Daegu Gyodong bar with 1++ hanwoo skirt steak: Yukyeonjeong

I went to Yukyeonjeong, the mungtigi (hand-cut raw beef) spot that's hot right now in Gyodong, Daegu 👏

The address is 대구 중구 교동3길 36 1층 101호, and it's open daily from 17:00 to 02:00.

A friend recommended this Gyodong bar to me a few months ago, saying you could eat salmon and raw beef all on one platter and that it was so good. I finally made it to Yukyeonjeong!!

What does Yukyeonjeong Gyodong look like, and how are the outdoor tables?

It has that Japanese-izakaya feel. There are outdoor (yajang) tables set up out front, and the vibe was insane just from the outside 🥹

Inside, the lighting is dim and moody. I almost sat at the bar but wanted to eat a bit more comfortably, so I took a table. To order, you just tap your phone on a sensor and the menu pops up. Kind of wild how things work these days 😅

Set menu prices at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong

• Mungtigi platter set ₩49,000
• Sashimi platter set ₩47,000
• Hanwoo yukhoe + odregi ₩31,000
• Hanwoo raw chadol + odregi ₩37,000
• Hanwoo mungtigi + odregi ₩37,000
• Salmon sashimi + odregi ₩32,000
• Hanwoo raw chimasal + odregi ₩51,000

I didn't manage to get a photo of the full menu, so I only wrote down the set prices here!! They also sell everything a la carte, and there's a wide range of side dishes too, like ankimo gimbap 👍

I ordered the mungtigi platter set! Yukyeonjeong is a top mungtigi spot near Daegu Station, so of course I had to go with mungtigi!! Getting raw beef alone, or half-and-half, can leave you with a huge portion of one thing when you actually want to try other cuts too — and that usually gets pricey. But at Yukyeonjeong you get to try several kinds of meat on a single platter, which is so nice!!

The basic side dishes were a soup and some nibbles to munch on, plus gim (seaweed)!! 🥹

What comes in the 49,000 won mungtigi platter set?

And finally, the mungtigi platter set arrives!! One look and I understood why it's called a platter set. The spread is so generous, and just looking at it you can tell the quality of the meat is great. Pure freshness 🥹

Mungtigi, 1++ hanwoo raw chimasal (skirt steak), raw chadol (brisket), and chadol tangtangi (minced raw brisket)!! Look at that color... They say the hanwoo is vacuum-aged at low temperature the same day it's butchered, giving it deep flavor and a soft texture, and just looking at the color made that description click instantly 🥹 The raw chadol is 1++ grade too, apparently they only use the top-grade cut 👍

I didn't order the salmon this time, but apparently it's cured using the konbujime method and the texture is insane!! My friend, who's tried it before and is a serious salmon lover, said it might be the best salmon in Gyodong, Daegu 😊

On top of that, there's ankimo (monkfish liver) and deunggol (spinal marrow)..🤤 Ah, my mouth is watering again.

How do the mungtigi, raw skirt steak and raw brisket taste?

Time to dig in 🤤

First bite: mungtigi!! Thick but not chewy — exactly the right texture!! And nutty on top of that..👍 Yep, mungtigi, approved!!

Next up, raw chimasal!! Just looking at it you can tell it's nutty!! Let's try it with a tiny dab of wasabi!! It melts, it just melts, it disappears in your mouth.. I feel like it'd also be great grilled 🥹

Now raw chadol!! I've been obsessed with raw chadol lately, eating it constantly 🤤 Tried it with a tiny bit of wasabi again!! This one melts away too.. At places that don't do raw chadol well, it's just chewy with no flavor at all, but here it's not chewy at all and the meat tastes almost like milk?! That's how clean and nutty it is!!

Grilling on the mini charcoal grill at Yukyeonjeong Gyodong

I was thinking the chimasal and chadol would be great grilled too, and sure enough, they bring you a little grill!! Ugh..👍

Let's grill them one by one!! Once grilled, the added nuttiness from the rendered fat gives it a whole new flavor 🥹 Wait, ordering the platter set gets me this many kinds of meat?! Raw, grilled, ankimo, deunggol too. Such great value for money?!?

A little salt sprinkled on the meat, and it's sweet-and-salty plus nutty all at once. Insane 🥹 Honestly, of all the Gyodong bars in Daegu, this is number one both for raw beef and for grilled meat 👍 Other tables were digging into a lot of salmon too, so maybe, like my friend said, this really is the best salmon spot near Daegu Station 🤭 I cleared the entire mungtigi platter set and walked out 🤤

Is the Gyodong outdoor seating good for a date?

The interior has a classy wood-based design with accent lighting that really elevates the mood. Apparently everything, from the kitchen to the paint job, was done by the owners themselves 👍 No wonder the atmosphere felt so good!!

On my way out, even the outdoor tables were fully booked!! Great interior, cool weather, and outdoor seating — Yukyeonjeong is the mungtigi spot for a Gyodong date in Daegu 👍 If you're looking for a spot for fresh mungtigi, chimasal, raw chadol, salmon, or any raw beef in Gyodong, Daegu, I'd recommend Yukyeonjeong without hesitation!! The vibe makes it great for couples on a date, and if you want to unwind over a drink, stop by Yukyeonjeong Gyodong 👋