Charcoal-seared seasoned pork ribs in Nampo-dong, Busan: Bueongi Maeul

A day set aside to finally meet up with friends after a while. When you're trying to figure out what to eat for a get-together or a meal with friends, meat is always the most basic answer, right? And among meats, seasoned pork ribs are pretty much impossible to dislike haha. Franchise BBQ places somehow just don't pull me in, so let's go find a real old-school spot that won't disappoint anyone!!

Found a place I can genuinely recommend for a Nampo-dong meat restaurant!! Here's my review of the seasoned pork ribs at Bueongi Maeul, in the alley of Nampo-dong's Kkangtong Market.

What is Bueongi Maeul like? An old-school grill house in the Kkangtong Market alley

Bueongi Maeul is a charcoal pork ribs specialty restaurant in the Kkangtong Market alley, with the genuine old-fashioned uncle-run feel. The doors are open on every side and tables spill out onto the street.

Rather than a slick, polished modern restaurant, it's more like... the kind of true local favorite you'd find deep in a neighborhood? The tent out front and the outdoor tables give off that unmistakable good-food smell. And just seeing the seats already filled with customers, you could feel in your whole body that this was a genuine back-alley favorite.

• Bueongi Maeul
• 27 Bosu-daero 36beon-gil, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea (Bupyeong-dong 3-ga)
• Hours: 16:30 – 23:00
• Regular closed day: every Sunday

Menu and prices: the 57,000 won table set vs. pork ribs a la carte

Right at the entrance of Bueongi Maeul, I noticed the hansang charim (table set, ₩57,000, drinks not included), a generous set menu that bundles pork ribs together with several side dishes at once. It looks like it'd be great for a group visit. But this time, we started off by ordering the restaurant's signature main dish, the pork ribs, as a single item.

Side dishes at Bueongi Maeul: scallion salad, myeong-i namul, myeongnan jeot and steamed egg

After ordering, we caught up with each other for a while, and soon the charcoal was set in the middle of the table and the side dishes started arriving one after another.

A whole variety of side dishes that go well with meat were laid out.

The scallion salad, served generously on each of our small plates, wasn't too spicy or too sour — the tangy-sweet seasoning was the best!

Salty pickled myeong-i namul (mountain garlic leaves) paired with myeongran jeotgal (salted pollack roe)! Such a great side dish lineup so eating meat alone wouldn't feel too heavy.

The steamed egg was so good!! Mildly seasoned and soft, it was perfect eaten warm on an empty stomach before the meat arrived.

Can't grill meat? The owner chars the ribs over charcoal first

At Bueongi Maeul, the owner does the first pre-grilling on strong charcoal at a dedicated station outside the restaurant. The pork ribs are so good, but with nobody in our group who's actually skilled at grilling, I was thinking, ugh, do I have to be the one grilling again? But the pre-grilled ribs came out in a big stainless bowl, already browned on the outside — see it?

All you have to do from here is grill it a little more and cut it with scissors to eat, which made things so much easier than at other BBQ places.

Put it on the grill together with mushrooms, flip it gently around with tongs, cook it a bit more, and it's ready to eat.

Great color~~ great smell~~

How do the seasoned pork ribs taste? Charcoal smoke and bursting juices

Wow, it's delicious. So good!! The charcoal smokiness already soaked in from the first pre-grilling, and the juices bursting out of the meat! My friends devoured it too ~~ the meat was really tender.

I laid a fresh lettuce leaf on my palm, placed two thick pieces of seasoned pork ribs on top, added scallion salad and raw garlic dipped in ssamjang, and wrapped it into one big bite. The savory sweetness and saltiness of the sauce, the sharp kick of garlic, and the crunchy vegetables — honestly the perfect combination for knocking back soju :D

Who should eat at Bueongi Maeul

Even writing this review, I want to go back again. It was that good. Bueongi Maeul, the meat restaurant I visited in Nampo-dong's Kkangtong Market, had that real old-school BBQ atmosphere, easy pre-grilled meat, and pork ribs so tender you never get tired of them.

• Anyone who wants to properly enjoy that smoky charcoal flavor on pork ribs without burning them or dealing with the hassle of grilling
• Anyone who wants a drink and pork ribs at a comfortable, down-to-earth BBQ spot

The cool weather these days felt so nice and the meat tasted so good, it made for a happy evening. If you're near Nampo-dong, Jagalchi, or Kkangtong Market and looking for a meat restaurant, I really recommend the pork ribs dinner at Bueongi Maeul in Kkangtong Market!!