Friday-night Korean BBQ in Luone City: quail-egg naengmyeon, Euljiro

A Friday night at a Luone City BBQ: what was the mood like?

Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch (을지로연탄구이 루원시티점) is a briquette-grill BBQ restaurant in Luone City that I visited on a Friday evening with my wife. With the week's tiredness piling up, I missed the smell of savory grilled meat and the noisy, lived-in atmosphere, so we headed out to Luone City.

The Luone City district is really buzzing these days. Maybe because there are so many good restaurants, every alley was packed with people and cars, and you could feel the hot atmosphere.

Can you park at Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch?

Yes, there is free parking in the basement of the building where the restaurant is. It's a crowded area so I was a little worried about parking, but I pulled into the basement with no trouble and walked up to the restaurant.

When we got to the front, it was already packed with customers.

Luckily we got the very last open table right away. The noisy, energetic vibe from the entrance actually lifted our Friday-night mood even more. With so many customers it could have been chaotic, but all the staff greeted us with smiles and were so kind, which made the meal feel good from the start.

What did we order at Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch?

We ordered the mixed meat platter. What I especially liked here is how many different meats are on the menu.

We went with the mixed platter, so we could try every kind.

Everything from the pineapple to the side dishes can be refilled at the self-bar.

From pork belly to pork neck and back meat (dwitgogi), there's real fun in picking what you like, and above all the prices are so cheap that you can order a bit of everything without worry. With this value, it also looked perfect for company dinners or group gatherings.

Side dishes and ssam vegetables

The side dishes and ssam (lettuce-wrap) vegetables were set out quickly as soon as we ordered, and every one of them was neat and clean. The seasoned radish salad (mu saengchae) comes with a thin layer of ice on it, and you should eat it first to get the real taste. The bean sprouts, kimchi and garlic combo on every table felt like a secret weapon that lifts the flavor of the meat even more.

Meat and cheese scallops grilled together over briquettes

Along with the meat, we also ordered scallops loaded with cheese. I think the cheese is an extra ₩2,500... or so. Grilling the meat and scallops together over the gentle briquette fire was a really unusual and charming way to eat.

When I put the fresh, thick cuts of meat on the grill, they took on that special briquette aroma and slowly turned golden brown.

The scallops we ordered alongside had their cheese melting down, and the savory flavor was at its peak,

and it was a real joy to enjoy meat and seafood at the same time.

I put a nicely cooked piece of meat on a fresh ssam leaf, added garlic, onion and ssamjang (dipping paste), and stuffed it all in my mouth. Not a drop of Friday work stress was left.

Is the self-bar refill convenient?

At the self-bar you can help yourself to extra side dishes and sauces as much as you like without feeling awkward, which was very convenient. Seeing how neatly the self-bar was kept, you could tell right away how fast the ingredients turn over. Thanks to that, I refilled onions like crazy...

Finishing with doenjang stew and naengmyeon

We finished the meal with doenjang stew and naengmyeon. The hearty doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) with its spicy, tangy broth cleaned up my greasy mouth, making it a perfect meal.

For the finale I ordered naengmyeon (cold noodles). The portion is big. This is not a dessert-sized bowl. And instead of an egg, it came with 2 quail eggs, which was the killer detail haha

With cheap prices, high-quality meat, a wide menu and friendly staff, everything about this evening beat my expectations.

If you're looking for a proper BBQ place in Luone City, I recommend stopping by Euljiro Yeontan Gui Luone City Branch for a happy time. It's a homey BBQ joint that smells like real life.