Old-school Euljiro makchang bar with Catch Table waitlist: Baegyeom

What is Baegyeom Makchang in Euljiro like?

Baegyeom Makchang Euljiro Main Branch (백염막창 을지로본점) is a retro-style grilled makchang bar at 48-3 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, open daily 15:00 to 24:00. I'm an offal lover, so I have a condition where I need grilled makchang (pork intestine) regularly, and this time I visited Baegyeom Makchang, which is rising as an Euljiro makchang favorite.

The exterior oozes old-school charm, and the inside was packed with customers. I half thought every office worker in Jongno had left work and headed straight to Baegyeom Makchang.

How does the waitlist at Baegyeom Makchang work?

You can join the waitlist through Catch Table (a Korean reservation app). If you go right after work, brace yourself for a wait.

The proof that this is an Euljiro makchang favorite is the full house... The rustic, chatty vibe fits the word "old-school drinking spot" perfectly.

What are the ordering rules and side dishes?

At Baegyeom Makchang you order at least 2 servings of the same kind of makchang, then you can add 1 serving at a time. Salt is the basis of makchang, so I ordered 2 servings of salt makchang.

I think it's my first time seeing scallion kimchi at a makchang place. Spicy scallion kimchi with salty makchang turned out to be a better combo than I expected.

The wrap vegetables were perilla leaves, and scallions and chili peppers came out to go with the makjang (soybean paste sauce). The vegetables were fresh with no spoiled bits, in good condition.

They served housemade makjang sauce and nutty grilled salt. Garlic and ssamjang came too for wraps, so I dipped into each sauce in turn.

I dumped chili peppers and scallions into the makjang with gusto. Eating makchang with chili makjang was crunchy, sharp and delicious.

Salt grilled makchang for 2: portion and how to grill

The star of today's meal was 2 servings of salt grilled makchang. Even for 2 servings, four plump, long pieces of makchang came out.

It arrives pre-grilled, so it cooks fairly fast and only needs a little more time on the grill. For impatient food lovers, it's a perfect cheat item.

Cook the outside until golden, then cut it with scissors. Green onion and enoki mushrooms come along too, and grilled together they're nutty and tasty.

Just my personal thought, but it reminded me of a bone-grill restaurant in Euljiro. They serve green onion there too, and although I normally dislike scallions, I like them grilled crisp.

How did the salt makchang taste?

The salt makchang at Baegyeom Makchang is crisp on the outside as if fried, and jelly-like, chewy and soft inside. If any food fits "crispy outside, moist inside," I think it's grilled makchang.

There was not a single hint of the gamey smell typical of makchang, and it was rich and nutty. The more I chewed, the more savory juice filled my mouth, and I started a nonstop eating spree.

Eating it with the special sauces and side dishes doubles the charm. Still, salt makchang tasted best dipped in the basic salt.

Eaten with nutty green onion, the makchang felt like real meat. As expected, makchang is best chewed for a long time until the sweet juices run out.

On a perilla leaf, stack garlic, chili, makchang and green onion. The moment you take a wrap, stress flies away and you taste after-work paradise.

The longer it grills, the crispier it gets, like a snack, and the makchang turned hard like tempura. Chewy is good, but crispy from long grilling and salty was my preference.

What is the jeotgal fried rice like?

The jeotgal fried rice (볶음밥) at Baegyeom Makchang is fried rice topped with salted squid, and I ordered it as my meal after the makchang. I love carbs and can't pass a meal without rice, so to soothe the emptiness makchang alone leaves, I ordered the jeotgal fried rice!

BBQ places usually have iron-plate fried rice or kimchi fried rice, so I was really curious about jeotgal fried rice. The salty umami of jeotgal soaks into every grain, and the savory depth is crazy.

The salted squid isn't harshly salty, and the seasoning is just right. It's good in between bites of makchang too, and it cleanly wipes away the lingering richness of the makchang.

Finishing with kimchi noodles

The kimchi noodles (김치말이국수) at Baegyeom Makchang are cool noodles in a sweet-and-sour cold broth, topped with egg, seaweed, cucumber and kimchi. They blow away the muggy summer heat and refresh your mouth! After enjoying rich food, I rinsed it all away with the cool broth.

The cool, sweet-and-sour broth is topped with egg, seaweed, cucumber and kimchi, so the colors are pretty, and the broth tastes like naengmyeon (cold noodles).

In particular, the noodles aren't regular thin somyeon but have a chewy jjolmyeon feel, springy and good. Well-boiled noodles with plenty of crunchy kimchi pieces made the texture perfect.

If you're looking for an Euljiro makchang favorite or a Jongno makchang favorite, I recommend Baegyeom Makchang.