Busan Korean BBQ in Suyeong: Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch

Location and reservations near Namcheon Station

Location: 52 Namcheondong-ro 9beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea Hours: Daily 11:00–23:00 Naver Reservation available

I went to Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch (용한우 남천점), a great spot in Namcheon-dong, Busan, for some beef!

Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch is on the way toward the Suyeong District Office, and it is easy to find after getting off at Namcheon Station.

Even though I had reserved in advance and arrived early in the evening, there were quite a lot of people. The staff were incredibly kind and gave us such a warm welcome.

Maybe because we had reserved, all the side dishes were already set out for us. Everything from the salad to the basic banchan (side dishes) was neat and delicious. The white kimchi, myeong-i namul (seasoned wild garlic leaves), and pickled chili peppers were especially good. I still remember being told to use only a little wasabi, since too much could make my nose sting.

Table-ordering and lunch specials

We could order right away through T-order at the table. There were so many cuts, including assorted ribs, premium sirloin, striploin, Korean beef tenderloin, and rib finger meat, and the quality looked fantastic. Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch is also a nice choice for a company dinner in Namcheon-dong, Busan, and it has lunch specials too. The lunch menu includes yukhoe bibimbap (beef tartare mixed rice), boneless galbitang (short rib soup), and chadol doenjang hot pot.

Beef and radish soup came as a complimentary dish. The freshly simmered soup was nicely spicy and delicious. It had been so long since I last had beef and radish soup—I was surprised by how good it was..

Premium Korean beef sirloin and assorted ribs

At Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch in Namcheon-dong, Busan, we ordered:

• Premium Korean beef sirloin ₩28,000
• Assorted Korean beef ribs ₩25,000 × 2
• Doenjang stew

We also ordered doenjang stew as a side.

I had brought my camera, so it took me a little while to take photos. I was grateful that the owner waited for me. Doesn't the quality of the meat at Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch, a good place for a group dinner in Namcheon-dong, Busan, look amazing? They grilled everything beautifully from start to finish on a stone grill. I wonder if the owner is reading this? The meat melted in my mouth and was delicious.

How to eat the seasoned sirloin

They grilled the sirloin first and told us to try it without dipping it in anything because the meat was already seasoned. And it really was! The moment it went into my mouth, it felt like it just melted away!

It was delicious dipped in the salt they gave us, but topping it with myeong-i namul and pickled chili peppers cut through the richness and made it even tastier! They also grilled shishito peppers, mushrooms, and kabocha squash alongside it. They were sweet and delicious together!

Assorted ribs with vegetables

Once we had finished the sirloin, they grilled the assorted ribs. The assorted ribs are a little richer than the sirloin, so I recommend having them with vegetables. They were definitely softer than the sirloin, with a pleasantly chewy texture. They can be a little rich, but they were nutty, springy, and so delicious.

Making doenjang sulbap on the grill

The staff kept coming by to watch over and grill the meat, so it was nice not having to do it ourselves. And above all, they were so kind! Yong Hanu Namcheon Branch, a good spot for group dinners in Namcheon-dong, Busan, has two kinds of doenjang stew: you can choose an earthenware pot or this version served directly on the grill.

The earthenware-pot version comes in a ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl), like the beef and radish soup. With the grill-top version, they pour in the doenjang stew after all the meat is cooked. Just add rice and doenjang sulbap (rice in soybean-paste stew) is complete!

We wanted to eat it like sulbap, so we ordered an extra bowl of rice and added it when the doenjang started boiling. I worried the portion might be small, but there ended up being so much that we had leftovers! The doenjang stew also comes with gim (dried seaweed), which is not seasoned—just dip it in soy sauce. It is nutty and delicious!

Overall, the food was clean-tasting and not too heavy, so it was easy to enjoy a proper meal. The seats were spacious, with partitions between them, which made it nice for a private meal.