Daegu Korean BBQ restaurant with generous sides: Suyeong Naengsam

The moment I got into Suyeong Naengsam in Gyodong on a weekday evening

I suddenly got a craving for naengsam (frozen pork belly), so I went to the currently hot Suyeong Naengsam in Gyodong, Daegu. True to its reputation as a Dongseong-ro favorite, it was packed even on a weekday evening. There happened to be exactly one table left, so we got straight in. Lucky 🍀

I went to the currently hot Suyeong Naengsam in Gyodong, Daegu. True to its reputation as a Dongseong-ro favorite, it was packed even on a weekday evening. There happened to be exactly one table left, so we got straight in. Lucky 🍀 The exterior and interior had a little retro flair? The sign and the interior decor both did. There were several round tables.

They are also running Naver receipt reviews, so keep that in mind! We were sooo hungry, so we looked at the menu first. There were four pork options: quick-frozen thin-sliced pork, quick-frozen pork belly, quick-frozen pork neck belly, and chewy pork jowl. The sides included Korean beef soybean paste stew, aged-kimchi stew, rice, Suyeong fried rice, hot or cold janchi-guksu (banquet noodles), and bibim noodles, but we decided to start with the meat-!

We came for naengsam, so we ordered two portions of quick-frozen thin-sliced pork and three portions of quick-frozen pork belly!

The self-service bar, banchan, and grilling the pork

As we sat down, they quickly set out the banchan (side dishes).

And there was a self-service bar here, which was nice because we could take what we wanted.

Besides the banchan they brought us, there were all sorts of things including potatoes, eggplant, rice cakes, and mushrooms. There were disposable aprons too, so I worried a little less about pork fat splattering.

The quick-frozen pork belly and thin-sliced pork came together. The thin-sliced pork was on the left and the pork belly was on the right! There was not a huge difference, but they were slightly different in thickness.

They said to keep seasoning it with the salt and pepper on the table as we grilled it.

Since it was so thin, the quick-frozen sliced pork cooked in an instant as soon as it hit the grill. 🤭 It cooked faster than we could eat it, haha.

Maybe because it was seasoned with salt and pepper, it was savory even on its own, with no unpleasant smell.

We tried it in lots of combinations, with sesame oil, jaeraegi (seasoned scallion salad), green-onion kimchi, and more 🥰

We also grilled potatoes and rice cakes until golden in the pork fat. After finishing the quick-frozen sliced pork, we ordered a run of sides so there would not be a break in the food: Korean beef soybean paste stew, fried rice, and bibim noodles! It was a little greasy, so we got Fanta too—cheers 🥂

Next, we grilled the quick-frozen pork belly, which was a tiny bit thicker than the sliced pork. It was slightly meatier, so it felt like there was a little more juiciness than the sliced pork?!

It was nicely chewy. And honestly, because the pork was thin, I thought it would not fill us up, so we ordered tons of sides—but we were gradually getting full, lol. The side dishes we ordered were seriously delicious too.

Pressed fried rice and the side dishes

The fried rice came out earlier than expected! It arrived already cooked, and just looking at the color, the visuals were insane,, And you absolutely have to press the fried rice down before eating it!

Making crispy scorched rice with it made it even ridiculously delicious,,,

Next up was the Korean beef soybean paste stew!

When I stirred it with a ladle, it was absolutely packed with ingredients.

As the name suggests, it was generous not only with Korean beef but also with tofu, vegetables, and more, haha.

One spoonful and it was the ultimate rice thief. I could easily finish a whole bowl of rice with just this doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew). It was a little spicy, and it felt like it cut right through the grease from the pork.

Then there were bibim noodles, whose spicy-sweet sauce was the real kicker! First of all, I was shocked that they cost ₩3,500. Bibim noodles this affordable with prices these days? But they tasted worth more than ₩3,500, haha.

The noodles were chewy too, and the flavor was perfect to have with the pork.

A finish that considered clothing odors and portion size

There was fabric deodorizer and toothpicks at the register. It seemed great for getting the smell out of your clothes! Oh, and the seat lids open, so you can put your belongings and outerwear inside to keep them from absorbing odors—so nice! All the pork and sides were so delicious, and we went a bit overboard ordering so much that I thought my stomach was going to burst, lol. If two women go, I think four portions of pork and two sides, or five portions of pork and one side, would be about right!