Daegu BBQ for two in Dongseong-ro: 6 servings, Suyeong Naengsam

My wife is absolutely a meat person. If I ask what to eat, there's a high chance she'll say "let's go eat meat!" haha

I'm the opposite — I actually prefer sashimi or sushi over meat. Not that I dislike meat, though... there's actually a food I love even more, but I'll save that for another time.

That day too, my wife wanted meat, but instead of thick pork belly, I was craving daepae (thin frozen sliced pork) or naengsam (frozen pork belly) for a change. So I searched for good restaurants in Dongseong-ro and found Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store.

What is Suyeong Naengsam Daegu Direct Store?

Suyeong Naengsam started in Busan and is already fairly well known among people who love naengsam. It's introduced as a restaurant running since 1994, and known for using the same raw meat as Seocho Galbi, a famous restaurant in Busan. It has a direct store in Daegu too, so I visited for the first time.

From the sign alone, it feels more like an old-school BBQ restaurant than a newly opened naengsam spot. Naengsam eaten in this kind of atmosphere tastes even better. haha

Inside Suyeong Naengsam and its self-serve side dish bar

Once inside, the space was bigger than expected. Round stainless steel tables with a huge grill in the middle! Total naengsam restaurant vibes. Customers kept coming in the whole time we were there.

Extra side dishes are self-serve. You can take as much lettuce, kimchi, garlic and more as you need, which was convenient. It's probably better not to grab too much at once and just take a little at a time. 😊

Suyeong Naengsam menu and prices: 7,900 won per 100g

The menu is simpler than I expected.

• Frozen sliced pork (daepae) — ₩7,900 per 100g
• Frozen pork belly — ₩7,900 per 100g
• Frozen pork neck — ₩7,900 per 100g

The first order has to be at least 400g, and after that you can add on from 200g. Considering pork belly prices these days, ₩7,900 per 100g is definitely easy on the wallet.

We started with 2 servings of frozen sliced pork + 2 servings of frozen pork belly. And then... we ended up adding 2 more servings of pork belly. haha In the end we ate 2 servings of frozen sliced pork + 4 servings of frozen pork belly, 6 servings total. 😂 Not bad for two people, right? haha Though my wife ate most of it...

The side dishes that come with the meal

The basic side dishes come out around the big grill. With naengsam, you don't need anything fancy — just a few things to wrap it with is enough.

Kimchi, pa kimchi (scallion kimchi), ssamjang (dipping sauce), garlic. All the essentials that would be a shame to skip with meat, served cleanly.

Seasoned lettuce salad also came out, which was great for cutting through the greasiness of the naengsam between bites.

Paper-thin pork vs frozen pork belly: how the cuts differ

Finally, the meat! On the left is frozen pork belly, on the right is frozen sliced pork. Suyeong Naengsam is described as using 1+ grade domestic female pigs under 6 months old, aged for 3 days and quick-frozen for 2 days. The frozen sliced pork is 1–1.5mm thick, and the frozen pork belly is within 4mm.

Even in photos, you can clearly see the thickness difference. The sliced pork is really thin, while the pork belly has that proper naengsam thickness. If you asked me to pick just one... I'd go with frozen pork belly!

They put it straight onto the hot grill. Sizzle~ 🔥 The biggest advantage of naengsam is definitely how quickly it cooks. When you're hungry and put thick pork belly on the grill, those few minutes of waiting feel so long... haha With naengsam, you wait just a little and it's ready to eat.

Being thin didn't mean the flavor was weak. The fatty parts were savory and the edges cooked golden brown and slightly crispy. Just watching the fat sizzle away on the grill kept my hand reaching for more. 🤤

Frozen pork belly tastes best wrapped in lettuce

Lay a big lettuce leaf, top with naengsam, garlic, and pa kimchi, and take a bite! Since the naengsam itself is thin, wrapping it with several things at once doesn't feel too heavy.

My wife looks happiest when eating meat, as usual. haha There's a reason she says "let's eat meat" so often... I have to admit it too, this time. Choosing naengsam was a good call. 👍

We kept grilling more meat. There was no way 2 servings of sliced pork would be enough, and we kept adding frozen pork belly.

See those golden-brown bits? Definitely a different kind of appeal from thick pork belly. Eating piece after piece without feeling heavy, the meat disappeared before we knew it. haha And so we finally cleared all 6 servings!

The staff-recommended doenjang jjigae is worth ordering

When we'd almost finished the meat, we asked the staff to recommend a meal menu. Their pick: doenjang jjigae! So we ordered one along with two bowls of rice.

But... the doenjang jjigae here is genuinely good. 👍 I figured it would just be the usual stew you order at the end of a BBQ meal to go with rice, but it exceeded expectations. It had tofu and vegetables in it, and the broth was rich and savory. Eating it with rice after all that meat was perfect. Now I understand why the staff recommended it. haha

2 servings of frozen sliced pork, 4 servings of frozen pork belly, doenjang jjigae, and 2 bowls of rice. Demolished again today!! 😁

Final verdict on Suyeong Naengsam in Dongseong-ro

A Dongseong-ro restaurant that comes to mind when you want a proper naengsam meal without breaking the bank. Make sure to try the doenjang jjigae too. 👍

The naengsam prices at Suyeong Naengsam are reasonable enough that even eating full as a couple didn't feel like much of a burden. Ordering both sliced pork and pork belly to compare was fun, and since the meat cooks so fast, we could keep eating without interruption.

Personally, I recommend the frozen pork belly + doenjang jjigae combo! If you're looking for an affordable, tasty naengsam spot in Dongseong-ro, this one is worth a visit. Thanks for another great meal today. 😊