Korean BBQ with corkage in Euljiro 3-ga: bone grill, Eulji Baektan

Today I want to introduce a great spot in Euljiro 3-ga for when you're craving charcoal-grilled meat. Euljiro has so many great restaurants and bars that it's always hard to decide where to go.

This time I went for something a bit different — grilled pork neck bones over charcoal, known as ppyeogui (bone grill). What made this place especially interesting is that they use baektan, or white charcoal, considered the top-tier charcoal, instead of regular charcoal. This is Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui (을지백탄뼈구이). Let's go check it out!

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui location and opening hours

📍 1 second from Exit 11 of Euljiro 3-ga Station

⏰ Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-24:00 (last order 23:00)

Exterior and parking at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui

The accessibility of Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui really impressed me. It's located right at the exit — you could say it's 1 second on foot from Exit 11 of Euljiro 3-ga Station, making it super close to the subway.

It's also bookable through Naver Reservation and Catch Table, which is convenient if you want to secure a table before heading over.

Inside the restaurant and 2nd-floor seating for group dinners

As the name suggests, Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui grills bone meat and cuttlefish over top-grade white charcoal. Simply grilling meat over charcoal is one thing, but using white charcoal specifically is what really sets this place apart.

Once inside, the place was bigger than I expected. There's space not just on the 1st floor but also on the 2nd floor, so it looked good for both a small meal and a larger group visit.

The 2nd floor in particular has multiple tables set up, making it a great structure for a company dinner or group gathering. Euljiro is an area with a lot of office workers, and many people come looking for a spot for after-work drinks — the food here pairs really well with alcohol and the space is spacious enough that it felt like a solid choice for a group dinner.

🚻 Restroom

The restroom is inside the building and is unisex. (2nd floor)

Menu prices and corkage fee

The main dish is the bone grill, but there are also some more unusual menu items. If you come with a group, it seems like a good idea to order the basic bone grill plus a few extras on top~~ Corkage is also available (₩20,000).

What we ordered and the side dishes

What we ordered was…!!!

• ✔️ White charcoal bone grill (small) - ₩39,000
• ✔️ Rice ball - ₩5,000

My seat was at a table that could fit 8 people, split down the middle by a row of drink glasses. Spoons, chopsticks, glasses, and cups are self-serve from there.

The basic side dishes were baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi), kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and salad. I especially liked how well the baek-kimchi paired with the meal~~

The perfect partner for bone grill is the rice ball!! To balance out the spiciness of the bone grill, the rice ball isn't optional — it's essential!

They make the rice ball with these flashy hand movements... haha. Take a bite of the rice ball, then follow it with the bone grill — the sweet and salty sauce goes so well with the rice that I kept reaching for more.

How spicy is spice level 1 bone grill?

Finally, today's star — the bone grill — makes its appearance!!! You can choose the spice level out of 4 total. Since my friend can't handle spicy food well, we ordered the mildest, level 1.

Level 1 isn't completely spice-free, but it was a sweet sauce flavor that even someone who's sensitive to spice could easily handle. If you like spicy food but don't want anything too intense, starting at level 1 seems totally fine.

How the white charcoal bone grill tastes

Once the bone grill hit the grill plate, the first thing I noticed was, of course, the charcoal aroma. The white charcoal used here is known as a premium type of charcoal — the heat is relatively consistent, and instead of a strong burnt smell, it's said to add a subtle smoky aroma to the food.

Actually eating the bone grill, the sweetness of the sauce, the meaty flavor from the pork neck bones, and the subtle rising charcoal aroma all came together well. There was also the fun of tearing off the meat stuck to the bones.

Grilled whole scallions

Above all, you can't skip the grilled scallions. Grilled whole, the outside turned golden and browned while the inside stayed soft and moist.

Eaten together with the rich sauce of the bone grill, the scallion's natural sweetness added a surprisingly great match.

You should definitely try the combo of bone grill + rice ball + grilled scallion. I used to think bone grill was all about the spiciness, but level 1 turned out to be sweeter than expected, so it was easy to enjoy without any pressure. Next time, it might be fun to bump the spice level up a notch.

Final verdict on Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui was a place where you can enjoy the charcoal aroma of pork neck bones grilled over top-grade white charcoal, along with a sweet sauce. If you want something special instead of the usual grilled meat in Euljiro, or if you're looking for an Euljiro restaurant close to the station or a good spot for a company dinner, this is worth a visit.

Especially if you want to enjoy deep charcoal-smoked bone grill with a drink after work, I highly recommend this Euljiro restaurant, Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui.