Busan Korean BBQ family dinner at Myeongseung Jeju Saenggogi

The dinner menu my son chose

There was a day when my son simply decided dinner had to be meat. There was no particular reason—he just said he wanted meat. Acting like I couldn't say no to that one little sentence was how this visit began.

So we headed to Myeongseung Jeju Saenggogi (명승제주생고기), which has held its spot near Gwangan Station for a long time. Large photos of Jeju rapeseed fields and dolhareubang stone grandfathers filled one wall beside the menu, so it really felt as if we'd come for Jeju black pork. They use black pork from Jeju, so I went intending to have black-pork ogyeopsal, but standing in front of the menu, my son chose regular ogyeopsal instead. For a day when I had been looking for samgyeopsal at a Gwangan-ri meat restaurant, the plan shifted a little—but that was fun in its own way.

Ordering ogyeopsal first

I thought it was only right to order the dish my child had pointed to first. We put the black pork off for a moment and ordered ogyeopsal first.

As the ogyeopsal went onto the grill, it began to sizzle in its fat. It cooked evenly through, so it wasn't difficult for my child to eat, and even while it was being cut into bite-sized pieces with scissors, I could see a little juice running out. We grilled the garlic that came with it too, and the characteristic sweetness of roasted garlic went so well with the meat.

With seasoned scallion salad and ssam vegetables for wrapping, I kept reaching for it without it ever feeling greasy.

Jeju fresh-pork kimchi jjigae that my child enjoyed too

Along with the meat, we ordered Jeju fresh-pork kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew). It had plenty of big pieces of meat and tofu, making one stew quite filling on its own.

My son, who usually doesn't eat much kimchi jjigae, picked up his spoon first. Maybe because the broth wasn't overly intense, he eagerly spooned it up with rice.

The Jeju black-pork ogyeopsal we came for

Only after we were somewhat full did we put on the Jeju black-pork ogyeopsal that had been our original goal. Even its color had a different character from the ogyeopsal we ate first, and the sound it made cooking on the grill seemed different too.

When I picked up a piece, it was rich but not heavy. It was so good that I thought the order might have changed again if we'd eaten it first; only then did I think I understood why people go out of their way to seek out Jeju black pork.

The meljeot (Jeju-style fermented anchovy sauce) here wasn't too strong-smelling. I usually don't eat much of it because of its scent, but I could enjoy this one comfortably. At the end, we added marinated galbi as a palate-cleansing finish. They changed the grill for the galbi, and we started again.

The seasoning wasn't overpowering, so it wasn't salty or spicy, and my son liked this dish best. The adults picked the Jeju black-pork ogyeopsal as their top choice. Our tastes differed, but everyone was happy with the table—so satisfying, satisfying!

The sign also said that it has been in this spot since 2007.

The owner came around the tables from time to time to check whether any side dishes were running low. Anything we needed was replenished right away, so there was nothing to worry about throughout the meal.

Next time, I want to try the Jeju meat noodles that were on the menu too.

Myeongseung Jeju Saenggogi location and hours

• Address: 24 Suyeong-ro 594beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Getting there: 136 m from Exit 1 of Gwangan Station, a one-minute walk toward Gwangalli Beach
• Hours: Thu, Fri, Mon, Wed 17:00–22:00 / Sat, Sun 11:00–22:00
• Regular closing day: Every Tuesday