Yongin charcoal BBQ with buckwheat mul naengmyeon: Dongbaek Hanokjip

When I want to eat meat properly near Dongbaek in Yongin, this is the place that comes to mind — Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill. This was already my second visit, and I remembered the pork being especially good last time, so this round I went almost entirely pork-focused.

Where is Dongbaek Hanokjip? Hours, parking and directions

• 📍Address: 221 Eondong-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor
• ⏰Hours: Daily 11:30–21:30 / Closed every Monday
• 🚗Parking: Dedicated lot at Dongbaek Hanokjip

As the name suggests, Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill is set in a hanok (traditional Korean house), so the atmosphere is a bit different from a typical BBQ joint. Instead of the usual bustling grill-restaurant vibe, there's more of a calm hanok-dining feel, which made it a nice choice for a family meal out.

A butcher restaurant: picking the pork yourself at the counter

This is a butcher restaurant, so you can see and choose everything from beef to pork yourself, including specialty cuts.

Maybe because it's a butcher shop, the overall condition and quality of the meat is great.

I remembered the pork being really delicious last time, so this time I picked only pork. From jowl to neck to belly — two adults and one child ate over 600g together, haha.

Banchan and the refillable wrap greens at Dongbaek Hanokjip

The banchan (side dishes) at Dongbaek Hanokjip are genuinely delicious. The bean sprout salad in particular is tangy and spicy, a great combination to wrap up with the meat, and the lettuce wraps are also refillable — thin and soft, easy to wrap with.

First cut: pork jowl (hangjeongsal)

We ate in order from fattiest to leanest, starting with pork jowl, haha. Personally my favorite cut.

Totally juicy, savory on the outside, with that signature chewy texture of pork jowl coming through clearly. If you love pork jowl, you have to order this.

Meat that's good enough tastes great with just a dab of wasabi, or even just a light dip in salt — because the meat itself is that good. The meat at Dongbaek Hanokjip is that kind of meat.

Second cut: thick-sliced pork belly

Second was pork belly. The great thing about a butcher restaurant is you get to see and choose the meat yourself — I picked a piece of belly with a good balance of fat mixed in.

It was thicker than I expected, with a good chew and a well-balanced amount of fat that made it savory and delicious.

You can grill peppers alongside the meat, and eating them together with the pepper's kick keeps things from getting too rich — it cuts through the greasiness really well, delicious.

Third cut: pork neck, thick but tender

Third was pork neck. Pork neck can turn dry or tough if grilled wrong, but even thick-cut, this was tender! We were eating progressively leaner cuts by this point, and it was still tender enough to satisfy. The juices stayed well inside, and you could really taste that clean, lean-meat flavor.

Tender enough for our 4-year-old to eat on her own

Our 4-year-old isn't a big fan of meat, but if it's tasty and tender, she'll dig right in. At Dongbaek Hanokjip, she ate the meat completely on her own, haha. She even asked, "Is this pork or beef?" — I guess that's how good it was. Solid protein intake accomplished.

To finish: doenjang stew and buckwheat mul naengmyeon

For dessert we ordered doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and cold buckwheat noodles. I'm always team doenjang after meat, while my husband is always team naengmyeon (cold noodles) after meat. Here, the doenjang stew seemed to have more solid ingredients than broth — and the amount of meat in particular was huge. Honestly the most meat I've ever seen in a doenjang stew at a BBQ restaurant.

There's plenty of mushroom, onion, and green onion too, with a moderately spicy kick that goes perfectly with the meat. One spoonful of the broth and you go 'ohhh,' haha. It's great eaten with rice while still working through the meat, so I'd definitely recommend finishing with the doenjang stew.

My husband absolutely has to have naengmyeon. He loves cold noodles in general, but he especially loves buckwheat noodles, and this place serves cold buckwheat noodles.

The clean broth with buckwheat noodles goes down easily. The broth has good depth of flavor, so it's tasty even wrapped up with the meat. I was too full so I just drank the broth — it wasn't sweet, just refreshing, and went down easily. Make sure to order the noodles midway through the meal so you can eat them together with the meat, not at the very end!!

We ate happily in that distinct hanok atmosphere, and the meat was so good we came back again — Dongbaek Hanokjip, recommended for a family meal out with kids!!

How to order and eat the pork at Dongbaek Hanokjip

• Eat in order from fattiest to leanest: pork jowl → pork belly → pork neck
• Pick a belly cut with a good balance of fat yourself
• Eat with grilled peppers to cut the richness
• Order the noodles midway through, not at the end, so you eat them with the meat
• Finish with the doenjang stew, which is packed with ingredients, and rice