish, at Korean restaurants it is often served as a full meal. It is usually comes with doenjang jjigae, or another main dish such as bulgogi, ojingeo bokkeum (spicy Korean stir-fried squid), gochujang galbi (spicy marinated ribs), grilled galbi, or grilled fish. It also comes with several vegetable side dishes that you can mix into the rice however you like.
Each restaurant serves slightly different side dishes, and the flavor can change depending on what you mix in and how much you add. Even though it is the same menu item, it can taste a little different every time.
During my visit to Korea, I think barley rice was probably the dish I ate most often. It felt the closest to a home-cooked meal, and every time I had it, it tasted a little new. My favorite ingredient to add is young radish kimchi, or yeolmu kimchi. Even just a few spoonfuls of doenjang jjigae and some yeolmu kimchi mixed into barley rice taste so good.
The first place I visited was Yeonhui Barley Rice, located at 33 Yeonhui-mat-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. I went there two or three times while I was in Korea. The price was around $12 to $19, and the menu was simple, clean, and very satisfying for an easy but filling meal.
Seaweed soup, sikhye (sweet rice drink), and barley snacks were available for self-service. The restaurant was not very large, but everything from ordering to eating and finishing the meal felt smooth and convenient.
During this trip to Korea, I noticed that many restaurants had become much more convenient. In most places, you can order and pay directly through a tablet placed at the table, and simple things like water or small self-service items are easy to get without waiting for staff. Many menus also include English, and sometimes Chinese or Japanese as well, so I think even foreign visitors dining alone would feel comfortable.
It was the kind of barley rice I could eat every day and still want again.
