Bongmyeong-dong pork restaurant in Cheongju: juicy pork neck at Anmin

I'd been craving proper pork for a while, so I headed to Anmin Cheongju in Bongmyeong-dong. I heard staff grill the thick, whole cuts of raw pork for you, so I went in with high expectations :)

What Anmin Cheongju in Bongmyeong-dong looks like inside

It's a great spot for an evening visit, and it's easy to find when you're out for meat in Bongmyeong-dong. Anmin Cheongju is a raw pork hwaro-gui (charcoal grill) specialist in Bongmyeong-dong, Cheongju. Even from outside, it has that classic BBQ-restaurant feel, and everything was neatly kept, which made for a good first impression.

The name Anmin (안민) means "peaceful people" — literally "an" (peace) and "min" (people). After branches in Jinhae and Gimhae, this is the third chapter, opened in the owner's hometown of Cheongju's Bongmyeong-dong. Reading that, it felt less like just another new BBQ place and more like a spot meant to be loved in this neighborhood for a long time.

Table spacing and the staff grilling service at Anmin Cheongju

Once inside, the seating was more spaced out than I expected.

The tables weren't crammed together, so I could eat without worrying about the next table, and the overall vibe was clean and tidy.

One thing that quietly matters a lot at a BBQ restaurant is the grilling itself, and here the staff grill the meat for you, which made things easy.

Getting the timing right on thick, whole cuts of meat is trickier than it looks, so it was nice to just chat and wait while someone else handled it. I'd also been a bit worried about my clothes picking up the smoky smell, but with staff doing the grilling, there was a lot less to worry about :) They also had aprons ready for families, so parents dining with kids — or anyone worried about splatters — could relax and enjoy the meal.

Ordering raw whole pork belly and whole pork neck

Anmin has a wide range of pork menu items, including raw whole pork belly, whole pork neck, and an assorted platter of specialty cuts.

Since I wanted to really taste basic pork done right, I ordered raw whole pork belly, raw whole pork neck, and steamed egg. Unlike belly that's sliced thin from the start, these come out as thick whole cuts, so even the grilling looked different. The side dishes were great too, and it was a genuinely pleasant meal — it felt like being properly taken care of.

How was the thick-cut pork belly?

First, the whole pork belly. It was clearly thick, and it looked appetizing the moment it hit the grill. Staff grilled it, browning the outside first before cutting it into bite-sized pieces — and thick cuts like this really do need to be cooked that way to bring out the flavor.

Browned on the outside, moist inside. One bite gave that classic savory pork belly fat flavor without being overly chewy — I liked that.

It was tasty with just a light dip of salt, and it also paired nicely with the side accompaniments.

If you like thick-cut raw pork, this dish would be pretty satisfying.

Why the whole pork neck was the pick of the meal

What stood out to me most that day was the whole pork neck. Pork neck can easily turn dry if it's grilled wrong, but with staff grilling the thick cut for me, it stayed juicy. Biting in, you get that clean, lean flavor together with the juices.

Some people prefer the fattier taste of belly, but honestly, the more I ate, the more I found myself reaching for the neck.

If you enjoy the flavor of the meat itself, it's worth ordering.

So I'd honestly recommend the pork neck to anyone looking for a pork menu in Bongmyeong-dong.

Steamed egg (gyeran-jjim), the side that pairs best with the pork

It would feel a bit incomplete without steamed egg alongside the meat, so I ordered that too. A warm, soft spoonful of steamed egg, then back to a piece of meat. That combo never fails haha. With all that thick pork, the soft steamed egg in between felt like a palate reset, and it paired really well with the meat.

Is Anmin Cheongju worth it for thick-cut pork with no grilling to do?

Anmin Cheongju has a different charm from the typical BBQ place where you quickly grill thin-sliced belly yourself. What I liked most was that with thick raw whole pork belly and pork neck grilled by staff, I could just relax and eat without worrying about the grilling.

The whole pork neck especially was soft and juicy and stuck with me, and the belly had a proper savory richness — it made me think pork really does taste best grilled thick.

The place is clean, there's a waiting area, and the seating has decent spacing — good for dinner with friends or a family meal out. If you're craving proper pork in Bongmyeong-dong, it's worth checking out as one of the neighborhood's meat spots.

If you're especially into thick belly or pork neck, it's worth a visit next time you're hunting for great pork belly in Cheongju. Next time I'd like to try the specialty cuts I didn't get to that day. A place where someone else grills the meat is just easier, haha. Good pork makes for good conversation — and busy chopsticks ^^