Daehung-dong pork backbone BBQ in Daejeon: weekday booking, Yeonam

If I had to name the hottest dish in Daejeon right now, it would definitely be charcoal-grilled pork backbone! Since this city is so famous for its bread, after a bakery pilgrimage you can't help but crave a proper Korean meal, right??

When it comes to Korean food in Daehung-dong that hits the spot after a bread hangover, this spicy red dish comes to mind. It's the rising star of pork backbone in Daehung-dong, Daejeon!! Especially because of its great location and outrageous value for money — Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang.

I'm bringing you an honest review of Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang, which I want to recommend for its perfect combination of taste, portion size, and thoughtful service along the Jungang-ro/Eunhaeng-dong/Daehung-dong line in Daejeon. I'll cover everything from detailed location and parking info, to tips for skipping the wait with reservations, to how to pack leftovers.

Where is Yeonam, and where do you park in Daehung-dong?

Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang is located at 37-9 Jungang-ro130beon-gil, Jung-gu, Daejeon, a 3-minute walk from Sungsimdang. It's open daily from 11:30 to 24:00.

There's no dedicated parking lot, so I recommend using the nearby 'Urideul Park parking lot' (₩1,200 per 30 minutes, free for 1 hour with a Sungsimdang purchase). Since parking isn't provided, I ended up making an unplanned stop at Sungsimdang just to get my parking ticket validated, haha.

I recommend everyone combine pork backbone with a Sungsimdang stop — you can even solve the parking issue that way!

As I got closer to the entrance, all the windows were wide open and the savory, spicy-sweet charcoal smell was wafting out! Even though I visited on a weekday evening at 6:30, the tables inside were already full — it was clearly super popular 🔥

How to skip the wait: Naver booking Mon–Thu, Catch Table on weekends

Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone accepts Naver reservations Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday you need to join a remote queue through Catch Table. The day I visited was a Thursday at 6:30pm, and there were 2 parties waiting.

Since Catch Table is available, waiting is pretty manageable, but there's actually a way to walk right into this in-demand spot.

On any day except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you can make a Naver reservation.

What about Friday to Sunday? Naver reservations aren't available, so it's essential to line up remotely through the Catch Table app before you leave home! (There are a lot of tables and the food comes out fast, so turnover is quick.)

What about Monday to Thursday? Naver reservations are open! If you're planning a weekday visit, I strongly recommend booking through Naver so you can walk right in without waiting. Just note you need to book at least a day ahead — no same-day reservations.

Is the medium grilled pork backbone enough for three people?

At Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone, the three of us ordered a medium size charcoal-grilled pork backbone (original flavor), plus added udon noodles and a rice ball! Even though we picked the smallest piece of bone, it took forever just to finish one piece — the portion was huge.

The drink lineup was also on point, with non-alcoholic beer and Jipyeong makgeolli on tap 🍺

Chili ssamjang, stir-fried anchovies, cheonsachae, and pickled onions come out as basic sides. It was really convenient that the kiosk at each table let you easily request refills or extras like perilla powder, radish kimchi, and wasabi soy sauce. I recommend asking for the wasabi soy sauce! Dipping the picked-off meat in it was a great combo~

The gamjatang broth that comes with the basic sides is seriously the real deal...! While eating the slightly spicy-sweet pork backbone, a spoonful of gamjatang broth resets your palate so you can dig right back in 😋 It was so good I want to come back just for the gamjatang next time!! And it was great that they gave us more when we asked for a refill.

Not long after ordering, the main charcoal-grilled pork backbone came out fast! It made me wonder if that's why their turnover is so good — they must pre-grill in advance since business is booming. I was really hungry so I was so happy it came out quickly, ㅠㅠ

Gorgeous ✨

It doesn't fully come across in photos, but it was seriously massive... hard to even hold one piece and eat it. There was so much meat on it that one piece took forever to finish.

I picked the smallest one to make it easier to eat, and it still looked like this... the bone was so huge it doesn't even fit in the photo, and I have pretty big hands, so I was overwhelmed! You really don't need to worry about the portion size.

It must have been slow-cooked for a long time, because the meat came off smoothly with just a light touch! It wasn't like tearing meat off — more like just picking it up.

How spicy is the original flavor, and is udon worth adding?

The seasoning soaked really well into the udon noodles, and it was so tasty I kept wiping extra sauce off the meat to eat with it. Even the original flavor wasn't spicy at all. If anything, I wished it were a bit spicier?? If you're not sensitive to spice, I definitely recommend the original flavor!!!

At other pork backbone places I've felt like it was just too sweet, but here the spicy-savory flavor was more my style 😊

Rice ball with grilled pork backbone: how the combo tastes

The rice ball can't be skipped either. They whip it up quickly by mixing seaweed flakes and mayo, and I think it would also be great to mix in the stir-fried anchovy side dish. Make your rice ball however you like~

Now this is truly the perfect combo. Picking the meat off and eating it with the rice ball fills you up so satisfyingly. I think I only managed a piece or two... or maybe I couldn't even finish that.

Look at this pile of bones... can you tell how huge the portion was?

How to pack up the leftover pork backbone meat

Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone allows you to pack leftovers, but rather than taking the bones home whole, it's better to ask the staff to pick off just the meat for packing. The three of us ate and had about two pieces left over — but no worries there, because packing is available!!!!

If you reheat pork backbone at home with the bone still on, it can develop an off smell, so if you ask the staff to pick off just the meat for packing, you can stir-fry rice with it at home or enjoy it as another clean meal 🤤

Can you believe this is what two pieces picked apart looks like...? No wonder I couldn't even finish two... there's no bone hidden in there, it's really just pure meat picked off. Amazing value for money, right?? Once you pick it apart like this and call a staff member, they pack it neatly into a container so you can take it home and reheat it, haha. It's delicious even at home!

Payment options at Yeonam and the final verdict

For payment, Ontong Daejeon, Onnuri, Junggu-tong, and Kakao Pay are all accepted! I definitely recommend using the Ontong Daejeon cashback or Onnuri discount!! I paid with Ontong Daejeon that day and got 15% cashback, haha.

Being just a 3-minute walk from Sungsimdang, it was perfect to pair with a bakery pilgrimage, and with the generous portions, unlimited gamjatang broth refills, and friendly service, it was a truly great value restaurant. I'd definitely visit again! ✨ If you're traveling to Daejeon or in the Eunhaeng-dong/Daehung-dong area looking for the best value pork backbone restaurant, be sure to stop by 'Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone'!