Busan Korean BBQ with staff grilling in Busanjin: Anmin Busan

Back in the day, whenever I went out for meat with friends, someone would always ask, “Who’s going to grill...?” These days, there are so many Korean BBQ places where they grill it for you, and it’s so nice to be able to eat comfortably. I recently found Anmin Busan while looking for a staff-grilled meat restaurant in Seomyeon, so I thought I’d write about it.

Anmin Busan location and waiting area

Anmin Busan is at 101, 102, 103, 109 Dongcheon-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea. It is in the former Chevrolet showroom space in Bujeon-dong, across from Kanda Soba, and one minute from Seomyeon Station Exit 12 toward the former NC Department Store.

You can spot Anmin Busan after walking about four minutes from Seomyeon Station Exit 12. There were so many people even from the outside that I immediately thought, ah, this is the place.

When you enter, there is a setup for Catchtable check-in, with a waiting area inside. I liked that there was a separate indoor place to wait.

A seating layout that did not feel cramped even when full

It was fully booked when we arrived, but it did not feel overly crowded. The tables were spaced far apart and the ceilings were high, so it felt open. There were bar seats, table seats, and private rooms, making it look suitable for work dinners or gatherings too. I could already see work dinner groups dotted among the tables, haha.

The meat quality: good 🥩

Ordering the half-pig set

Anmin Busan has set and grilled-meat menus, specialty dishes, and sides and finishing dishes. We visited as two people and chose the half-pig set, which lets you enjoy pork belly, pork neck, and pork skin all together!

• Half-pig set ₩41,000
• Earthenware soft tofu stew ₩6,000 (takes about 10 minutes to prepare)

Anmin Busan meat and sauce pairings

How to eat the meat at Anmin Busan~!! Try the first bite with salt, then have the rest with the accompanying sauces ⭐️ There were lots of sauces, including shiitake wasabi, salted hairtail innards, fish sauce, and cheese fondue sauce. Pickles, fresh kimchi, and green onion kimchi are served too.

They set out the basic side dishes, including several sauces such as shiitake wasabi, salted hairtail innards, fish sauce, and cheese fondue. Pickles, green onion kimchi, aged kimchi, yuzu ginger, and pickled garlic are served alongside them.

The cabbage fresh kimchi was totally my taste 🥹

Our half-pig set arrived, with pork belly, pork neck, and pork skin.

Meat grilled separately before serving

We sat at the bar, and they grilled the meat in a space a little apart from it, like this. I love pork belly and pork neck, but I do worry about the smell clinging to my clothes. That was a nice difference from other staff-grilled meat restaurants in Seomyeon.

Once the meat is beautifully cooked, they place it on a separate griddle and bring it to your table. It goes on top of a mini brazier.

Having the meat grilled separately and then served like this made it feel almost like a dish, which I loved.

For the first bite, I tried dipping it in soybean powder. It definitely made the nutty flavor stronger, haha.

For the second bite, I dipped it in salted hairtail innards!! It seemed to bring up the savory umami.

I tried it with shiitake mushroom wasabi too >.< My number-one pick! It was the shiitake wasabi. It had a sharp kick, and the flavor combination of shiitake mushroom and meat was so good 🥹

I made a ssam (lettuce wrap) too~ My friend’s and my top pick was shiitake wasabi. Ranking: shiitake wasabi > soybean powder > green onion kimchi 🖤 The pork belly was tender and nutty, while the pork neck tasted cleaner and leaner. We had the pork skin at the end too, and its chewy texture was totally my taste.

Finishing with soft tofu stew

Usually meat calls for doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), but we wanted soft tofu stew with ours. The stew was generously filled with soft tofu and all kinds of vegetables.

Because the soft tofu stew takes around 10 minutes to prepare, it is best to keep that in mind and order early. We ordered ours when we had about a quarter of the meat left 🥹 How delicious is soft tofu in a bowl of riceㅠㅠㅠ Having it as the finish after the meat freshened up our palates, so it was perfect as a closing dish. My friend and I just kept eating... haha.

Lastly, the soft tofu stew bowl was so cute... I had to photograph it ❤️ “Careful, it’s hot.” “Yep.” Anmin Busan was bustling, as you would expect from a hot Seomyeon Korean BBQ spot. Its clean, neat interior also felt like the kind of place women would really like, so I would visit again if I get the chance.