Dongnae pork BBQ restaurant with yukhoe gimbap: Sanseong Meat Shop

Nuruk-aged pork BBQ discovered in Dongnae

I heard there was a nuruk-aged pork BBQ specialist in Dongnae, Busan where they grill everything for you, so I visited Sanseong Meat Shop Dongnae Main Branch (산성식육점 동래본점).

Sanseong Meat Shop Dongnae Main Branch

Sanseong Meat Shop is said to combine “Sanseong,” from Dongnae Fortress, with “meat shop,” carrying on the name of the writer's parents' butcher shop near the Busan Buk-gu Office slaughterhouse. It is a nuruk-aged pork BBQ specialist that brings together the distinctive food culture of Gyeongsang-do—especially Busan—with the idea of a meat shop.

Meat aging that you can see from outside!!

Sanseong Meat Shop's menu. They sell Korean beef and pork, and the set menus are great for trying different cuts.^^

Spacious tables and private rooms

Sanseong makes me think of Sanseong makgeolli (Korean rice wine).^^ As you enter, you can also spot the pot rice! The interior is clean overall, with an upscale feel that doesn't resemble a typical meat restaurant.^^ The tables are spacious, too. With private rooms available, I recommend it for family meals or group gatherings as well.^^

Pork B set and the basic table spread

You can order by kiosk, and I ordered the pork B set, recommended for three people: 300g pork belly + 300g nuruk-aged pork neck + 100g special cut, ₩74,000.

Six tasty accompaniments to have with the pork!!

The basic table spread at Sanseong Meat Shop. They serve Gijang seaweed salt and nuruk salt; the salt made with Gijang seaweed, a Busan specialty, is particularly distinctive.^^

• Six accompaniments: nuruk pickled chili peppers, wasabi, salted hairtail innards, nuruk ssamjang (seasoned soybean dipping paste), salted herring roe, and shiitake wasabi
• Truffle-oil green-onion mayo: It was my first time trying it, and the truffle aroma was lovely—the green onion and mayonnaise combination was so unusual!!

The dressed buckwheat sprouts had a bitter, crisp quality that felt different from shredded scallions.^^

Dressed acorn jelly that pairs wonderfully with makgeolli!!

Seaweed, pickled stem lettuce, and pickled chili peppers.^^ The pickled seaweed in particular was deliciously chewy with the meat!!

Chili peppers, garlic, and ssam vegetables are essential with meat. The complimentary beef-and-radish soup came in a generous portion despite being a service item, and it was spicy and refreshing enough to make me crave rice before I had even started on the meat.^^

Grilling service from start to finish

One of the best things about Sanseong Meat Shop!! The grilling service. The staff grill everything from beginning to end, so all you have to do is eat.^^

Pork B set, ₩74,000.

300g nuruk-aged pork neck + 300g pork belly + 100g special cut. I also ordered Sanseong makgeolli; it was fizzy yet clean-tasting.^^

Gwangjang Market yukhoe gimbap ordered as a side

Gwangjang Market yukhoe gimbap (seasoned raw beef seaweed rice roll), ₩21,000. It was packed with yukhoe, and you mix the egg yolk well before putting it on top.^^ It was such a good side dish.^^ While I was eating the yukhoe gimbap, the staff grilled the meat.

The nuruk-aged pork neck was so nutty and delicious with just a light dip in Gijang seaweed salt.^^ It was full of meat juices and had amazing savory depth.^^

For the pork belly, green-onion mayo + salted herring roe.^^ For the gabrisal (pork jowl), white kimchi + nuruk pickles!! I made all kinds of wraps, too.^^ Once all the meat was grilled, they made a castella-style rolled egg—so round and fascinating.^^

Finishing with doenjang jjigae and buckwheat pot rice

Toha-banga doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), ₩5,000. A hearty, savory doenjang jjigae full of mushrooms, tofu, and banga herb!!

Buckwheat pot rice, ₩4,000. Maybe because it uses Suhyangmi rice, it was chewy and wonderfully nutty.^^

When you order pot rice, dried seaweed sheets come along with it!

I topped the seaweed with pot rice + seasoned soy sauce.^^ Rice + meat + pickled stem lettuce was a dream combination, haha. I poured in water and even enjoyed the nurungji (scorched rice crust).^^

It was my first time having nuruk-aged pork neck at Sanseong Meat Shop, and it had such great savory depth. Most of all, having everything grilled from start to finish made the meal incredibly comfortable.^^ A perfect meal from the meat through the rice!! If you're curious about nuruk-aged meat rather than ordinary pork, I strongly recommend Sanseong Meat Shop.^^