Half-pig grill set with cream draft beer at Anmin Yulha, Gimhae BBQ

Jangyu BBQ favorite: Anmin

Back again whenever I want BBQ in Jangyu

Lately there's one place that keeps popping into my head whenever I'm craving meat, so I went back again — Anmin in Yulha. There are plenty of places I visit once and never go back to, but this is oddly one I keep returning to whenever I want pork neck or pork belly. This time too, when I was hunting for a Jangyu BBQ spot, I went straight to Anmin without a second thought.

Walking in, the place was as tidy and comfortable as ever. For a BBQ restaurant, it wasn't loud or chaotic — everything felt orderly, which made it a pleasant place to eat. The tables were neatly set, and the staff were friendly, so I could settle in and start the meal comfortably.

The half-pig grill set, grilled table-side by staff

This time, while looking over the menu, I ordered the half-pig grill set. It lets you try several cuts at once, so it's a great order when you're eating with fellow meat lovers. Best of all, at Anmin the staff grill the meat for you, which makes things really easy on the diner. Grilling can be a bit of a hassle, and thick cuts turn tough fast if you mess it up — but here, the staff grill it from start to finish, so all you have to do is eat and enjoy.

The basic side dishes

Shortly after ordering, the basic side dishes arrived. Lettuce, geotjeori, and a variety of other banchan that go well with meat all came out together.

It's disappointing when there's no wrap greens or geotjeori with meat, so I was glad they were neatly prepared here. Meat on lettuce with geotjeori is still the best combination. It was nice picking at the side dishes one by one while waiting for the meat.

And finally the half-pig grill set arrived. Just looking at it, the portion was quite generous, which was satisfying. The staff placed the meat on the grill and cooked it themselves until it was just right. Once the meat started cooking over the charcoal, a savory smell rose up, and that's when I really started getting hungry. Meat really does taste best grilled over charcoal.

How was the pork neck?

I started with the pork neck. It was cut thick, and as the staff grilled it over charcoal, the outside browned nicely while the inside stayed moist and well cooked. My first bite was full of juice — really good.

Even though it's pork neck, it wasn't dry at all — the more I chewed, the more savory it got. It was tasty dipped lightly in salt, and it also went well with geotjeori. When looking for a Jangyu BBQ spot, meat quality matters, but I also prefer places where staff grill it for you, and Anmin was definitely convenient on that front.

Pork belly and lettuce wraps

After working through the pork neck, they grilled the pork belly next. Pork belly has its own charm distinct from pork neck, so alternating between the two kept things from getting boring. I picked up a piece of the nicely browned pork belly and the savory flavor really hit. Pork belly needs a good balance of lean meat and fat to taste good, and grilling it over charcoal brought out even more of that savory flavor. It was delicious with geotjeori and just as good dipped plain in salt.

I love wraps, so I piled pork belly, scallion shreds, and garlic onto a lettuce leaf and took a big bite — that combination never fails.

How was the cream draft beer?

This time I also ordered the cream draft beer. I figured a glass of draft beer would go well with the meat, and it turned out to be tastier than expected. I took a sip of the cream draft beer, poured out nice and cold, and the smooth foam and refreshing finish paired really well with the meat.

As we kept eating, the staff grilled the meat well right to the end. Thick cuts take a while to cook, but having someone else grill it meant I could chat comfortably while eating. Once the meat was cooked just right, they cut it into bite-sized pieces and kept an eye on it so it wouldn't burn, so even the last piece was delicious. This is probably why I keep coming back to Anmin as my go-to Jangyu BBQ spot.

Down to the pork skin

As we kept eating, they grilled up some pork skin too. Pork skin is all about that chewy texture once it's browned nicely, and grilling it over charcoal added a savory edge as well. Eating the chewy, slightly crispy parts made it the perfect beer snack. Even though I was already pretty full, I kept reaching for more pork skin. Between the meat and the pork skin, it felt like I'd been on a proper pork mukbang.

Finishing with hwangge doenjang jjigae

And to finish, I ordered the hwangge doenjang jjigae (crab soybean paste stew) as well. Ordering a doenjang jjigae after eating meat somehow feels like the meal is properly wrapped up, so I always end up getting it. With the crab in it, the broth had that refreshing seafood flavor.

The savory doenjang flavor combined with the refreshing broth made it perfect after all that meat. One spoonful of the hot stew and I kept eating even though I was already full. Finishing off the leftover draft beer alongside the stew made for a very satisfying ending.

Especially with meat, your mouth ends up with that savory oiliness lingering, and a sip of draft beer cleared it right up. The pattern of one bite of meat, one sip of draft beer, then back to the meat kept repeating. In the end, the cream draft beer was so good I ordered another glass. I went out for meat and ended up properly enjoying the beer too.

Toward the end, I kept drinking more draft beer and slowly wrapped up the meal. This time again I worked through pork neck, then pork belly, then pork skin, plus the side dishes, and ended up really full. In particular, the cream draft beer was tastier than I expected this time, and it really stuck with me.

Why I'd go back again

Pairing it with meat, the combination was really good. Once again, what I found most convenient about Anmin was that the staff grill the meat for you. I didn't have to keep worrying about the grill — the staff cooked it perfectly, so I could focus on the meal itself. Getting to try multiple cuts through the half-pig grill set was great, and both the pork neck and pork belly had great flavor grilled over charcoal.

On top of that, eating the pork skin, two glasses of cream draft beer, and the hwangge doenjang jjigae, this visit ended on a very full note as well. If you're looking for somewhere to eat meat in Jangyu, Anmin is a solid choice — you get to try a variety of cuts, and having staff grill it for you makes for an easy, comfortable meal. I've already visited multiple times, and once again I left having eaten well. Next time I'm craving meat, I'll probably end up back at Anmin. This time too, I enjoyed the pork neck, pork belly, and pork skin, along with the cream draft beer, from start to finish. If you're looking for a Jangyu BBQ spot, this one's worth checking out.