Looking for the best restaurants, cafes, and spots for drinks in Pyeongtaek? Here are the winners of the 2022 Best of Pyeongtaek Awards! What is the South of Seoul Best of Pyeongtaek Poll? South of Seoul is proud to host the 6th Annual Best of Pyeongtaek Poll to celebrate our delicious and delightful community. Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul (SOS) volunteer organization supports ex-pats living outside Seoul. The SOS volunteers manage multiple Facebook groups, the South of Seoul Facebook page, the South of Seoul blog, the SOS Public Health Program, and the South of Seoul smartphone app. You can see a review of 2022 SOS accomplishments here. Our volunteers adore the rich life we live south of Seoul, and we feel honored to help new arrivals discover the hidden magic it holds. Pyeongtaek is a rewarding mix of city life and country life which can make it a challenge for new arrivals since access may feel complicated. However, with a little information like the ‘Best of Pyeongtaek Poll Winners’ list, Pyeongtaek-si can be a delightful place for new arrivals and long-term international residents alike. How did the South of Seoul Best of Pyeongtaek Poll change in 2022? For 2022 we added a few new categories and withdrew a few to respond to the changes in our community’s dining needs and culinary interests. Since SOS volunteers stay closely connected with the community, we adjust the categories each year to reflect what is happening. We assess the current needs of the international community by analyzing the information and questions shared in our various community groups. Such an agile program design means the Best of Pyeongtaek Poll is a little different each year. Who votes in the Best of Pyeongtaek Poll? The South of Seoul Best of Pyeongtaek poll is open to the public. We make every feasible effort to reach outside the South of Seoul community into the communities around us to gain an authentic insight into the preferences of English-speaking international residents in Pyeongtaek. SOS volunteers feel confirmation bias does not serve the greater good, so we seek opinions outside of our own sphere of influence. We want the Best of Pyeongtaek Poll to hold accurate information, whether that information matches our beliefs or not. South of Seoul limits each business to 3 wins. We do this to keep the poll results engaging, helpful, and informative. In addition, since write-in votes are allowed, and some businesses may have an overwhelming advantage due to location and language ability, limiting the number of wins per business to 3 categories creates a better experience for all involved. South of Seoul volunteers want to meet the community’s authentic needs. Therefore, the South of Seoul Best of Pyeongtaek Poll provides us with the insight we need by reflecting on the opinions of others. That said, nothing about this poll is scientific. It is for fun and for community development. We level the playing field by leaving the poll open for two weeks so that community members can vote once a day and deeply support the people and businesses they love. Over 320 ballots were cast in 2021, over 730 were submitted in 2022, and over 760 in 2023. What did you learn from the Best of Pyeongtaek Poll in 2023? When reviewing the responses to The Best of Pyeongtaek 2023 poll, we found that English-speaking residents’ comfort zone in Pyeongtaek continued to expand! We can see this trend based on the increasing votes for locations beyond Sinjang-dong and Anjeong-ri. This trend started in 2018 and continues to grow each year. We love to see the international community comfortably exploring more areas across Pyeongtaek-si. In 2023, 33% of Best of Pyeongtaek winners are located away from US military bases. Each year more votes are cast for businesses that 1) aren’t English-dominant or 2) are located outside the Songtan/Sinjang-dong or Paengseong-eup areas. This growing trend makes our South of Seoul hearts very happy. In 2023, we learned that South of Seoul continues to be a leader in information in Pyeongtaek. Our Pyeongtaek Food & Fun Facebook Group has been a powerhouse of information with the community that allows us all to come together to support people every single day. The hard work of each Pyeongtaek Food & Fun member has driven the group to become one of the most influential places for international residents living in Pyeongtaek to gather information.  We want to congratulate the SOS Technology Development Volunteers for continuing to build the South of Seoul app. We never imagined a volunteer-built app could compete in Pyeongtaek with giants like Naver, Kakao, Google, and Facebook. Enough talking, time to get down to business. *drum roll please* We are proud to announce the amazing, hard-working, talented winners of The Best of Pyeongtaek 2022. Go visit them all! PYEONGTAEK’S BEST NEIGHBORHOODS SOSABEOL Offers the Best Experience for Date Nights and Families Two common questions in the Pyeongtaek Food & Fun group are, “Where can we go on a date?” or “Where can I go that’s family-friendly?” Every year since the Best of Pyeongtaek Poll started, Sosabeol has been the date night choice of English-speaking residents of Pyeongtaek. Past Awards: PAENGSEONG-EUP (ANJEONG-RI) Offers the Best Experience for Hanging Out The English-speaking residents of Pyeongtaek have spoken and chosen Paengseong-eup (this includes Anjeongri-ri). This is the first win for Paengseong (Anjeongri) as in the past, Sosabeol has swept all of the votes for Best “Date Night” Neighborhood, Best “Family” Neighborhood, and Best “Hangout” Neighborhood. So, if you want to hang out with friends or find new friends, maybe consider visiting Anjeong-ri for an evening of bar hopping and evening fun. PYEONGTAEK’S BEST RESTAURANT WINNERS IN 2022 Best International Grilled Meat: BRAAI REPUBLIC Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Braai Republic offers heaping plates of South African comfort food including grilled lamb, ribs, chicken, and more. Braai Republic also has a location in Seoul. In addition to their BBQ, we also recommend their hearty and filling meat pies. Braai has been winning Best of Pyeongtaek awards since 2018! Braai Republic’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Pub / Sports Bar: Sous Vide Chicken Pub Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Jukbaek-dong (Sosabeol) Sous Vide Chicken Pub has a unique and interesting menu. They even have a giant chicken dish that gets set on fire. It’s hard to compete with a restaurant that offers delicious and exciting food along with a nice assortment of beers, including some they brew themselves. This is their first year winning Best Pub or Sports Bar. Sous Vide Chicken‘s Other Awards: Support This Business: Best American BBQ Restaurant: JP’S BBQ Neighborhoods: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong and Sinjang (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base and Osan Air Force Base) JPs has been working hard to bring authentic USA-style smoked meat to Pyeongtaek for years, and that work has paid off! He started out working the pink carts in Songtan and grew into a catering company. In 2018, he and his wife opened their own storefront in Paengseon,g and in 2019, they opened a second location in Songtan/Sinjang-dong. Since last year they continue to sweep all non-Korean BBQ categories. JP’s BBQ’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Pork Galbi Restaurant: MYEONGNYUM AYCE Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Myeongnyum AYCE is another popular galbi restaurant in South Korea that recently opened a new location in Paengseong. The location became a big hit with the English-speaking community in 2021 earning them their first Best of Pyeongtaek award. Not only is their galbi excellent, they are also all-you-can-eat (AYCE). Myeongnyu AYCE Other Awards: Support This Business Best Korean BBQ Restaurant: ARIRANG Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Arirang has been around for many years. The location offers delicious Korean BBQ and side dishes near gorgeous cafes. It makes it the perfect spot for families, couples, and companies. The location also offers plenty of parking huge tables and private rooms. This is Arirang’s second Best of Pyeongtaek win. They greatly deserve it since they are popular with both Korean and English-speaking residents. Arirang’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Fried Chicken: MR CHICKEN Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Sinjang-dong (Near Osan Air Force Base) Mr. Chicken has been at it for a while in the Sinjang-dong area. The location is towards the end of the Sinjang Shopping Mall off the beaten path. With delicious options including garlic soy sauce, yangnyeom or just plain fried chicken, you cannot go wrong. And top off your order with his french fry and tater tots mix! The perfect meal for hungry days. This is Mr. Chicken’s first Best of Pyeongtaek win. Support This Business Best Family Restaurant: SOUS VIDE CHICKEN PUB Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Jukbaek-dong (Sosabeol) Sous Vide Chicken Pub has a unique and interesting menu. They even have a giant chicken dish that gets set on fire. It’s hard to compete with a restaurant that offers delicious and exciting food along with a nice assortment of beers, including some they brew themselves. Sous Vide Chicken Pub’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best NOT Fried Chicken: SOUS VIDE CHICKEN PUB Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Jukbaek-dong (Sosabeol) Not everyone enjoys fried chicken and you have great options. The best option in Pyeongtaek is Sous Vide Chicken Pub where you can have sous vide chicken dishes that melt off the bone. Sous Vide Chicken Pub Other Awards: Support This Business Best South American Restaurant: CEVICHE 210 Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Sinjang-dong (Near Osan Air Force Base) When you think Pyeongtaek you probably don’t think “What an amazing place for Peruvian food!”… but you should. The best of the bunch is hands down, Ceviche 210. It’s a show-stopper. It’s hard to pick a favorite dish on their menu because it’s all friggen’ delicious. Their green sauce is a legend all its own. Ceviche 210 also offers stunning off-site catering for your events. They often cater events for the Peruvian embassy in Seoul. Ceviche 210’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Filipino Restaurant: MABUHAY PHILIPPINE FOOD Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) In Pyeongtaek-si, we have been blessed with a plethora of Filipino options. This year the small but mighty Mabuhay Philippine Food restaurant took home the title of Best of Filipino Food in Pyeongtaek. Their diverse menu and excellent prices made them a favorite. Support This Business Best Thai Restaurant: TASTE of THAILAND Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Taste of Thailand moved to Pyeongtaek from Seoul and is one of the newest Thai restaurants to enter the food scene in our area. Their experience allowed them to move through 2020 with confidence that impressed the community. They continue to deliver consistent food and service. Their iced tea is an absolute MUST Try. Taste of Thailand’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Fusion-Mexican or Mexican: QUE RICO Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Que Rico has been a Pyeongtaek favorite for many years. Their focus on traditional Mexican food and a great atmosphere make it the perfect spot for tacos and other Mexican meals. If you love authentic Mexican food, flavors and tacos, make sure to put Que Rico on your list of top spots. Que Rico’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Vietnamese: PHO VIETNAM Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Vietnamese restaurants became a popular trend across Pyeongtaek in 2020 with a wide variety of new spots opening in many different neighborhoods. However, Pho Vietnam stood out. Tucked away on a side street in Anjeongri near Camp Humphreys, this small restaurant continues to offer big flavor and good prices. Pho Vietnam’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best Middle Eastern: RED ONION Neighborhood: Pyeongtaek-si, Paengseong (Near Camp Humphreys Army Base) Red Onion, one of the oldest Turkish kebab restaurants in the area, moved into a big, beautiful space in 2019. The new space and their improved menu certainly wowed Pyeongtaek. They won Best Middle Eastern restaurant by a landslide despite some stiff competition. We are loving this new trend in fancy middle eastern restaurants. They offer classic middle eastern dishes and delicious fusion burgers and tacos. Red Onion’s Other Awards: Support This Business Best...

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