Jinju is known throughout the country for its bibimbap (sometimes called ggotbap or "flower rice"), a mixed rice bowl with a variety of vegetables. A couple of restaurants that specialize in bibimbap are Cheonhwang Shikdang (tel. 055/741-2646), located near Jung-ang Shijang, just a block off the main drag, and Jeil Shikdang (tel. 055/741-5591), right next to the fortress and the folk museum.
Other specialties of the area include heotjesatbap, a "fake" rice meal traditionally made for the ancestral memorial table by starving scholars. Another Jinju favorite is jang-uh gui, grilled eel. A concentration of restaurants specializing in the fish dish is located along the waterfront near the fortress. They are all very similar to each other and charge a universal price of about W13,000 for an eel meal. Yujeong Jang-uh (tel. 055/746-9235) is one such restaurant that specializes in both freshwater and saltwater eel. The restaurant doesn't have an English sign, but just look for the ornate, traditional-looking house just west of the bridge. A meal will easily feed two, especially if you pay the extra W1,000 for rice. The menu on the wall, thankfully, is in English.
For a totally different meal, you can have Vietnamese cuisine at the chain place Hoa Binh, 768-4 Pyeonggeo-dong, Jinju-si (tel. 055/747-4554), a block from the river. A bowl of pho (Vietnamese rice noodles) will set you back W7,900.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
