Charcoal yakitori skewers in Changwon, plus negima: Yakitori Gong

Where is Yakitori Gong? 3rd floor of Urban Bricks in Changwon

Yakitori Gong is located on the 3rd floor of Urban Bricks in Jung-dong, Changwon. Right across from it is a hair salon, and a bit further along there's a down escalator. Worried this Urban Bricks favorite would run out of ingredients if I went too late, I did an opening run haha

Inside Yakitori Gong: seating and the yakitori bar

Here's the interior of Yakitori Gong. The dim lighting gave it an atmospheric mood, and it's all 4-person tables, with baby chairs also available. Up front there's a yakitori bar where the owner grills each skewer with real care — fun just to watch!

How to order at Yakitori Gong and what is on the menu

You order via a barcode on the table.

The menu is made up of this month's menu, set menus, à la carte skewers, meals, soups, sides and drinks. Since I wanted to eat a lot of skewers, I skipped the set menu and went with 6 kinds of yakitori plus an extra negima, mentaiko scallop cream pasta, beer and cola ✔️

On the table were soy sauce, shichimi, pepper, salt, a board for the skewers to rest on, and a fork for pulling the meat off

Shio kombu salad and mentaiko scallop cream pasta

First came the drinks, peanuts, and a salad topped with shio kombu (salted kelp)! Shio kombu salad is basically the fundamental side dish of any Japanese-style bar — simple but with such an explosion of savory flavor that it alone got me through a glass of beer haha. While I was working through the salad and peanuts,

the mentaiko scallop cream pasta arrived, topped with a big scallop. The moment the pasta came out, the charcoal aroma from the scallop hit my nose and it was so good, ㅠㅠ

I ate the plump scallop first — its bounce, sweetness, and charcoal flavor were incredible ㅠㅠ. I thought the pasta would be salty since it had mentaiko (pollock roe) in it, but it wasn't salty at all — the nutty flavor of the cream stood out, and it was creamy, rich pasta through and through!

Skewers grilled over binchotan charcoal by the owner

For the skewers, the owner first set up the binchotan charcoal and then began grilling with real care. Watching him grill, you could really feel how meticulous his touch was — turning the skewers this way and that, fanning them with what felt like a craftsman's hand.

He'd also brush soy sauce sauce onto the skewers that needed it along the way, and as each finished skewer went onto the board, he'd tell us what it was.

First skewers: chicken tenderloin and heart

First up were tenderloin and heart. The tenderloin wasn't seasoned on its own — I ate it with the wasabi that came alongside! Clean-tasting and moist, the tenderloin was really tender!

I also tried the recommended method of dipping the skewer into the pasta! And even the heart came out moist thanks to the owner's grilling — is this really heart...?

Pork neck, cartilage and scallion chicken skewers

Next came pork neck and cartilage. The pork neck was brushed with soy sauce and delicious on its own, with a chewy texture; the cartilage had a nice crunchy bite, and I sprinkled shichimi on it too.

The chicken thigh skewer was artfully moist ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Eaten plain it's clean-tasting, and dipped in salt, the charcoal flavor and savoriness are maximized!

Last skewer: tsukune (chicken meatball)

And finally, tsukune (Japanese-style chicken meatball skewer). I broke up the egg yolk well and dipped it in. First came the nuttiness of the yolk, then the flavor of the meat and its juices filled my mouth.

Is Yakitori Gong in Changwon worth the opening-time visit?

Every skewer I tried at Yakitori Gong felt really well made, with the charcoal aroma soaked in nicely, and since each one was served the moment it was ready, I got to enjoy the feeling of eating a course meal. I'd recommend this yakitori bar at Urban Bricks in Changwon.