Busan BBQ spot with honeycomb pork skin and lemon sorbet: Wanbeoljip

Today I'm bringing you my review of Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, a samgyeopsal spot I found while hunting for good pork belly near Kyungsung University. You know how annoying it is when the smell of grilled meat clings to your clothes at a BBQ place? Well, at Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, the kitchen grills all the meat for you, so you don't have to cook it yourself and don't have to worry about smelling like smoke afterward. And after a satisfying meal of pork belly, they even serve lemon sorbet for dessert, so you can finish things off on a refreshing note.

Where is Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, and when is it open?

• 📍Location: 2F, 36 Yongso-ro 13beon-gil, Nam-gu, Busan
• ⏰Hours: 5 PM–11 PM (last order 10:30 PM)
• 🚗Parking: None
• 💳Dongbaekjeon accepted

Finding the entrance: the second-floor exterior

It's located on the 2nd floor above Geujip-odeng. It's close to Exit 1 of Kyungsung University-Pukyong National University Station.

Inside Wanbeoljip: seating and layout

This Kyungsung University samgyeopsal spot, Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, had seating for about 30 people. There was a mix of bar-style tables, 4-person tables, and 3-person tables.

Wanbeoljip menu and prices: what the 700g medium platter costs

This Kyungsung University samgyeopsal spot, Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, has 5 types of meat: pollack roe, galbi-marinated, plain pork belly, charcoal gochujang, and pork skin. The pollack roe one apparently uses low-sodium roe brushed onto the meat before grilling. Side dishes include perilla oil naengmyeon noodles, doenjang risotto, kimchi rolled noodles, and fried rice.

We ordered the medium platter 700g for ₩50,500 (pork belly and honeycomb tripe combo).

Banchan side dishes and the yuja makgeolli aperitif

In the middle was a lettuce salad with balsamic vinegar dressing, and around it: wasabi, pickled radish, ssamjang, garlic, wild garlic leaves (myeongi-namul), pickled chili, baek-kimchi, and shiitake wasabi.

This Kyungsung University samgyeopsal spot, Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, served a glass of yuzu makgeolli as an aperitif, and it was smoother than any yuzu makgeolli I'd had before — I wondered where it was from, and it turned out to be Seoul Makgeolli.

On the table you'll find curry powder, soybean powder, pink salt, and mayonnaise.

Kids under 6 get a kids' rice bowl, and dessert is lemon sorbet. There are also tips on the table for eating the meat at its best.

Pork belly and honeycomb pork skin, grilled through in the kitchen

We ordered the medium platter, 700g, choosing pork belly and honeycomb tripe. It came with mushrooms, seasoned bracken fern, and raw chives — the bracken fern was seasoned and stir-fried, the chives raw. And underneath the pork belly and honeycomb tripe, they laid down a bed of tortilla.

The biggest thing about Wanbeoljip is that once you order, all the meat comes out of the kitchen fully and perfectly grilled. You might think, come on, it's still a BBQ place, surely there's some smoky smell? But honestly, there was zero meat smell — not even inside the restaurant. It was hands-down the least smoke-smelling BBQ place I've ever been to.

I was told it tastes best eaten right away, so I dug into the pork belly first. The heat had clearly been distributed evenly — no burnt spots at all, and the inside was moist and tender. No gamey smell either. Oh, and there's also a small grill plate on the table if you want to reheat anything.

I also tried Wanbeoljip's signature honeycomb tripe, coated in soybean powder. I'm pretty weak with spice, so it was too hot for me and I only had a taste. It was chewy, with a spicy-sweet seasoning.

Order the potato wraps before the meat arrives

Potato wraps, lettuce, and other vegetables have to be ordered separately through the kiosk. I should have ordered the potato wrap earlier — since I ordered it late, and the tabletop grill's flame was too weak, I asked staff, and they kindly grilled it further in the kitchen for us. Order yours before the meat arrives!

I love potatoes, so once it was cooked I happily wrapped it up with the meat — totally my kind of combo. The nuttiness of the potato with the nuttiness of the meat!

Wild garlic leaves and pork belly are a classic pairing, no explanation needed, but personally I prefer pork belly with sesame leaves, so I tried that combo too.

I also tried wrapping it in the tortilla that had been sitting under the meat — the savory pork belly fat had soaked right into it, so the carb-and-fat combo was crispy and nutty, surprisingly delicious haha.

My personal recommended combo! I tried this here for the first time — wasabi with mayo on top of the meat — and it was seriously good in its own way!

Spicy doenjang risotto: is it worth adding?

I debated between the doenjang risotto and the fried rice, and went with the risotto. I mixed in the egg yolk in the center — since it's a risotto, it seemed like they'd added cheese too. The savory doenjang and the subtle cheese aroma paired really well and it tasted great, but for my low spice tolerance, it was way too hot, ㅠㅠ

It also came with basil pesto, which smelled amazing. The basil was strong, and mixing it in made it feel like a whole different, fragrant dish.

Lemon sorbet, the free dessert

Wanbeoljip serves lemon sorbet for dessert. Ice cream after meat is the classic move, and their sense of timing was on point! It tasted like lemon yogurt — refreshing and sweet!

Final verdict on Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch

If you want meat without a trace of smoky smell clinging to you afterward, and a place that finishes with ice cream for dessert — this Kyungsung University samgyeopsal spot, Wanbeoljip Kyungsung University Branch, is it.