Yuseong pork belly with 10 side dishes and pot rice: Jeonju House

Hi, this is Dyadya :) There are so many new BBQ places popping up these days that picking a restaurant is oddly hard! I heard there was cast-iron pork belly in Yuseong, so I checked it out. Let me introduce Jeonju House, a pork belly spot in Yuseong, Daejeon.

Jeonju House hours, location and parking

• Hours: Daily 09:00–22:20 (last order 21:20)
• Address: 36 Oncheon-ro 101beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 1st floor
• 989m from Yuseong Oncheon Station Exit 7
• Parking: Roadside parking in front of the restaurant

The storefront really stands out, so you'll spot it right away if you're nearby. There was a table-management kiosk by the entrance, but since I came late on a weekday, it looked like it was turned off.

Inside Jeonju House and who eats there

The inside of Jeonju House was pretty spacious, with tables on both sides of the entrance! There was also a staircase up to a second floor, and when I asked, they said those were reservation-only seats. Most of the customers were older folks, having gatherings or work dinners. Is it just me, or is it a good sign when a restaurant is full of older customers when you walk in? Feels like a certified local favorite, and my expectations shot up.

Ordering cast-iron pork belly for two, pot rice and doenjang stew

Here's the menu at Jeonju House, a pork belly spot in Yuseong, Daejeon. The cast-iron rib kimchi stew looked delicious too, but I couldn't resist cast-iron grilled pork belly... My older sister and I came together and ordered two servings of raw pork belly on the cast-iron lid, cast-iron pot rice, and doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)!

The 10 side dishes at Jeonju House, and which were best

These are the standard side dishes at Jeonju House. I counted them and there were a whopping 10 🫢 Most were the kind of dishes that are a hassle to make at home, so I was extra happy to see them. Whoever makes these clearly has skill — every single side dish was delicious. The white wood ear mushroom banchan with its chewy texture and the eggplant namul were the absolute best!

Grilling pork belly over aged kimchi on the cast-iron lid

While we were curbing our hunger with the side dishes, out came the raw pork belly 😋 You could feel the freshness of the raw meat right away. With the skin still on, it looked almost like ogyeopsal (skin-on pork belly).

First, they oiled the cast-iron lid using the fat that came with the pork.

Then they laid the aged kimchi and raw pork belly on together. The cast-iron lid was so big that the portion looked kind of small at first, haha?

Can you get a sense of just how big that cast-iron lid is?

They placed the aged kimchi underneath so it could soak up the meat drippings. Cook up nice and quick, please.

Here's the meat, golden brown and perfectly cooked. My mouth was watering even before it was done. Doesn't it look amazing?

How did the pork belly taste?

For the first bite I had just the meat plain — the fat content was just right, the meat was thick, and you could really feel the juiciness. After that, I wrapped the well-cooked meat with garlic in lettuce, and also piled meat and aged kimchi onto fluffy rice! Rice is definitely a must when eating meat 🥹 The aged kimchi was so good too, and it paired really well with the pork. I bet that's the same kimchi they use for the cast-iron kimchi stew on the menu, right? If so, there's no way it isn't delicious, folks.

Doenjang stew, cast-iron pot rice and rice-crust tea to finish

The doenjang stew at Jeonju House came out perfect to pair with the meat. It was packed with tofu and vegetables, and you could really taste the anchovy broth — a proper doenjang stew!

The cast-iron pot rice, which we ordered ahead when we ordered the meat, came out at just the right time. You scoop the rice out first and then make rice-crust tea (sungnyung) with what's left in the pot, and thanks to that, one pot was plenty for two people. You could really tell it was made in a cast-iron pot — the rice grains had a glossy sheen and a nice bite, and they must use good rice because there was a natural sweetness too. Really delicious.

Looking for cast-iron-lid pork belly in Yuseong?

After enjoying the meat, we finished things off Korean-style with carbs — the tasty pot rice and doenjang stew that came with it 💛 The side dishes came out well, and eating pork belly on a cast-iron lid again after a while really brought out the flavor of the meat, so it was even more delicious. I really do think a restaurant full of older customers is basically a guaranteed local favorite. If you're looking for a truly great pork belly place in Yuseong, you have to visit Jeonju House, a pork belly spot in Yuseong, Daejeon. Another satisfying meal today.