Daegu stone-plate BBQ: paper-thin frozen pork belly, Suyeong Naengsam

There are days when you just crave thin, savory frozen pork belly. Thick fresh cuts are great too, but sometimes what you really want is that particular feeling of meat grilled crisp on a plate and eaten with garlic or kimchi.

Where is Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store?

Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store is a restaurant specializing in Grade 1+ domestic female pork frozen belly, located on the 1st floor of 570-18 Guksaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu. It's near the 228 Memorial Central Park and Lotte Cinema building, so it was easy to find from the heart of Dongseong-ro.

Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store

I was once again looking around downtown Daegu for a good frozen pork belly spot and came across Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store, which specializes in Grade 1+ domestic female pork frozen belly. I'd noticed the place before while passing by, so I headed there for dinner without hesitation. The building has a dark-toned exterior with a big green sign, easy to spot from a distance.

• Open daily
• Hours: 16:00 – 01:00
• Reservations and group bookings available

Next to the entrance stood a standing sign announcing that every Samsung Lions game, weekday and weekend, is broadcast on a large TV inside, along with a banner for non-alcoholic beer. I figured this would be a good place to eat while watching a game.

There are dedicated and designated parking buildings nearby, so even if you drive, finding a parking spot isn't difficult.

The restaurant is located near the 228 Memorial Central Park and Lotte Cinema building, which made it easy to find.

Paper-thin belly, thick belly and pork neck: all 7,900 won per 100g

Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store's grilled meats come in three types: quick-frozen thin belly (1–1.5mm), quick-frozen belly (under 4mm), and quick-frozen pork neck, all priced at ₩7,900 per 100g. The first order starts at a minimum of 400g, with additional orders available in 200g increments.

We took our seats and looked over the menu on the wall.

They were also selling pork jowl as a new menu item. Side dishes included aged kimchi jjigae, meat or seafood doenjang jjigae, rice, Suyeong fried rice, bibim noodles, and banquet noodles.

We started by ordering a total of 6 servings of the quick-frozen thin belly.

Soon the table was set with the basic side dishes. All the banchan (side dishes) are apparently made in-house.

If you run out of side dishes, there's a self-serve corner, which also had other grilled side items on offer.

How the staff grill the paper-thin pork belly on a stone plate

At Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store, the meat is placed on a tilted square stone plate along with onion and sliced garlic, and a staff member grills it for you. Since the meat is sliced thin, it cooked quickly on the plate, which I liked.

I picked up a properly cooked piece with chopsticks and tried it plain, without dipping it in anything first. There was no dryness or gamey smell, and the more I chewed, the more the thin belly's characteristic savory fat came through, light and clean. Dipping it lightly in the salt-oil sauce made the savoriness even more noticeable.

Next, we grilled aged kimchi at the lower part of the plate and ate it alongside the meat.

Wrapping a piece of golden-grilled meat with a well-cooked slice of kimchi and scallion salad was excellent — the tanginess of the kimchi balanced out the fattiness of the meat perfectly. The garlic and onion, grilled in the meat's own fat, brought out a nice sweetness too.

Finishing the meal with doenjang jjigae and rice

After the meat, we added doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and rice as side dishes. The stew's broth wasn't too watery and had a nice kick, making it a good way to wrap up the meal. The Suyeong fried rice and bibim noodles also looked like good specialty dishes worth trying, so I'm thinking I'll order those next time.

Who is Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store best for?

Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store is a place where you can enjoy good-quality domestic frozen pork belly at an affordable price. The spacing between tables and the overall cleanliness were both solid, and with the big TV, it seemed like a useful spot to visit on a day with a baseball game. Parking access is good and the location is close to the heart of Dongseong-ro, making it well suited for a meal with a drink after work or on weekends. It's a place worth recommending to anyone who loves the combination of thin pork belly and aged kimchi, or anyone looking for a comfortable-vibe BBQ restaurant.