Corkage-free Cheongju BBQ with herbal pork skin: Anmin Yullyang

Anmin Yullyang: a fresh-pork charcoal grill restaurant in Yullyang-dong, Cheongju

Anmin Yullyang is a raw-pork charcoal grill restaurant located at 25-2 1F Yullyang-ro 201beon-gil, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do. I took photos of the Anmin Yullyang exterior, which even has proper parking, from the left, front, and right — all three sides!

The entrance of Anmin Yullyang, the raw-pork charcoal grill restaurant. This is the entryway as you open the door and step inside. The clean, cozy wood-toned interior makes you feel instantly at ease!

Today's restaurant pick: Anmin Yullyang Address: 25-2 1F Yullyang-ro 201beon-gil, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do Hours: Daily 16:30–23:00 / Last order 21:30 Notes: Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chair, group seating, reservations, birthday perks

Anmin, a well-known BBQ spot in the Yullyang 3-district area, sits in a quiet alley of Yullyang-dong, Cheongju. It's the kind of place that stays memorable for its good meat and relaxed atmosphere — once you visit, you want to come back — with friendly staff grilling the meat deliciously for you.

This is the table we were shown to after arriving with a reservation.

What side dishes and sauces come with the meal?

At Anmin Yullyang, once you sit down, the basic side dishes come out neatly arranged as a full spread. Along with a detailed explanation of the sauces, they suggest dipping the first bite of meat in salt to enjoy the meat's natural flavor — which is exactly how we always eat it too, plain or with just a touch of salt.

The lightly seasoned cabbage salad that came as a side dish paired well with the grilled meat, and the lettuce with low-sodium barley ssamjang (soybean paste) had a nice savory depth.

The seasoned hairtail fish sauce and fish soy sauce weren't too salty, and the shiitake wasabi was a bit mild, which made it easy to enjoy with the meat.

There was also cheese fondue sauce, sweet curry-bean powder with a nutty finish, pine-flower salt, and jjiran (a spice blend of about 10 ingredients).

There were three kinds of seasonal jangajji (pickles), plus well-aged mukeunji (aged kimchi), pickled garlic, and yuzu-ginger — the well-fermented pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) looked delicious enough to eat with rice alone. Eating alongside the meat, I could feel how much care went into every one of the basic side dishes.

There's also a mini brazier to keep the grilled meat warm after cooking.

It says I was Anmin Yullyang's 4,937th customer. Friendly staff and delicious food — Anmin Yullyang is the kind of place I'll always think of whenever I'm craving meat.

Anmin Yullyang menu and prices

Anmin Yullyang's menu goes well beyond meat. There's beef tartare on grass for 17,000 won, snow crab doenjang stew with a whole river snail and snow crab, sundubu jjigae, golbimyeon, cold ramen, and soy sauce ramen — each 6,000 won.

Drinks are varied too, from cocktails to hwayo (distilled soju), bokbunja (raspberry wine), beer, soju, and cider. There's also a good range of highballs, each 8,000 won. The cocktails in particular were reasonably priced, and I really appreciated that several non-alcoholic options were available.

Today's order Half whole-pig set (450g): 41,000 won

A set that lets you enjoy Anmin's signature pork neck, pork belly, and herbal-seasoned pork skin flavored with various medicinal herbs, all at once!

Non-alcoholic cocktail: 9,000 won

A refreshing, distinctly sweet non-alcoholic cocktail made with lemon, ginger ale, and pomegranate syrup! Since corkage is free at Anmin, we also brought a light bottle of wine from home to enjoy alongside the meat.

Staff grilling service at the table

At Anmin Yullyang, a staff member places the meat over a hot charcoal grill and skillfully lays vegetables around the rim of the grill pan first before grilling the meat. Once the meat is nicely cooked, they cut it into bite-sized pieces for you.

The fresh raw meat is fairly thick, but with quick, repeated flips it cooks through evenly without ever burning — clearly the touch of a professional. Even good-quality meat tastes different depending on how it's grilled, right?

The charcoal in the center of the grill is very strong, so the meat cooks quickly. Once it's nearly done, they light the mini brazier, set a grate over it, and once it's properly heated, transfer the meat onto it.

The meat transferred to the mini brazier, along with the full spread — looks appetizing and just as good visually, doesn't it?

Mixed well, the color is so pretty! The tangy, refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail with its subtle notes of lemon, pomegranate, and ginger paired wonderfully with the nicely grilled pork belly and pork neck — it was a top-notch match!

It stays warm the entire time you're slowly eating through the meat. The meat never got dry or tough, staying hot enough to enjoy right down to the last bite.

Pairing the pork belly and pork neck with each sauce

Can you see how fresh the lettuce looks? At Anmin Yullyang, we topped pork neck with well-fermented pa-kimchi, and dipping pork belly in the cheese fondue sauce was also a real treat.

The ripe cherry tomatoes were delicious plain, but dipping them in the cheese sauce added even more flavor. Wrapping pork belly in lettuce with barley doenjang and pa-kimchi in particular was a fantastic combination.

Pork belly topped with mukeunji and barley doenjang on lettuce was soft and savory, blending beautifully with the tangy aged kimchi. The seasoned hairtail fish sauce paired well with pork neck and cheongyang peppers too — the fish sauce wasn't too salty and had a nice savory depth.

Fresh, good-quality meat is already delicious with just a touch of salt, but Anmin's variety of carefully made sauces adds a different kind of appeal, so we mixed and matched them all as we ate. The shiitake wasabi was also nicely mild, not too sharp — I liked that a lot.

How does the herbal pork skin taste?

It had been a while since I'd had pork skin. Anmin Yullyang's pork skin, seasoned with a variety of medicinal herbs, had no off smell at all, and was tender yet chewy and delicious — I kept reaching for more.

Is Anmin Yullyang good for a family dinner or a work get-together?

Anmin, a Cheongju restaurant in Yullyang-dong known for its staff-grilled pork belly, is also a great place to bring kids. With a varied menu, a clean and comfortable interior, and friendly staff who grill the meat for you, Anmin seems like a great spot for a family meal or a work dinner alike.

As pretty as the interior is, the restrooms were just as clean, stocked with dental floss, mouthwash, and fabric deodorizer right outside — the cleanliness there was a perfect score. You know how important kitchen and restroom hygiene is when you go to a restaurant, right?

Friendly staff, delicious food, and great hygiene — that's about as good as it gets, and I'd recommend it to anyone. With gratitude, I'll wrap up this Anmin Yullyang review here.