Busan Korean BBQ with nuruk pork neck: Sanseong Sikyukjeom

A hanok-inspired Korean BBQ restaurant in Jeonpo-dong

I recently took a trip to Busan. Sanseong Sikyukjeom Jeonpo Direct Store (산성식육점 전포직영점) is a restaurant where you can try pork aged with traditional nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. I already love pork belly, so this time I had it alongside the nuruk pork neck. The atmosphere and menu felt a little different from a typical Korean BBQ place, which really stood out.

The first thing I noticed on arriving was the atmosphere, which felt a little different from an ordinary barbecue restaurant. The name Sanseong Sikyukjeom is unusual too. Apparently, it combines “Sanseong,” from Dongnae Sanseong Fortress, with sikyukjeom, meaning butcher shop. The name carries on the shop name of the owner’s parents, who ran a butcher shop at the Busan Buk-gu Office slaughterhouse, while bringing together Busan’s local character and the idea of a butcher shop. Maybe that is why it felt less like simply a place to eat meat and more like a space that naturally expresses Busan’s character.

An interior blending a hanok and butcher shop

Once inside, the distinctive feeling from outside continued. Sanseong Sikyukjeom designed the space around the concept, “What would a butcher shop made as a hanok look like?” It combines the warm hanok feeling of wood and roof tiles with the clean butcher-shop mood of steel and glass.

In person, it had a traditional feel while still looking clean and polished overall, so it seemed nice for a meal with friends or a gathering. There are group seats for up to eight people as well as more private dining spaces, so it may be useful to keep in mind if you are looking for a Jeonpo Station dinner gathering spot for a larger group.

What I ordered at Sanseong Sikyukjeom

After sitting down, I looked over the menu first. Sanseong Sikyukjeom recommends its Sanseong pork belly and nuruk pork neck as signature items. They say they select quality pork, then use cross-aging that combines wet- and dry-aging processes, followed by an aging method using traditional nuruk. It is a slightly different method from ordinary aged meat, so I was curious about the flavor.

• Pork belly + nuruk pork neck + special cuts 500g
• Suhyangmi pot rice for 2
• Freshwater-shrimp doenjang stew

This is what I ordered. I chose the signature selection because I wanted to try several cuts at once, and I liked that it included pork belly and nuruk pork neck as well as special cuts.

The savory texture of staff-grilled pork belly

The pork belly was naturally the first thing to catch my eye after ordering. Sanseong Sikyukjeom prepares its pork belly through a cross-aging process. As it sizzled on the grill, its savory aroma rose up and made me even hungrier.

One particularly memorable thing about Sanseong Sikyukjeom was that the staff grill the meat themselves. They do not simply put it on the grill; they explain each cut’s characteristics and how to enjoy it best as they cook. So while the meat cooked, I could hear about what each cut was and how it was best eaten. When you grill it yourself, it can be hard to focus on conversation while watching how done the meat is, so it was lovely to be able to eat comfortably while the staff handled it.

I tried a piece of the nicely browned pork belly. It had that savory pork flavor along with a pleasantly chewy texture. Meat really does taste best when it is freshly grilled and still warm :)

The nuruk pork neck I was most curious about

The dish I was most looking forward to that day was the nuruk pork neck. Even the name sounds a little different from ordinary pork neck, right? Sanseong Sikyukjeom uses traditional nuruk from Dongnae, Busan, to add a special aging process to its meat. The nuruk pork neck uses the key portion of the pork collar, preserving a chewy texture and rich juices.

The staff grilled it to a good eating point, so I tried a piece right away. It had the firm texture characteristic of pork neck, yet grew juicier the more I chewed, and it was delicious. It was especially fun to eat it with the pork belly and compare the textures and flavors of the two cuts.

If you would like to move beyond the pork belly or pork neck you usually eat and try a more unusual aged meat, nuruk pork neck could be a good choice. Personally, if it is your first visit to Sanseong Sikyukjeom, I would recommend ordering pork belly and nuruk pork neck together.

Special cuts 500g and side dishes

I also looked over the 500g assorted special cuts included in the signature selection. After having the pork belly and nuruk pork neck first, I tasted the special cuts one by one, and their varying textures made for a nice range. If you visit with several people, I thought it would be a good set for sharing several cuts rather than ordering just one kind of meat. If you are a meat lover especially, trying several cuts at once like this could be fun.

Sanseong Sikyukjeom offers a variety of accompaniments to enjoy with the meat, rather than serving meat alone. The signature selection comes with vegetable garnish and castella-style steamed egg, among other items, arranged so you can enjoy it almost like a course meal. When you keep eating meat, it is nice to have another dish appear here and there, isn’t it? It made the meal feel more varied than eating only meat.

Suhyangmi pot rice for 2

I like eating rice with meat, so I ordered the Suhyangmi pot rice too. The warm rice was great with the meat. Putting pork belly or pork neck over rice really makes it feel like a satisfying complete meal. If you want rice along with your meat rather than meat alone, the pot rice would be a good order too.

Freshwater-shrimp doenjang stew

When eating meat, I start craving a warm soup, so I ordered this as well. It was doenjang stew, a soybean-paste stew, with freshwater shrimp, so it felt different from a typical doenjang stew. Having the pot rice and stew together made for a satisfying finish to the meat meal. After having meat, rice, and soup, it really felt like I had eaten a proper dinner.

What I liked after trying it myself

The thing that stayed with me most after eating at Sanseong Sikyukjeom was definitely the aging method using nuruk. Pork belly and pork neck themselves are familiar dishes, but aging them with traditional nuruk made them feel a little different. I also liked that the staff grilled the meat themselves while explaining the cuts and how to eat them. Above all, the restaurant’s atmosphere differs from a typical Korean BBQ place, so it felt like I was experiencing the space as well as the food.

This time at Sanseong Sikyukjeom Jeonpo Direct Store, I tried a range of dishes including pork belly, nuruk pork neck, and special cuts. I already like pork belly, but trying the nuruk pork neck aged with traditional nuruk gave me a meat experience a little different from usual.

• Those looking for a distinctive Korean BBQ restaurant in Jeonpo-dong
• Those looking for pork belly near Jeonpo Station
• Those who want to try aged meat different from ordinary pork belly
• Those who want to sample a variety of cuts
• Those looking for a Jeonpo Station dinner gathering venue

For a first visit, I recommend starting with the pork belly, nuruk pork neck, and special-cuts selection, then adding Suhyangmi pot rice and doenjang stew. If you are looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant in Jeonpo-dong, add Sanseong Sikyukjeom Jeonpo Direct Store to your list for an experience a little different from an ordinary pork-belly place :)