Packed Sunday-night pork BBQ in Gwangalli, Busan: aged neck at Jukrim

If you're planning a seaside dinner in Gwangalli, it's easy to think only of raw fish, but these days there are really a lot of great meat restaurants too. This time I went with a friend to Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui (죽림숯불돼지구이), which has a buzz as a Gwangalli pork BBQ place.

The Sunday-evening atmosphere at Jukrim in Gwangalli

Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui is a charcoal pork restaurant at 71 Gwangnam-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, and when we arrived on Sunday evening it was already almost full. I expected some wait on a Sunday evening, but it was far more popular than I thought. Customers kept coming in until we finished eating, and I thought, "This place really is popular."

It's also famous as a Gwangalli restaurant where staff grill the meat for you, and after visiting I understood why right away. It's close to Gwangalli Beach, so it's nice for a stroll after eating, and the interior is clean and warm, built around wood tones. It has that trendy, stylish BBQ-restaurant feel, yet the tables are spaced generously so it never felt cramped, and it suits family meals, dates and group gatherings. Best of all, the ventilation is well managed so the smell of meat doesn't cling to you, and I felt less burdened when I walked out after the meal.

What the two of us ordered

After some deliberation, we ordered 1 serving of Iberico pluma (a tender cut from the shoulder area), 2 servings of aged raw pork neck, and to finish, a brisket doenjang rice pot (chadol doenjang sulbap).

Staff grill everything for you

As soon as we ordered, a staff member got the charcoal ready, and at Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui the staff grill the meat themselves from start to finish. With good meat the timing really matters, so the best part for me was being able to just chat and wait comfortably. I guess that's why people keep coming back to Gwangalli restaurants that grill for you.

Iberico pluma

The first thing they grilled was the Iberico pluma. Pluma is known as a tender, flavorful cut even among Iberico pork, and watching it slowly cook over the charcoal made me even more excited.

The staff cut it into bite-size pieces at the ideal doneness, and the moment I took a bite it was so juicy. The outside had a faint charcoal aroma and the inside stayed moist, so a rich, nutty flavor filled my mouth the more I chewed. It tasted light yet deeply meaty, and I was already very satisfied with the first dish.

Aged raw pork neck, 2 servings

The aged raw pork neck that came next was personally the most memorable dish of the day. Pork neck can turn dry if grilled badly, but maybe because the meat is aged, it was really tender.

The staff kept flipping it to catch the best timing, so the outside was golden while the inside stayed moist. When I bit into it the juices burst out, and with the charcoal aroma added, it was really delicious.

Just a light dip in salt was enough, and adding wasabi brought out the meat's flavor even more. Wrapping it in lettuce and other leafy greens was nice too, but personally I liked it best eaten plain, with nothing but the meat itself.

Side dishes and service

The side dishes that come with the meat were all neat and tidy. The wrap vegetables were fresh, and the side dishes that go well with meat were prepared cleanly, so they were nice to eat between bites. I actually liked that it's a setup that lets you focus on the meat rather than an excessive number of side dishes.

Above all, I was impressed by how the staff kept watching the tables and checking the state of the meat. Even though it was very crowded, they grilled carefully so nothing burned and put the meat on our plates at just the right moments, so I was happy with the service too. If you're looking for a Gwangalli restaurant that grills for you, I felt this is a really big plus.

Finishing with the brisket doenjang rice pot

After we had almost finished the meat, we ordered the brisket doenjang rice pot (chadol doenjang sulbap). I really hope you try this one. It feels a little different from regular doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew): the doenjang broth is richly brewed and generously filled with beef brisket, so the broth had real depth.

Rice is already in it, so we didn't need to order a separate bowl and still finished feeling full. Maybe because we had just eaten charcoal-grilled meat, it tasted even better. The savory doenjang aroma plus the nutty brisket made it satisfying down to the last spoonful.

Is it worth going back?

What impressed me most that day was not only the quality of the meat but the fact that, because the staff grill it, we could eat it in its best state. At a BBQ restaurant you're often busy grilling, but here there's no such burden, so we could focus on conversation and enjoy the meal much more leisurely.

So I thought it's a Gwangalli BBQ place that works well for a date or for a visit with your parents. I fully understood why the restaurant stayed full even on a Sunday evening.

I was very satisfied overall with the meat quality, service and atmosphere, and I'd definitely want to order the aged raw pork neck again next time. If you want proper pork in Gwangalli or you're looking for a good restaurant there, I think Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui is a place that will satisfy you.

Next time I'd like to try other cuts and more of the popular dishes. On a day when you want to enjoy good meat comfortably in Gwangalli, I recommend Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui, the Gwangalli restaurant that grills for you.

71 Gwangnam-ro, 1st floor, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea — Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui (죽림숯불돼지구이)