Yangju Korean barbecue with staff-grilled pork belly: Mat Chandeul

A return visit for aged pork belly in Okjeong’s central shopping district

The 14-day-aged pork belly was thick, tender, and delicious. A staff member grilled it for us, so we could eat comfortably, and the many basic side dishes made it fun to try the pork belly in different combinations. The steamed egg was mild and went well with the meat, and the wide tables looked suitable for a family meal or a wedding-invitation gathering, too.

On my first visit, I remembered liking that the staff grilled the meat themselves and that there were so many side dishes. This time, I ordered three portions of 14-day-aged fresh pork belly and steamed egg.

It is a place I often notice while passing through when looking for a barbecue restaurant in Okjeong’s central shopping district. After eating here again, I am thinking of coming back next time for a friends’ wedding-invitation gathering, too.

Lunch special: From 12 PM to 5 PM, when you order three portions of meat, they say they provide two portions of stone-pot rice made with freshly milled rice plus soybean paste stew—a ₩10,000 set—as a service.

Menu and lunch special

• 14-day-aged fresh pork belly 150 g ₩17,000 / fresh pork neck 150 g ₩17,000
• 14-day-aged fresh five-layer pork 150 g ₩18,000 / pork neck cap 120 g ₩18,000 / pork jowl 120 g ₩18,000
• Aged Korean beef brisket 120 g ₩24,000 / premium Korean beef yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) 120 g ₩18,000
• Pork belly or pork neck with kimchi hot pot ₩80,000 (3 portions of meat, 450 g), aged-kimchi hot pot ₩33,000
• Freshly cooked stone-pot rice for 2 ₩5,000, aged-kimchi earthenware pot ₩10,000, soybean paste stew or cold noodles ₩5,000, steamed egg ₩4,000
• Soju ₩5,000, beer, Cheongha, or Hallasan 21 ₩6,000, bokbunja raspberry wine ₩12,000, soft drinks ₩2,000

Inside, there was plenty of space between tables, and the chairs and tables themselves were roomy, so it did not seem uncomfortable even for a larger group.

There was also a separate meat-aging room on one side, and I was told that the pork they sell is aged for 14 days.

The notice said that Mat Chandeul Wang Sogeum Gui uses Korean pork and also Korean beef, rice, and kimchi ingredients.

Pork belly with changing side-dish combinations

When you order meat, quite a varied spread of basic side dishes comes out.

Salted shrimp, yuzu radish salad, salt, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), garlic, salted pollock roe, wasabi, rinsed aged kimchi, pickled perilla leaves, pickled chili peppers, pickled garlic stems, myeonginamul (pickled wild garlic leaves), lettuce, and perilla leaves were all set out at once.

Even with just the pork belly, it was nice to switch up the combinations—dipping it in salt, eating it with aged kimchi, or topping it with wasabi.

Ordered 3 portions of 14-day-aged fresh pork belly, 150 g ₩16,000 each

The pork belly was quite thick, and a staff member grilled it directly on the grill, so there was no need to worry about cooking it ourselves. It was browned on the outside without getting too dry inside, so the texture was good; even the fatty parts were not tough and had a savory chew.

For the first bite, I dipped it lightly in salt. The meat itself was savory, so this was the cleanest way to eat it.

I remembered that, on a previous visit, a staff member had made a delicious combination for us. There were so many side dishes to pair with the pork belly that it was nice to keep changing things up this time, too.

Next, I tried the basic side dishes one by one with the meat: yuzu radish salad and rinsed aged kimchi, pickled chili peppers and wasabi, myeonginamul, and ssamjang.

They also put meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) on the grill. Dipping the pork belly into the warmed, simmering meljeot added a salty flavor that went very well with it.

Steamed egg ₩4,000

Since the meat was fatty and there were several salty side dishes, the mild steamed egg made for a good pairing.

Is it comfortable for eating and chatting in a group?

I had visited once before and came back this time, and I was satisfied with the pork belly both times. The tables are fairly wide, and since the staff grill the meat themselves, it seemed comfortable for several people to come, eat, and chat together.

I am planning to return next time for a friends’ wedding-invitation gathering. When several people need to eat and talk together, as at that kind of gathering, not having to keep grilling the meat yourself seems like a real plus.

When we ordered soju, the staff member did not just bring it over—they gave the bottle a little shake first. It was nothing major, but that small bit of care was kind of fun.