Third visit to a Paju Unjeong BBQ restaurant: pork neck x2, Tannae

Tannae Paju Main Branch

73 Garam-ro, 1st Floor, Unit 103, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

PM 5:00 ~ 11:00

Holidays, Saturdays, Sundays PM 4:00 ~ 11:00

Third visit to Tannae, a charcoal BBQ restaurant in Paju Unjeong

This was already my third visit to Tannae Paju Main Branch, a famous restaurant in Unjeong, Paju. It's the kind of place I end up stopping by every time I'm in the area — this time we went after a trip to the Shinsegae outlet, on the way home.

It's a spot where you grill meat over charcoal briquettes... and it's genuinely, genuinely delicious!!! The smoky flavor here is on a completely different level. Not many places still grill over charcoal these days, so whenever I find one like this, I'm automatically a regular.

Ordering two servings of pork neck and two of marinated giant pork

On my last two visits I only had the pork neck. But then I noticed the tables next to us were all eating this giant pork BBQ??? I remembered thinking I'd definitely try the pork BBQ next time I came, so this time I ordered two servings of pork neck and two of marinated pork BBQ.

What's at Tannae's self-service banchan bar, plus the free doenjang stew

The side dishes come out really neat and tidy, and the staff are genuinely kind every time they come by!! You just help yourself at the banchan (side dish) bar, and everything from the basic sides to the wrap vegetables is prepared super fresh.

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes free of charge... and it's really, really good!! It's the kind of stew that makes you eat way more rice than you meant to. On my second visit I even ordered an extra bowl of it, grilled some pork skin, and ate it with rice — polished off a whole bowl just like that! Seriously delicious!

Myeolchi-jeot bubbling on the charcoal grill for 10 minutes

Once you order the meat, they light the charcoal right away and set a small dish of myeolchi-jeot (fermented anchovy sauce) over it. Let it bubble for just 10 minutes, then dip your meat in it later — it's absolutely incredible! There's a reason this place is famous as an Unjeong pork belly restaurant. It's the small details that make all the difference.

Pre-grilled pork neck: why Tannae is easy with kids

We started with the pork neck. One of the things I love about Tannae is that they pre-grill the meat before bringing it out. That means the time I actually spend grilling it myself is really short, so we could eat quickly and comfortably. It's a really good BBQ restaurant to bring kids to. With less smoke from grilling, it's so much more pleasant to eat with a child, and best of all, I can feed the kids fast — that's why I keep coming back every time I'm in Paju.

Pork neck can sometimes be a bit dry, but here — maybe because it's grilled over charcoal — the juices stay locked in and that smoky charcoal flavor is just the truth!! The kind of taste that makes you gasp the moment you bite in! And there's absolutely none of that gamey pork smell! It really eliminates that smell, so even people with a weak stomach like me can eat as much meat as they want without limit.

Trying Tannae's marinated giant pork for the first time

And then, my first taste of the marinated giant pork BBQ!!! I was so curious... and I couldn't believe that huge, flat piece of meat was just one serving.... No wonder it's so popular... the value for money is unbeatable!!!!

The portion is huge, and the moment it hits the grill, the smell of the marinated pork BBQ really hits your nose. So fragrant, so fragrant~ It's the exact smell of the marinated pork BBQ I used to eat all the time as a kid — total nostalgia!

This one also comes pre-grilled, so you just need to cook it a little more. The kids get so excited seeing the meat right in front of them and being able to eat quickly!!!!

You can actually watch them grilling it like this right outside the restaurant. I've come here in winter and in summer, and no matter how cold or hot it is, they always grill with the same care and consistency.

I ate the pork BBQ so fast it disappeared before I could take a photo... Just like the pork neck, dipping the pork BBQ in myeolchi-jeot and garlic sauce is the honey-sweetest of honey combos!!!

Finishing the meal with naengmyeon (cold noodles)

Ending the day with cool, refreshing naengmyeon (cold noodles) is game over! The portion was generous, and it was so refreshing and delicious! This place just has a solid baseline for everything — a trustworthy Unjeong pork belly restaurant I'd recommend without hesitation!! Highly recommend Tannae Paju Main Branch!