Daeyeon-dong BBQ with self-serve bibimbap, Busan: Daepae Maket

Daepae Maket at the Daeyeon Station intersection: why late lunch means no wait

You've probably spotted the orange sign of Daepae Maket Busan Daeyeon Branch if you've passed through the Daeyeon Station intersection. There's always a long wait in the evenings, so I went for a slightly late lunch instead and got to enjoy some proper Daeyeon-dong samgyeopsal (pork belly).

The orange sign of Daepae Maket! There are usually a lot of customers waiting on chairs outside, but coming a bit later for lunch meant I could walk straight in without waiting.

The interior is huge! Plenty of tables with wide spacing between them, so it feels comfortable and clean. No greasy smell like you'd expect at a thin-cut pork place — just neat and pleasant.

Where to park at Daepae Maket Busan Daeyeon Branch

If you're driving, there's paid parking on the side streets near the restaurant, and each table gets 1 hour of parking support — good to keep in mind.

There's also plain ice cream and brewed coffee set out so you can cleanse your palate on the way out after your meal.

The 3kg pork belly eating challenge and its prizes

They also run an eating challenge — finish a whopping 3kg of pork belly in 60 minutes and the meat, worth over ₩100,000, is free, plus you get a ₩300,000 meal voucher and ₩200,000 cash! Wow... big eaters, you should definitely give this a shot. As a professional dieter, I just wished everyone luck and went off to find my own table, haha.

A Busan pork belly restaurant with a kids' playroom

There's a kids' playroom in the back. It's rare to see restaurants offer a space like this these days — no wonder this place is always busy.

With 2 arcade machines and a mini soccer game, there's plenty for kids to play with while parents eat, which makes it a really great spot for a family meal out.

The restroom is also inside, so that's convenient too.

The open kitchen was really clean and hygienic too. You can see the owner's meticulous attention to detail throughout the restaurant!

Daepae Maket self bar: fees and what's on it

Next, let me introduce the self bar, which I found genuinely clean and hygienic. It costs just ₩1,000 for preschoolers, ₩2,000 for elementary age and up, and is free for kids 3 and under — pretty reasonable, and you could think of it as a table-setting fee.

Instead of a bunch of small dishes, piling a variety of side dishes and vegetables onto one big plate looks neat and tidy.

The vegetables, basic side dishes, and various kinds of kimchi all looked fresh and delicious.

With kids' utensils, a ladle, and even a fried-rice spatula available, using the self bar properly makes the already-tasty daepae pork belly even better.

Alright, let me settle in, order the delicious pork belly, and prep my vegetables and side dishes!

What's on the Daepae Maket menu

Starting with daepae samgyeopsal, you can also try Jeju heritage pork, beef, duck, makchang (grilled intestines), and more — and most of it is really reasonably priced. Daepae Maket Busan Daeyeon Branch is a great value spot for a filling family meal.

Kettle fish cake soup and pork belly sliced to order at your table

After a bit, the basic setup arrived. First, the kettle fish cake soup that comes standard — the broth was so good, haha. Surprisingly, this fish cake soup pairs really well with the thin-cut pork belly!

And the fresh signature daepae samgyeopsal! What I liked most is that unlike most thin-cut pork belly places that just scoop pre-frozen slices out of the freezer, here they slice fresh pork belly to order — you can even choose the thickness — so it's real fresh daepae samgyeopsal, both fresher and tastier.

Since it's not frozen, it unfurls right on the grill and is really easy to cook well.

And since the pork belly is sliced fresh to order, there's no off smell, and it's full of juicy flavor.

With pork belly this good, I get why there's always a line at Daepae Maket — first bite straight into the salt dip.

Lettuce and perilla leaves come standard, plus a healthy wrap with kale, cabbage, and more vegetables. So good.

Then the second round of pork belly went on — the grill plate is thick and holds heat well, so it sizzles and cooks quickly the moment it hits the surface!

While eating the pork belly, grilling sundae (blood sausage), sausage, and potatoes in the rendered fat in between was really savory and good.

And a sip of that kettle fish cake soup broth on the side — ah... this combo is just so good.

Then more pork belly went on again. Keeping the flow going without a break — that's what a true grill master does, haha.

Finishing with seafood doenjang stew, bibim naengmyeon and self-serve bibimbap

After the meat, it was time for the meal course, so I ordered a hearty spread of self-serve bibimbap, doenjang (soybean paste) stew, and bibim naengmyeon.

First, the doenjang stew. There are two versions — one with seafood and one with beef — and I went with the seafood doenjang stew.

Mixed into rice, the doenjang stew was so savory and good.

Next, bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles)! It comes in the wet-mixed style I like. Eating bibim naengmyeon alongside daepae samgyeopsal is just the best.

To finish, I made good use of the self-serve bibimbap. Just cut up whatever's left on the grill with scissors, pile on the bibimbap ingredients, and mix it all together.

Finishing off with the self-serve bibimbap made for a really filling, satisfying, and delicious meal.

What stood out most about Daepae Maket

What I found most appealing about Daepae Maket is that the daepae samgyeopsal isn't frozen — it's real fresh pork belly sliced to order on a meat slicer. That's exactly why it tastes so good.

On top of that, it's the biggest barbecue restaurant in Daeyeon-dong with a kids' playroom. I highly, highly recommend Daepae Maket!!