CU Triple Jeongsik Bulbaek & Donkatsu Review [Korean Food]

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Korean convenience stores keep upgrading their lunch boxes. Today’s pick is CU’s new Triple Jeongsik Ganjang Bulbaek & Donkatsu with Sagol Kimchi Stew. CU has overhauled its ready-meal lineup for the start of the university semester. This box is one of the newcomers in its Triple Jeongsik lineup (jeongsik means a set meal). The concept is two main dishes plus a soup in one box. It recreates a full spread from a baekban (Korean set-meal) restaurant. For the price, it turned out to be a surprisingly filling lunch. Let’s see what’s inside.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: Triple Jeongsik Ganjang Bulbaek & Donkatsu with Sagol Kimchi Stew
Brand: CU convenience store lunch box (Triple Jeongsik lineup)
Price: 5,900 won
Weight and calories: 406 g · 596 kcal · sodium at 72% of the daily recommended value
Main components: six dishes: ganjang bulbaek (soy-marinated stir-fried pork bulgogi), donkatsu, sagol kimchi stew + 3 sides (stir-fried mushrooms, stir-fried shredded potato, stir-fried kimchi)
How to heat: microwave with the lunch box lid removed and the stew lid left on
Verdict: ★4.0 — ganjang bulbaek, donkatsu and stew in one filling, diner-style spread; the portion is big, though, so light eaters may find it a bit much.

Triple Jeongsik Ganjang Bulbaek & Donkatsu: Price and Highlights

CU’s Pbick lineup recently shook up the lunch box and fresh food shelves. Since the start of this September, CU has been changing its menu quickly, using Triple Jeongsik and Double Jeongsik lineups. I wondered what was going on. Ha. It turns out this is a renewal timed for the back-to-school and new-semester season. This menu is a full-course-style set that brings ganjang bulbaek, donkatsu and kimchi stew together in one box. The price is 5,900 won.

Information on a new convenience store lunch box

This box weighs 406 g and has 596 kcal, with sodium at 72% of the daily recommended value. The weight is on the hefty side, yet the calorie count feels lower than I expected. Considering it holds both kimchi stew and soy bulgogi, the sodium doesn’t seem very high either. Still, the lineup looks generous, so it may well leave you pleasantly full. This menu has broth, but no spoon is provided. It’s best to ask for one along with your chopsticks. To heat it, remove the lunch box lid and keep the stew lid on.

What’s in the Box

Let’s check what’s inside. Starting with the packaging, the container is quite large, as the name “Triple” suggests. With a main lunch box plus a broth dish, it feels clearly heftier than a regular lunch box. The set has six dishes in total, with three mains alone.

Lift the lid and you’ll find the rice, two mains and the sagol kimchi stew, each in its own spot. The brown ganjang bulbaek, golden donkatsu and red kimchi stew catch your eye at once. It looks hearty before you take a bite. It felt just like a set meal at a Korean taxi-driver diner.

First launch schedule of the Triple Jeongsik

The first main, ganjang bulbaek, is pork bulgogi stir-fried in a soy-based marinade. The seasoning has soaked in deeply, so the color is dark. Generous portions of meat make it look like a hearty partner for rice. The second main is the sagol kimchi stew (kimchi stew in a bone broth). As with most convenience store lunch box soups, it appears to be the gelled type set with gelatin. There isn’t a lot of it, but it looks good for a few light spoonfuls. A broth really does make a lunch box feel like a complete meal, doesn’t it?

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The last main is the donkatsu. It comes cut into bite-size pieces. The golden coating gives it the homey feel of a classic lunch box pork cutlet. Getting ganjang bulbaek and donkatsu in the same box may be this product’s biggest charm. The three sides are stir-fried mushrooms, stir-fried shredded potato and stir-fried kimchi. It’s an easygoing lineup that pairs well with the mains.

Taste Test: Soy Pork, Cutlet and Kimchi Stew

Time to dig in. After a spin in the microwave, I lifted the lid. The smell of soy seasoning and kimchi stew rose up together. That combination alone made me feel I could polish off a bowl of rice.

I started with the ganjang bulbaek. The sweet and salty soy seasoning had soaked well into the meat. The meat was tender, perfect with rice. I also picked up a faint, fire-grilled flavor. It plays the “rice thief” role (a dish that makes you finish your rice) very well.

Accurate price information for the Triple Jeongsik

The donkatsu had been reheated, so the crunch wasn’t fully alive. Still, the thick meat gave a satisfying bite. Dabbing it in a little of the ganjang bulbaek seasoning created another flavor. Mixing the two mains turned out to be quite fun.

The broth of the sagol kimchi stew was richer than I expected. The bone broth lays down a savory base, and the tangy, spicy kick of the kimchi sits on top. It resets your mouth between the rich cutlet and the sweet-and-salty bulbaek. Without this stew, I think I would have tired of the meal by the middle.

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Past the halfway point, a natural routine forms. You put bulbaek on the rice, take a piece of donkatsu, then sip a spoonful of stew. Because the flavor keeps changing, I never got tired of it. Pouring the leftover broth over rice finishes the meal perfectly, too.

Information on the ganjang bulbaek main dish

Final Verdict: A Baekban-Style Spread in a Convenience Store Box

Personally, I felt this is a perfect fit for anyone who found single-main lunch boxes a little lacking. That said, with two mains plus the stew, the portion is fairly large. Light eaters may find it a bit much. I’d recommend it to people who find one dish isn’t enough. It also suits anyone who insists on broth in a lunch box. And it fits anyone wanting a baekban restaurant feel from a convenience store. Want that kind of set-meal spread without sitting down at a restaurant? This 5,900-won box is an easy way to get it.

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For the Triple Jeongsik launch, see the (Korean source) Newspim report on CU’s back-to-school ready-meal overhaul.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the CU Triple Jeongsik Ganjang Bulbaek & Donkatsu with Sagol Kimchi Stew?

It costs 5,900 won. The box weighs 406 g with 596 kcal, and the sodium is 72% of the daily recommended value.

Q. How does the CU Triple Jeongsik taste?

Personally, I never got tired of it, because the flavors kept changing. The ganjang bulbaek was sweet, salty and tender. The donkatsu lost some crunch after heating but still had a satisfying thick bite. Finally, the sagol kimchi stew had a richer broth than expected and cleared the palate nicely.

Q. Who is the CU Triple Jeongsik best suited to?

It suits anyone who finds a single main dish a little lacking. It also fits people who want broth in their lunch box. The portion is fairly large, though, so light eaters may find it a bit much.

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