Ansan family Korean BBQ with kids: Euljiro Yeontan Gui Wadong

Today's post is a review of Euljiro Yeontan Gui, a pork restaurant in Ansan's Wadong neighborhood. True to its name, the meat is grilled over charcoal briquettes, so the whole place has this retro vibe going on haha.

Where Euljiro Yeontan Gui Ansan Wadong Branch is, and its hours

Euljiro Yeontan Gui Ansan Wadong Branch is located at 30 Wadong-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi. Hours are 12:00–24:00, with last order at 23:00.

• 30 Wadong-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• 12:00 – 24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Two parking spots available in front
• Baby chair available

Empty bottles, a prize machine and the retro mood inside

I went on a Sunday evening and families were already deep into their meals. I only got photos of part of the restaurant, but the retro vibe is no joke haha. Empty liquor bottles used as interior decor, a no-miss lucky draw game for nostalgia, and even silver tables! Parenting life doesn't leave much room for restaurants with this kind of atmosphere anymore, so it got me a little excited lol.

The menu and what we ordered: 65,700 won in total

Here's the menu board at Euljiro Yeontan Gui Wadong Branch. The first order has to be at least 300g, and after that you can add in 100g increments. Here's what I ordered:

• Pork geun ₩35,900
• Pork galbi 200g ₩13,800
• Water naengmyeon ₩5,000
• Spicy bibim naengmyeon ₩5,000
• Charcoal fried rice ₩5,000
• Rice bowl ₩1,000
• Total ₩65,700

I didn't order it all at once, I kept adding as we ate, but looking at it all together now, we really put away quite a bit haha.

Side dishes, the self-serve bar and pineapple grilled over charcoal

Once we finished ordering the meat and meal items, the basic side dishes arrived. Seasoned bean sprouts and kimchi, an unbeatable pairing with grilled meat! Put them on the charcoal to sizzle a bit and you can't put your chopsticks down haha.

Besides the basics, the self-serve zone had a range of side dishes, and the lettuce wraps were fresh, but the one that stood out most was the pineapple. Grilling it on the charcoal alongside the meat made it feel like a getaway to a pension in the countryside lol.

What cuts come in the 35,900-won geun of pork?

Grilling the pork over charcoal briquettes at the table

The pork geun we ordered arrived. A geun (한근) comes with samgyeopsal (pork belly), moksal (pork neck), back meat, hangjeongsal (pork jowl), and galmaegisal (skirt meat), with pork skin thrown in for free haha. I ordered the geun because I wanted to try a bunch of different cuts, and it turned out to be a great call lol. Grilling each type on the charcoal and picking whichever one suited my mood at the moment was genuinely fun.

Frozen radish salad, a side dish meant to be eaten icy

The best pairing with the meat, by far, was the frozen radish salad (무생채)! I'd never had it frozen before, so when it first came out rock solid I thought, why is this served so frozen? But then I noticed a sign in the restaurant explaining that the radish salad is meant to be eaten while still frozen haha. Popping a bite with the meat, the texture was great and it felt like a real specialty. The combination was amazing!

How were the water and bibim naengmyeon at 5,000 won each?

Around the time the meat was cooked through, the naengmyeon (cold noodles) arrived. Topped with two slices of cucumber, pickled radish, and a cute little quail egg tucked in lol. The broth wasn't heavy on the seasoning, so it was clean and not overpowering.

Seasoned pork galbi, our child's favorite, and charcoal fried rice to finish

Midway through the pork geun, we added pork galbi, and threw the pork skin on the grill too. It had been a while since I'd had pork skin, and grilled over charcoal it had a nice subtle smoky flavor, really delicious lol. The seasoned pork galbi was tender with a great sweet-and-salty balance, and it was the dish my kid ate the most of.

To finish off the meat course, we ordered charcoal fried rice! The fried rice was even shaped like a charcoal briquette, fitting the name. The edges were covered in cheese, and once it melted a bit and we mixed it all in, it was pretty tasty. At ₩5,000 the portion was quite generous too, and since it wasn't spicy we all ate our fill happily haha. A satisfying meal wrapped up with quality meat at an affordable price!