Korean BBQ in Bongmyeong-dong, Daejeon: ₩1,900 soju at Oilnae

Oil-nae Daejeon Bongmyeong is a Bongmyeong-dong barbecue spot selling soju and beer for ₩1,900 each, making it a great pick for gatherings or company dinners.

Oilnae in Bongmyeong-dong: soju and beer for ₩1,900

Since it's a newly opened restaurant in the main commercial district of Bongmyeong-dong in Yuseong, Daejeon, the exterior and overall look were very clean.

At the entrance, a big banner announced soju and beer for ₩1,900.

With today's prices, it's rare to find a downtown spot selling drinks this cheap. Since the alcohol is so affordable, booking this place for a group get-together or an office dinner can save quite a bit of money.

Group rooms at Oilnae, from 6 people up to 50

Inside, there were private group rooms sized for different party numbers. Checking the reservation info, they had rooms for 6, 8, and 12 people, all the way up to 50.

The place was big enough to book anywhere from 2 to 116 people, making it well suited for company dinners. The main hall and the rooms are completely separated, so even coming as a group, you're less bothered by surrounding noise and can grill comfortably.

There's a parking lot, plus separate men's and women's restrooms inside the store, so the facilities were convenient to use. Matching its 4.87 rating on Naver, the restaurant's basic infrastructure was very solidly put together.

The ₩25,900 half-tray set: 300g, just right for two

After sitting down, we ordered one half-tray set priced at ₩25,900. The portion came out to about 300g, just the right amount for two people to eat alongside rice and stew.

Meat alone felt like it wouldn't be enough for a full meal, so we added kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), fluffy steamed egg, and a bowl of rice. Since the set itself is already affordable, adding extra side dishes barely raised the total cost.

Grilling Korean pork belly at Oilnae: how it tasted

Once the thick slices of Korean pork belly (한돈, hanwoo-grade domestic pork) hit the well-heated grill, a savory smell of rendering fat rose up right away. Because it was fresh raw meat, no white residue stuck to the edges of the grill as it cooked, and the surface browned up cleanly.

The lean-to-fat ratio was well balanced — you could feel the meat's firm texture just cutting it with scissors. After grilling it so the outside was seared while the inside stayed juicy, I tried a piece dipped only in salt first.

There was zero funky smell that older pork can sometimes have. The fat didn't turn mushy or fall apart — it was wonderfully chewy, letting the pork belly's natural savory flavor really come through.

Were the kimchi jjigae and bomb steamed egg worth adding?

Right as my mouth was getting coated with meat fat, I spooned up some of the kimchi jjigae bubbling away in its stone pot. Made with well-fermented sour kimchi as its base, the broth wasn't light at all — it was deep and spicy.

Stirring the stew with a spoon revealed a generous amount of pork and tofu inside. A scoop of rice soaked in the broth, then topped with kimchi and meat from the stew, and half a bowl of rice disappeared in no time.

When the spiciness of the stew started to build, I balanced it out with the puffed-up steamed egg. It hadn't burned at the bottom of the pot and was packed with moisture, so the texture was as soft as pudding.

The steamed egg was seasoned mild rather than salty, making it a good dish to alternate with the punchy stew broth or the meat. After finishing the half-tray of meat, the stew, the steamed egg, and a bowl of rice, we walked away full and satisfied.