Pork neck BBQ worth a reorder in Goseong-dong, Daegu: Ttukbang

Insanely good texture pork neck and odor-free makchang

Today I visited Ttukbang, a charcoal grill restaurant in Goseong-dong, Daegu. When people think of a BBQ restaurant, samgyeopsal (pork belly) usually comes to mind first, but for some reason I find it harder to find a place that does pork neck well. So this time I went in with high expectations, hearing this place mainly nails the pork neck. Long story short, I ended up ordering more pork neck and finishing off the makchang too.

Where to park at Ttukbang in Goseong-dong

You can park in the line in front of Ttukbang or use the DGB Park lot. It's free after 8pm, and if you incur a parking fee before that, the owner apparently covers it for you. Good to know if you're driving there.

Ttukbang's exterior and weekday evening atmosphere

Ttukbang, a charcoal grill specialty restaurant, had a clean yet somehow warm exterior. On days when Daegu FC has a match, they also run an event offering free doenjang egg rice and jajang egg rice.

We visited around 6:30pm on a weekday evening, and the main hall was already pretty packed. There was a separate room further in, and that was already filled with guests too. Being this busy on a weekday evening made me think this place is fairly well-known in Goseong-dong.

What's at Ttukbang's self-serve bar?

There's a neatly set-up self-serve bar on one side of Ttukbang. Shredded green onion, other side dishes, kimchi, wrap vegetables and other banchan that go well with meat are all ready, along with tongs, scissors, small plates and other utensils you might need — just grab whatever's missing.

Ttukbang menu and prices

Ttukbang's signature grilled items are salt-grilled pork neck (150g) at ₩12,000, salt-grilled pork belly (150g) at ₩12,000, savory Ttukbang makchang (130g) at ₩11,000, and Ttukbang mala makchang (110g) at ₩13,000. There's also a variety of side dishes — kimchi noodle soup, jajang egg rice, spicy doenjang stew, and steamed egg — so you can eat meat and a full meal in one go.

What we ordered at Ttukbang

• Salt-grilled pork neck, 4 servings: ₩48,000
• Ttukbang makchang, 1 serving: ₩12,000
• Jajang egg rice: ₩5,000
• Beer: ₩5,000
• Total: ₩69,000

Ttukbang's side dishes and free steamed egg

When you go to a BBQ restaurant, you always check out the banchan first, right? Ttukbang filled the table generously with various sauces, pickles, fresh seasoned vegetables, and even kimchi pancake.

And before the meat arrived, a bomb-style steamed egg puffed up over the top of its stone pot! It comes as a complimentary service item, and it was soft and fluffy — great for eating while waiting for the meat.

What does Ttukbang's salt-grilled pork neck taste like?

Ttukbang's salt-grilled pork neck came thickly sliced, with real chewiness and juiciness to it. When it first arrives on the plate, you might think, huh, is the portion a bit small? But once you actually grill it, your mind changes. The pork neck is sliced quite thick, so it has great texture to chew and you can really taste the juices.

At Ttukbang, the owner grills the pork neck on the grill for you personally. They cut the thick pork neck into bite-sized pieces and flip it at just the right moment, so all we had to do was sit back and eat. Watching the pork neck turn golden brown over the charcoal somehow made me even hungrier!

For the first bite, I tried it dipped lightly in salt as the owner recommended. Biting into the thick pork neck, the juices came out moist and it was much more tender than I expected.

Pork neck sometimes brings to mind a dry texture, but Ttukbang's pork neck had almost none of that. Among all the pork neck I've had at BBQ restaurants, this was up there as one of the most savory and moist. Eating it, I thought, ah, this place really is all about the pork neck! If you've been looking for a Goseong-dong restaurant that does pork neck properly, this is worth a visit.

Best ways to eat the pork neck

The pork neck itself was so good that dipping in salt alone was enough, but there was also fun to be had trying different pairings. Wrapped with a chewy seasoned mushroom sauce, it adds savoriness that brings out the pork neck's flavor. And the combo with pickled onions — need I say more?

And grilling white kimchi on the grill until golden brown pairs wonderfully with the savoriness of the meat and the clean taste of the white kimchi.

Rice cake grilled together with the meat is also a nice treat! Grilled golden over the charcoal, it gets chewy and you keep reaching for it. Eating pork neck like that... we ended up ordering two more servings of pork neck.

How to grill Ttukbang makchang

Unlike the pork neck, Ttukbang makchang isn't grilled for you — you grill it yourself to your liking. Once you're full and satisfied with the pork neck, it's time to try the makchang that Ttukbang says you shouldn't skip.

We grilled it golden brown on the grill ourselves, and the crispy exterior made for a great visual right away. Taking a bite of the well-grilled makchang, it was savory and chewy with no off-odor at all. Makchang really does taste best grilled crispy, haha.

Dipped into the special makjang (seasoned dipping sauce), the savory makchang pairs well with the salty-savory sauce.

Putting grilled kimchi on a perilla leaf and topping it with crispy makchang makes for one great wrap!

Eating it with sweet-and-sour scallion salad also worked well, balancing out the savoriness of the makchang. Came for the pork neck, left having enjoyed the makchang too.

Ttukbang jajang egg rice topped with pork neck

For our final course, we ordered jajang egg rice (₩5,000). Turns out the owner's mother runs a Chinese restaurant herself. Maybe that's why the jajang sauce had such a familiar yet deep flavor.

Topping the jajang rice with a fried egg makes the combo quite hearty as well.

You know how it is when eating meat — you always have to save a few pieces. We put the golden, moist pork neck right on top of the jajang rice and ate them together, and the savory pork neck juices combined with the rich jajang sauce worked much better than I expected. We were very full.

Verdict: pork neck and makchang together in Goseong-dong, Daegu

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Goseong-dong, Daegu, Ttukbang is worth a visit. From the thick, moist pork neck to the crispy makchang, everything was delicious, and finishing off with the hearty jajang egg rice was a nice touch too. If you're looking for a BBQ restaurant in Goseong-dong, Ttukbang lets you enjoy both pork neck and makchang together, which should suit anyone who, like me, loves both :)