Sunday dinner outdoor charcoal grill in Apgujeong Rodeo: Yeontan

The weather's finally cool enough for outdoor dining haha😊 So it had been a while since I went looking for a barbecue spot in Apgujeong Rodeo, and I ended up on an old-school-style outdoor date night😆

This time we visited Yeontan Gongjang. It's a place in Apgujeong Rodeo where you grill pork galbi (thick pork ribs) over real charcoal — perfect if you want to eat meat in a different kind of atmosphere.

Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang ⏰ Daily 16:00–24:00 / 🚘 Parking available

8 minutes from Apgujeong Rodeo Station, nearly full on a Sunday evening

Even the entrance sign at Yeontan Gongjang gives off that sense of history and good-restaurant vibes haha

It was about an 8-minute walk from Exit 5 of Apgujeong Rodeo Station. We arrived at 7pm on a Sunday and the place was nearly full except for 2-3 tables. If we hadn't booked ahead, we might not have gotten a seat🤣

One thing that surprised me — as soon as we sat down, they sanitized the table for us first. That was my first time seeing a place do that, and it was kind of fun. The owner was really upbeat too haha. While I was distracted watching the sanitizing, I looked around after it was done and

spotted a fan that really showed its age😆 It's been a while since I've seen a fan like that!

There was also a small side table next to our table, which was great for putting our bags on.

It's outdoor seating — but what if it rains?

Since it's an outdoor setup, you can feel the breeze and see the sky, so it didn't even feel like we were in Apgujeong — more like some getaway spot. I wondered what would happen if it rained, but there's a foldable awning along the wall that can form a roof, so no need to worry about that.

What we ordered and the price

The menu had meat dishes, rice/noodle dishes, and drinks. With such a variety beyond just meat, it looked like a solid spot for a company dinner or date in Apgujeong Rodeo — good for both the first and second round.

• Pork galbi (thick pork ribs) — 3 servings
• Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) — 1
• Kimchi-mari guksu (chilled kimchi noodle soup) — 1
• Rice — 2 bowls
• Total: ₩87,000

The basic side dish spread was simple.

We ordered the pork galbi, and the side dishes were exactly the kind that go well with ribs. Honestly, I preferred this to having a ton of side dishes.

Charcoal heat and how pre-cooked the meat was

It's genuinely been a while since I've seen real charcoal briquettes. The heat definitely lasted a long time — the fire never really weakened while we were grilling. Grilling meat over this kind of retro charcoal in Apgujeong felt like a totally different experience from a regular barbecue place.

The pork galbi came pre-cooked! I'd actually been worried it might burn on the charcoal, but since it was already about 70% cooked, we could finish it off easily.

And the ribs were quite thick.

At first I thought the portion might be small, but the meat was so thick that three servings was plenty for two people to eat until full.

And because it was cooked over real charcoal, you could actually taste that smoky charcoal flavor in the ribs, which made it even better😊

How was the pork galbi?

The galbi itself was lightly seasoned and mild, so you could really taste the rich flavor of the ribs even on their own. No gamey smell at all, and despite being thick, it wasn't tough at all — soft with a nice chewy texture. But ribs taste best with rice, right?😆 Eating it with rice or the kimchi noodle soup, I could keep going endlessly.

Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew)

The pork kimchi jjigae is truly a must-order. Made with sour kimchi, its tangy, refreshing taste cut right through the slightly greasy feeling left over from the ribs after just one spoonful. The meat was thick and packed with kimchi and vegetables — you could easily finish a whole bowl of rice with just this stew.

Kimchi-mari guksu (chilled kimchi noodle soup)

Personally I really love kimchi-mari guksu. At first it seemed a bit bland, but the more I ate, not at all~~ The freshness of the kimchi, the crunch of the cucumber, and the clean broth were all so good👍 Eating it alongside the ribs was such a great combination😆 Especially after eating the sweetly seasoned galbi, one bite of the noodles cleaned my palate right up — a perfect match with the meat. Since the broth wasn't like a cold noodle (naengmyeon) broth, you could really taste the distinct savory flavor of kimchi-mari guksu — my favorite noodle dish I've had in a while.

Wrap-up

Just looking at the table full of food made me happy, and it was a satisfying, hearty meal😆 If you want a unique date spot in Apgujeong Rodeo or feel like eating meat in an old-school outdoor grill atmosphere, I recommend Yeontan Gongjang, a barbecue restaurant in Apgujeong Rodeo👍 It's a great place to visit especially when you're craving pork galbi grilled over charcoal outdoors on a cool evening😊