Homemade soybean sauce makchang in Euljiro 3-ga: Baegyeom Makchang

Baegyeom Makchang Euljiro Main Branch

I went to Baegyeom Makchang in Euljiro! Bottom line first: it was insanely good. I'm from Daegu, so I've got serious pride about makchang, haha — honestly even calling it 'pork' makchang bugs me a little. In Daegu, makchang and gopchang (intestines) just mean pork by default... or am I wrong? Anyway, that's just how it is in my house. Long story short, even living in Seoul I love makchang, but it never tastes like the Daegu version so I've been kind of picky about it — but this place was genuinely delicious.

Sunday at 5pm: inside Baegyeom Makchang Euljiro Main Branch

I went around 5pm on a Sunday and there were already group tables and a lot of people. And it gets even busier as it gets closer to dinnertime, wow.

What does the name Baegyeom Makchang mean? Salt-aged makchang

I wondered what 'Baegyeom Makchang' (백염막창) meant — turns out it's makchang aged in salt. They say they age it with precisely blended salt to remove any off smell and maximize the natural sweetness and savory flavor of the makchang.

Side dishes at Baegyeom Makchang: tofu dregs and green onion kimchi

The basic side dishes were laid out like this. The fact that makjang (a soybean-based dipping sauce) came out already earns a pass from me. Places that call themselves 'Daegu-style makchang' but give you ssamjang or soybean powder instead of makjang... that's really not my style.

This white biji (tofu dregs) was surprisingly a highlight. Mild and nutty, delicious even on its own, and it went really well with the green onion kimchi that also came as a side.

The stone-ground soybean makchang sauce

They load the makjang with minced scallion and chili — that's exactly how we do it at home. And apparently Baegyeom Makchang's makjang isn't just store-bought either. It's called 'soybean makchang sauce,' made by grinding soybeans themselves. So it doesn't overpower the flavor of the makchang, but lets you enjoy it in an even cleaner way.

Two servings of Daegu-style makchang, served pre-seared

So we ordered 2 servings of Daegu-style makchang. It came out nice and plump. Scallions and enoki mushrooms came alongside the makchang too. Grilling those scallions and enoki together with the meat — so good, of course!

It comes pre-seared, so you grill it a bit more and then cut it into bite-size pieces. You eat it once it's golden brown. Personally I like it grilled a bit more than golden — crisp on the outside — so I cooked it a little longer. Eat it however you like.

Dip it deep in the makjang and it's absolutely mind-blowing. You can enjoy makchang for its own savory flavor, but I'm someone who thinks the sauce plays a huge role in how good makchang tastes too. So eating Baegyeom Makchang's nutty, clean soybean sauce together with the meat made it about 78,000 times more delicious, haha. My partner, who's normally sensitive to any gamey smell, didn't notice a thing here and ate it all up happily.

When I eat makchang, I prefer wrapping it in perilla leaves. So perilla leaf, a generous scoop of makjang, and makchang — that combo is basically heaven. So good, T_T. Since the sauce is really homemade, it doesn't taste salty even if you use a lot, and the umami is out of this world.

Adding kkodeul-moksal: how chewy is the pork neck?

Since we went for dinner and wanted rice with it too, we added kkodeul-moksal (chewy pork neck) as well! It's a cut with a really chewy texture, so I'd recommend it to anyone who, like me, loves that springy, chewy bite.

We were planning to order jeotgal (salted seafood) fried rice too, so we grilled just half the meat first. True to its name, it was really chewy and tasty. It's delicious just dipped plainly in salt, and also great with the makjang or doenjang (soybean paste), T_T.

What does the jeotgal fried rice taste like?

And then the jeotgal fried rice arrived! Topped with squid jeotgal, and the fried rice itself has great umami. There's onion in it too, giving it a subtle sweetness. I have a low spice tolerance and thought it would be very spicy, but it was pleasantly spicy-sweet and delicious. I wanted it a bit more intense so I added extra chili and scallion from the makjang side dish — but since I can't handle spice well, it ended up a bit too spicy for me, haha. Still, it went great with the meat. This one's a real hidden gem, so if you want a full meal, I highly recommend this dish.

Pile the fried rice on, add more meat, wrap it all in a perilla leaf, and it's absolutely, completely delicious...! I think it'd also work great to just tear up perilla leaves and mix them straight into the rice...! So, so good. The two of us ate really, really well.

A Daegu native's verdict on Baegyeom Makchang

This is a truly great makchang restaurant in Euljiro, recommended by someone genuinely from Daegu — Baegyeom Makchang. The soybean makjang in particular was impressively delicious. Whether you're from Gyeongsang Province like me looking for great pork makchang in Seoul, or just looking for a good makchang restaurant in general, you should really check this place out...!

One more thing I loved — the staff were super kind. Especially the female staff member who kept coming by our table; she was really, really kind, and whenever something needed refilling or clearing, she'd come do it before we even asked, which I really appreciated! It was a satisfying meal in every way. Baegyeom Makchang is truly the best.