Korean BBQ with kids and mix-and-match cuts in Gaegeum, Busan: Mijin

Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom (미진축산 신주례점), a wallet-friendly Korean BBQ spot in Gaegeum, Busan.

When you're looking for dinner around Gaegeum, it's hard to skip a Korean BBQ restaurant. This time, rather than something fancy, I was after somewhere the whole family could grill meat comfortably, and I ended up at Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom. What stood out was that you can order small portions of many different cuts without the price feeling heavy, so instead of committing to one dish, it was great for picking a bit of this and that. Since we were visiting with preschool-age kids, I also checked ahead for kid-friendly side menu options.

Location and hours of Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom

Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom sits at 317 Baekyang-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan, on the main road connecting Sinjurye to Gaegeum. It's worth knowing beforehand that this spot is easier to reach by public transit than by car. Hours are daily 16:00–24:00.

It sits between Gaegeum Station and Naengjeong Station, so you can get there by subway, and there's a bus stop nearby too, making it fairly accessible by public transportation. There's no dedicated lot at the restaurant, so you'll need to use a nearby parking lot. If you're planning to drive, it's best to sort out parking ahead of time.

What's the atmosphere like?

The vibe leans casual Korean BBQ rather than a quiet sit-down dinner spot — it's a place for grilling meat and chatting comfortably, which makes it a good fit for dinner with friends or a few drinks together.

With multiple tables set up, it also works well for company dinners or group get-togethers, and group reservations are indeed possible. On the other hand, if you're after a nice atmosphere for a date, it might feel a bit different here — this place is more about keeping prices low and eating a variety of meats comfortably rather than looking pretty, so it suits that purpose well.

Menu, prices, and set compositions

One of the biggest draws of Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom is that you can choose from a wide range of cuts — not just pork, but beef and chicken too. Fresh pork belly, Iberico pork collar, kkodeulsal (chewy pork jowl), moseori, pork skirt, chicken neck meat, Mijin makchang (beef small intestine), and beehive tripe are just some of the options. Prices vary by cut, but many items fall in the ₩4,000–7,000 range per 100g, which made it easy to order a little of several kinds.

If you want to try several cuts, there are set menus too. Options include the Couple Set (₩33,000), Pork Assortment Set (₩45,000), Domestic Set (₩47,000), and Family Set (₩66,000), so it's easy to pick based on group size. Note that the first order requires a minimum of 500g, though after that you can order in 100g increments.

Is there a separate table fee?

There's an extra ₩3,000 table fee charged per table. Paying a separate table fee felt a little unusual at first, but since the meat prices were reasonable, it made sense.

Basic side dishes, self-serve bar, and kid-friendly sides

Ordering meat comes with basic side dishes like lettuce wraps, kimchi, pickles, and myeongi namul (pickled mountain garlic leaves), and if you need more, you can help yourself at the restaurant's self-serve bar. If you're someone who eats a lot of wraps and side dishes with your meat, this setup was actually convenient — you could grab as much as you needed from the self-serve bar without constantly having to call a staff member over.

We visited as two adults and two kids, ordered the Couple Set, and added a Spam lunchbox and steamed egg for the kids. (The table next to us saw the kids and gave them sausages — thank you!)

How it felt after eating

Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom is a better choice for days when you want to sample many different cuts rather than focus on one type of meat properly. Being able to mix sets and à la carte orders was convenient, and the prices were relatively easy on the wallet, so choosing what to order never felt stressful. That said, if you're driving, parking is the first thing to check — there's no dedicated lot, so either look up nearby parking ahead of time or take public transit if you can.

Good days to go

So to sum up, this place is good for:

• When you want small portions of several kinds of meat
• When you're looking for a wallet-friendly Korean BBQ spot in Gaegeum
• When visiting with friends, family, or a company dinner group
• When you want to try various cuts alongside skin and makchang

If you're mulling over dinner options in Gaegeum, Mijin Chuksan Sinjurye-jeom is worth adding to the list. With such a wide variety of cuts, it's the kind of place where, on a day when you're stuck wondering "what should I eat?", picking the menu itself becomes half the fun.