Korean BBQ in Paju Unjeong: the ₩39,900 couple set at Haetteuljip

Haetteuljip in Paju Unjeong: a Korean BBQ restaurant with second-floor window views

Interior and exterior views of the restaurant

To spend a relaxing weekend in Paju Unjeong with some good meat, I visited Haetteuljip, a Korean BBQ restaurant with a great atmosphere. Since the restaurant sits on the second floor of the building, wide-open views of the outside came right through the windows, so there was no sense of feeling cramped at all.

We got to enjoy our meal with the large windows thrown wide open, and the openness let a breeze drift in that felt really refreshing and put me in a good mood. I found myself thinking that on a rainy or snowy day, sitting by the window watching the scenery outside while grilling meat would feel wonderfully romantic and delicious.

Mother-of-pearl inlay tables and the self-serve banchan bar

Walking into Haetteuljip, the tables are decorated in a distinctively antique mother-of-pearl inlay style, giving off a warm, traditional Korean charm. You could feel the careful touch put into even this one piece of decor, which made the space feel even more special.

The tables were also spaced generously apart, so we could focus on our meal comfortably without worrying about anyone around us, and the self-serve corner where you can freely help yourself to the tasty side dishes without hesitation was well laid out for easy movement — a very pleasant setup to use.

What we ordered: the ₩39,900 couple set

Order menu

• Couple set: ₩39,900
• Samgyeopsal (pork belly) + LA galbi + cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) (or sundubu-jjigae, soft tofu stew)

What we ordered that day was the couple set, which is excellent value for money. For the meat, it comes with savory LA galbi and thick-cut samgyeopsal, and for the stew you can choose between hearty cheonggukjang or spicy sundubu-jjigae — we picked the cheonggukjang, which is packed with beans for a rich flavor. Even the basic cheonggukjang served with the set came loaded generously with beans, giving the broth a deep, rich taste.

The basic banchan (side dishes) — quail eggs, soft rolled egg, and other neatly prepared dishes that take real effort — came arranged in a full spread on a pretty wooden board that really got our appetite going. The grill plate itself was cast iron, which holds heat exceptionally well and brought out even more flavor in the meat.

LA galbi and samgyeopsal on the cast-iron grill, plus fried rice to finish

Grilling the LA galbi and samgyeopsal on the cast-iron plate until golden brown kept all the juices locked in — the savoriness was out of this world.

As we were nearly done with the meat, we added fragrant crown daisy, bracken fern, and kimchi to the grill and cooked them together — mixed with the fat from the meat, the flavor was incredible.

To finish the meal off, we added fried rice after the meat and stir-fried it right on the grill. The fried rice, mixed with the leftover ingredients and kimchi into a savory finish, lived up to every expectation — a truly perfect ending.

Is Haetteuljip worth a return visit?

Haetteuljip in Paju Unjeong was one of the best value-for-money Korean BBQ restaurants around, letting us enjoy LA galbi, samgyeopsal, and rich cheonggukjang all at a reasonable price.

Looking out over the wide-open view through the windows while sitting at the mother-of-pearl inlay table gave the meal a retro charm that boosted our satisfaction several times over.

The generous, delicious side dishes, the combination of vegetables grilled on the cast-iron plate, and the finishing fried rice — every part of the meal was perfect. If you're near Paju Unjeong looking for a stylish Korean BBQ restaurant with both great atmosphere and great taste, I'd definitely recommend a visit to Haetteuljip.

Haetteuljip visitor information: address, hours, prices

• Address: 1083 Yadang-dong, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do (2F, 224, 225-ho, 25 Sorichen-ro), South Korea
• Hours: 16:30 – 05:00
• Features: second-floor location with open window views, mother-of-pearl inlay tables with traditional Korean interior charm, great-value couple set (LA galbi + samgyeopsal + stew), cast-iron grill and self-serve banchan bar