Dasan-dong Korean BBQ: 350g aged galbi, rich doenjang jjigae, Udontan

I always saw this place packed with a waiting line whenever I passed through Dasan, so I was so curious! Heard it's a woodae galbi (premium rib cut) spot, so I went to check it out haha.

How long is the wait at Udontan with a weekday 7pm reservation?

We booked for 7pm on a weekday, but there were no free tables, so we waited about 10 minutes before being seated!

Udontan Dasan Main Branch menu and prices

The meat comes in three main types — woodae galbi, pork belly, and pork neck — plus set menus that include a stew!

The dining room doesn't have that many tables, but it still felt clean and cozy, which got me excited for the food haha. They're also running a review event with free fried rice or grilled pork skin!

And this grill looked unusual from the moment I saw it lol, quite different from a typical BBQ restaurant's grill — kind of fascinating.

Side dishes and the three sauces at Udontan

Once we ordered, they brought the side dishes first, and honestly every single one was delicious...! The potato and corn salad was soft and nutty, so I kept reaching for it — it really got my appetite going before the meat even arrived!

The spring cabbage namul (seasoned greens) was especially good, dressed in a sauce that was slightly sweet with a hint of garlic, and it paired perfectly with the meat. The kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts with green onion, and pickled kale also helped cut through the richness of the meat, so they were great to eat in between bites. A good restaurant really does show it in the side dishes lol.

There were also various sauces — ssamjang (soybean paste dip), sesame oil with salt and pollack roe, and plain salt — so I could try the meat several different ways.

350g aged woodae galbi for 32,000 won, 120-hour aged and charcoal-seared

Since it's a woodae galbi spot, we ordered a plate of that first! Doesn't it look amazing? They said it's made from top-grade No. 6–8 flower ribs, marinated in a special sauce for 120 hours, then first-seared over charcoal.

Since it comes pre-seared, the staff finish grilling it right at the table! It came with mushrooms, potato, kkwari peppers (shishito-like green peppers), and green onion to go with the meat, which was nice.

The color of the meat is amazing, right?! The pink marbling made my mouth water lol.

They must have a grilling certificate or something... how are they so good at this? They cut the pre-seared meat into bite-sized pieces and got the doneness exactly right, so all we had to do was eat, no effort required.

They put the nicely browned meat on top of the grill and told us to wait 30 seconds before eating, but I was too hungry so I just... ate it right away, oops.

How does Udontan's woodae galbi taste?

It was way more tender and juicy than I expected, and the more I chewed, the more that rich meaty flavor came through. I loved the chewy-yet-soft texture unique to woodae galbi, and even with quite a bit of marbling, it wasn't as greasy as I thought it'd be.

When I've had woodae galbi before, it often felt too fatty and I'd get a bit sick of it after a few bites, but this one was clean-tasting with a deep meaty flavor, so I kept going back for more.

It's delicious with just salt, and dipping it in the sesame oil with pollack roe added a salty, savory kick that made it taste completely different — also great! Eating it with ssamjang, the spring cabbage namul, or the seasoned bean sprouts also worked well since they balanced out the meat's richness. Personally, I'd recommend trying it with salt first if you want to taste the meat's flavor on its own.

Doenjang jjigae as rich as cheonggukjang

It felt like a shame to eat just meat, so we ordered the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) too. When it first arrived, the smell was strongly reminiscent of cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew)? But once I tasted it, it landed right in between the nutty flavor of doenjang jjigae and the deep pungency of cheonggukjang lol.

The broth was rich and savory with a slight spicy kick, so it went really well with the meat. Eating a bite of meat and then a spoonful of the stew felt like it completely reset my palate!

But watch out for the kkwari peppers lol, they're tasty but really spicy. They do refresh your palate, but be careful if you can't handle spicy food!

Adding 180g aged Korean pork belly for 17,000 won

The woodae galbi was so good we ordered pork belly too, haha. It also comes pre-seared and they grill it for you directly!

The fat and lean meat were nicely balanced, so once grilled it had a great nutty flavor, browned crisp outside and juicy inside. After the woodae galbi, the pork belly had a totally different charm lol.

Pork belly is definitely best with ssamjang or the seasoned bean sprouts! And the grilled vegetables were a nice surprise too — the potato was fluffy and nutty, and the mushroom was chewy, both pairing perfectly with the meat.

The green onion and kkwari peppers grilled on the pan also picked up a subtle smoky flavor and tasted great. Eating grilled vegetables in between the meat made it much less greasy and easier to keep eating, haha.

Udontan Dasan Main Branch hours, parking and reservations

• Hours: weekdays 16:00–24:00 / weekends 12:00–24:00
• Open on Chuseok, parking available, pet-friendly
• 250m from Dasan Station Exit 1
• Free 2 hours at the Hangang Plaza underground lot (Just Sleep Hotel parking); ask staff for another lot if full
• Free pork neck with a Naver Reservation set-menu order

Is Udontan in Dasan worth a second visit?

Overall, Udontan in Dasan exceeded my expectations! Now I get why it's always packed with a wait whenever I pass by lol. The woodae galbi especially had a tender texture and deep meaty flavor, and it wasn't as greasy as I expected, so I enjoyed it a lot.

What I liked most was that the staff grill the meat for you, so you can just relax and eat without worrying about the grilling. From the side dishes to the meat to the doenjang jjigae, everything was delicious overall, and it made me want to come back and try the other meats too :) If you're looking for woodae galbi or a good BBQ spot in Dasan, I'd recommend Udontan!