Seongbuk bar for pork kimchi grill and fried rice: Yesulgwan

After a day out in Seongbuk-dong, I was craving something spicy before heading home, so I gave this place a try. It is apparently worth braving a wait on weekdays, but I visited on the weekend. Just in case, I went right at opening~!

Yesulgwan near Sungshin Women's University Station

Yesulgwan (예술관) Address: 29-6 Dongsomun-ro 20-gil, Seongbuk-gu

It is close to Exit 2 of Sungshin Women's University Station. There are lots of good restaurants around here too, so I could see local students coming here all the time.

Even though I arrived not long after opening, there were already quite a few customers. On a weekend, too!

Terrace seating and a spacious interior

First up, the terrace seats are absolutely perfect for this time of year. The evenings have been cool lately, so outdoor pocha-style seating like this feels extra precious!

The interior is quite large, and the tables are generously spaced, so I think it would work well for a group gathering or company dinner too.

I spotted groups of more than 10 people while I was there, as well as plenty of neighborhood regulars and university students. With its big screen and neat pocha (Korean pub) vibe, I could see why it was buzzing!

We settled into a table inside, and it was time to order!

Ordering Korean pork belly kimchi grill

They say they trim and use 100% Korean pork belly themselves, simmer medicinal herbs, and make beef-bone broth fresh every day, so surely we had to order either a pork belly or hot-pot menu here, right? We ordered Korean pork belly kimchi grill at ₩14,000 × 2 portions!

Before the main dish arrived, we got seasoned garlic chives. I think that comes as a standard side, and more banchan (Korean side dishes) were added after we ordered the kimchi grill!

We had seasoned garlic chives, perilla leaves, pickled radish slices, corn, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and mayonnaise ready to go. The dish came fully cooked from the kitchen, so all we had to do was eat!

Sweet-spicy pork belly and stir-fried kimchi

Ta-da, here it is! It arrived fully cooked from the kitchen, with the sauce bubbling away. Just looking at the sweet-spicy pork belly and golden stir-fried kimchi was enough to get my mouth watering.

Maybe because it was 100% Korean pork belly, it had no off smell at all and such a lovely chewy texture. The meat juices, kimchi's tang, and sweet-spicy sauce were not overpowering, which made it seriously addictive. It is nicely rich too, so it goes extremely well with drinks!!

The side dishes and rice combination

Next, I tried it in all sorts of combinations. It was delicious even piled onto a perilla leaf with meat, garlic, corn, mayonnaise, and everything else!

So I could not resist ordering rice too. Doesn't the rice look amazing? Paired with those perfectly separate, fluffy grains, it was a real rice thief. Even a friend who does not drink could order a bowl of rice and enjoy a genuinely delicious meal here, seriously!

Fried rice after pork kimchi grill is essential

I tried it with every accompaniment thrown in, and delicious + delicious = incredibly delicious. But we could not stop there, right? If you order pork kimchi grill, you absolutely have to get the Korean K-dessert. You know what I mean, right?

We even ordered fried rice for two. We left a little meat behind before ordering it, so it was nice to get little bites of meat in there too. The remaining sauce and meat juices coated every grain of rice, and the nutty savoriness was just exploding. The only downside? You can keep eating even when you are full. We ate every last bit before leaving and were so stuffed, haha. For a group bar near Sungshin Women's University, I boldly think Yesulgwan's great-value fried rice is not optional; it is essential. Haha.

Yesulgwan was so satisfying: near Sungshin Women's University Station, with terrace seating for that outdoor pocha feel, delicious Korean pork kimchi grill, and the essential fried rice. With its roomy space and large screen, I would absolutely recommend it for a group gathering or company dinner. I want to come back and try other dishes next time, so I can recommend it with confidence!