Melt jeot pork belly set near Geumnyeonsan Station, Gwangalli: Jukrim

Today I'm posting about a great pork BBQ spot in Gwangalli, Busan — Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui (죽림숯불돼지구이)!! Every time I go to Gwangalli it's always so crowded! People say Jeonpo and Gwangalli are Busan's hot spots, and I think it's because Gwangalli has that drone show on weekends, which really packs the crowds in!!

I always stop by Gwangalli whenever I'm in Busan haha, there are just so many good restaurants there. This time I went to a pork BBQ place!! It's apparently famous for staff grilling the meat for you haha.

Location and hours of Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui

• 🏠 Address: 32-3 Namcheon-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• 🕙 Hours: Mon–Fri 17:00–01:00, Sat–Sun 15:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)

Note: if you get off at Geumnyeonsan Station and walk down toward the beach, it's right at the last big intersection, so it's easy to get to!! Good for a walk along Gwangalli after eating, or you could hang out in Gwangalli first and come for dinner afterward!! We ate dinner first and then went for a walk along Gwangalli!!

Waiting and parking

It was a weekend evening but a bit early, so we didn't have to wait!! Just in case, I'd recommend booking through Naver Reservation or Catch Table!! Also, parking is tough almost everywhere in Gwangalli, so I'd recommend public transit!! The parking situation in Gwangalli is no joke... we always take public transit whenever we go there!!

The vibe of the place

Here are some photos inside and outside the restaurant!! It's on the right side of the crosswalk as you come down to the big intersection!! There's a large sign so it was easy to find!! The interior was a clean, standard pork-BBQ style!! Each table had its own charcoal brazier haha. Meat really does taste better grilled over charcoal, right? Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui has roughly 16 tables!!

There was even a sign explaining how to eat the meat the best way!! Handy to check!!

The menu — Iberico and the Jukrim Handon set

Here's the menu!! One big plus of Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui is that they sell Iberico pork!! I've only had it a few times but remember it being delicious!! That day though we were craving Hanwoo... I mean Handon (Korean native pork) more than Iberico, so we ordered the Jukrim Handon set!! Handon has a higher chance of being a hit, right? Haha. Can't give up Korean native pork!!

The menu says they only use white charcoal, which built trust!! It's made from Jirisan oak, and imagining that aroma soaking into the meat makes me wonder how tender it must get ㅠㅠ Just thinking about it makes me want to go back... haha. Oh, and they sell Hallasan soju, the Jeju soju!! Haven't seen that in a while haha!!

Side dishes and melt jeot

The side dishes!! They were arranged so neatly!! Usually places just put them down, but here it felt like the staff had really thought about the arrangement!! It's a small thing, but they seem to care about even the little details!! I liked that!! These were the usual side dishes you get at a pork BBQ place, and they also gave us melt jeot (fermented anchovy sauce), which I loved!! I'm a total melt jeot lover, so this really won me over ㅠㅠ Totally satisfied!!

Thick pork belly and pork neck, grilled entirely by the staff

Ah, this photo is making me drool ㅠㅠ The thickness of the pork belly and pork neck was no joke!! You all know how thick meat slow-cooked over charcoal basically melts away, right...? The pork neck especially, dipped in just salt and wasabi, disappeared in a second... it tasted exactly like that!! The pork belly you can eat however you like, but I dipped mine a lot in melt jeot haha. The umami just exploded!!

The staff grilled everything from start to finish!! It was nice being able to just wait comfortably!! Once it was done, they'd move it to the edge of the grill!! You could cook it further to your liking!! We were very happy and ate really well!!

We finished the meal with soybean paste stew!! The stew was delicious too!! It had that spicy kick typical of pork-BBQ-place soybean stew, which went great with rice!!

Honest review

If I had to sum up Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui in one word, it'd be this...

The photo above says it all haha!! It really was above average!! The quality of the meat itself, the thickness, the cooking — all good, and I was even touched that they served melt jeot, a Jeju specialty!! You could tell the owner puts a lot of care into both the food and managing the staff!!

I'd love to come back to Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui and try the Iberico pork next time haha. If you're looking for a pork BBQ place in Gwangalli, Busan, I highly recommend Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui!! The staff grill it for you, and you can enjoy a variety of cuts from Handon to Iberico, so definitely stop by!!