Pork belly and soju after a Yuseong hot spring sauna: Jeonju House

When my body feels stiff, nothing beats soaking in a hot spring bath and taking a proper sauna session for a clean, refreshing reset! I recently sweated out all my fatigue at the main hot spring bath in Gyeryong Spatel in Yuseong, Daejeon. The moment I stepped out into the cool air after the sauna, having sweated so much, one thought crossed my mind: "Tonight, it's absolutely sizzling pork belly and a cold soju!" 🤤

I did a storm of searching for a place where I could grill up properly ripened, tangy aged kimchi alongside the meat, and found it! I headed to Jeonju House (전주하우스) in Bongmyeong-dong, a place that shows off the essence of pork belly among Yuseong, Daejeon restaurants. Here's my flawless cast-iron-lid food diary — let's get right into it! 👇

Why I headed to Jeonju House straight after the sauna

After a refreshing wash at Gyeryong Spatel's main hot spring bath, hunger hit me hard. I was craving savory, glistening pork and a fiery kimchi stew, so I went searching for a meat restaurant near Yuseong Hot Spring — and found Jeonju House, where fresh pork belly and aged kimchi are piled generously onto a giant cast-iron lid and grilled together.

It's a restaurant known both as a meal spot and a meat house, famous among Daejeon locals for its Jeolla-do-style hand-made aged kimchi, neat side dishes, and quality fresh pork belly — so I headed there without a second thought!

Jeonju House location and hours

It opens early in the morning, so it's also a great spot for breakfast or a hangover-cure meal!

• Address: 36 Oncheon-ro101beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea (Bongmyeong-dong)
• Hours: Daily 09:00–22:20 (last order 21:20)

Access near Yuseong Hot Spring Station and the shop's atmosphere

The restaurant sits right in the heart of the Yuseong Hot Spring main street, very close to Gyeryong Spatel and Yuseong Hot Spring Park, so it was really easy to find. The clean brick building with its red signboard stands out even from a distance.

Walking inside, a clean, spacious hall opens up. There are plenty of round and square tables, so it's a great spot for group gatherings or work dinners too. We settled into the cozy table 3!

There was even a staircase leading up to a second floor on one side, which made me realize this is a pretty large restaurant.

The Wi-Fi info was neatly posted on the air conditioner,

and near the exit there was even a Catchtable waiting device and a mixed coffee vending machine for an after-meal treat.

The menu and the cast-iron-lid fresh pork belly food diary

Let's scan the menu. It's well stocked, from hearty meals like kimchi stew and cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) to meat dishes including the signature cast-iron-lid fresh pork belly and fresh pork shoulder.

👉 Today's order: Cast-iron-lid fresh pork belly (2 servings), kimchi stew (1 pot), Daejeon soju (Rin)

Once seated, they first bring out a clean bottled water for hygiene.

As soon as we ordered, a massive cast-iron lid was mounted right onto the center of the table! It was so glossy with oil that it made my mouth water just looking at it. Pork belly really does taste best grilled on a cast-iron lid!

Soon a generous spread of basic side dishes arrived — fresh wrap vegetables, bean sprouts, scallion salad, pickles, and Jeonju House's pride, the aged kimchi. Any side dish that runs low can be refilled freely at the neat self-serve bar without any hesitation.

Finally, today's star arrived — the 'cast-iron-lid fresh pork belly, 2 servings,' with a gorgeous rosy-red color. Thick cut, with a perfect ratio of lean meat to fat!

They laid the thick fresh pork belly onto the heated cast-iron lid with a sizzling sound, and skillfully arranged the aged kimchi, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and onions along the path where the pork fat runs down. The smell alone was a work of art.

Seeing the meat sizzle and cook right in front of me, I couldn't resist and immediately ordered a bottle of 'Ije Urin,' a local Daejeon soju! A cold shot right after the sauna... it feels like all the fatigue in my body just melts away. 🍶

How was the kimchi stew?

While the meat was cooking, a bubbling pot of kimchi stew arrived. I dropped in the tofu they gave along with it and took a big spoonful — the deep, spicy broth made from long-simmered aged kimchi was seriously incredible! A perfect side dish to cut through the richness.

The full spread on the table — cast-iron-lid pork belly, aged kimchi stew, and Daejeon soju in perfect trio! Just looking at it is filling.

I picked up a nicely browned piece of pork belly and ate it with the seasoned vegetables. Crispy outside, juices bursting inside — no gamey smell at all, just chewy and savory through and through!

Wrapping a piece of garlic and pork into a big lettuce wrap and taking a huge bite — it's a festival in your mouth. The chemistry between cast-iron-grilled kimchi and pork belly really never disappoints.

Final thoughts

Jeonju House has excellent meat quality, but its home-style kimchi and stews are so good on their own that a lot of people come just for a stew set meal at lunchtime! Since it opens at 9am, I'd also strongly recommend it as a hangover-cure breakfast course for anyone staying at Yuseong Hot Spring.

Sweating it all out in the sauna, then finishing with cold soju, cast-iron-lid pork belly, and a fiery kimchi stew — it was truly the perfect course.

A place where the fresh, chewy flavor of the pork belly, the heat of the cast-iron lid, and properly ripened Jeolla-style aged kimchi all come together perfectly!

If you want to enjoy proper meat in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong, Daejeon, I highly recommend stopping by Jeonju House, a pork belly specialist among Yuseong, Daejeon restaurants! 👍