Date bar in Gyo-dong, Daegu: NFC ordering, raw brisket, Yukyeonjeong

The evening air is getting cooler, so it's finally the season for a drink outside :) This time I went to Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch (육연정 교동점), which is said to be a perfect mungtigi (raw beef) date course in Gyo-dong, Daegu! It's originally a famous raw beef spot in Gyeongsan, and since opening a branch in Gyo-dong it seems to have become a total hot place haha.

Where is Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch, and what about hours and parking?

Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch is at 36 Gyodong 3-gil, Jung-gu, Daegu, 1st floor, Unit 101, and it's open every day from 5 PM to 2 AM. It's near Jungangno Station, so it's easy to get to. The shop has no parking lot of its own, so if you're driving, the nearby Gyodong parking lot is the convenient option!

What's the atmosphere at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch like?

Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch is a retro-style bar with outdoor tables, a wood-toned interior and bar seats. The outdoor tables caught my eye before I even walked in haha. They have that distinctive retro Gyo-dong feel, and I bet they're great for an outdoor drinking night (yajang) on a nice day.

It was a bit chilly that day, so I sat inside, where the wood-toned decor and soft lighting made it cozy and warm. The empty liquor bottles lined up along the bar really add to the mood too 🍶

How do you order at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch?

There's no menu here. You order by tapping the NFC tag on your table with your phone! It felt a bit unfamiliar at first, but we had fun trying it out, asking each other whether it works on iPhones too haha. A QR code also links straight to Naver reviews, which was handy.

Basic side dishes at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch

The basic spread is beef radish soup, gim (seaweed), ginger vinegar, seasoned pickled radish and green peas, and it comes out as soon as you sit down. It was really generous. The beef radish soup is packed with beef, in the clear Seoul style, so the seasoning was just right and it was nice and hot. I felt like I could finish a bottle of soju with just these sides haha.

How do the mungtigi and raw brisket taste at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch?

At Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch we ordered the raw hanwoo with mini grill combo. They told us they only use top-grade beef from same-day slaughtered, never-calved hanwoo!

Thick, cube-cut mungtigi

The mungtigi comes out in thick cubes, probably because it's vacuum aged at a low temperature. Just like the saying that darker color means fresher, the savory flavor burst out the more I chewed. Dipped in sesame oil dressing and wrapped in the basic dolgim (rock seaweed), the freshness and chewiness really came through~

The raw brisket I was most curious about, with salt, wasabi and mungtigi sauce

And the raw brisket (saeng chadolbagi), which I was most curious about! Sliced thin and glistening, the cold fat melts slightly in your mouth and the savory flavor rises up, yet it's not greasy at all and tastes clean. The first piece with salt, the second with wasabi, and when it gets rich, with the mungtigi sauce. Eating it however you like, I never got tired of it 😭

If raw beef feels like too much, grill it on the mini grill

When I got tired of the raw beef, I grilled some on the mini grill, and it was sooo good! The nice thing is that if raw beef feels like too much for you, you can ask for the mini grill and cook it. We ate it grilled too haha.

Is Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch worth it as a Gyo-dong date course?

Yukyeonjeong Gyodong Branch is a place where you can properly enjoy fresh raw beef in Gyo-dong, and I was really satisfied. With its outdoor-drinking vibe and great atmosphere, I'd recommend it for get-togethers with friends and also for anyone looking for a special mungtigi date course in Gyo-dong, Daegu.

They close early once ingredients run out, so I'd suggest going a bit early! If you go late there's also a wait, so keep that in mind haha.

Is it just me, or does looking at the photos make me want to eat it again? LOL Eating something delicious on a trip to Dongdaegu made me even happier 😭