Korean BBQ in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul: beef and pork combo at Hwaseol

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but these days when I go out with friends I don't want to just eat pork all night — I crave beef sometimes too. But beef alone is pricey, so you can't really order beef-only. That's why I love places that sell beef-and-pork combos.

At Hwaseol Yeonnam-bonjeom (화설 연남본점), the Hwaseol Special Combo comes with 950g of 1% black beef and Korean pork, plus soybean paste stew — perfect for four women out together!! Add a stone pot rice and your stomach is officially done for the day. The price felt fair, and maybe because it's Yeonnam-dong, there were tons of foreign customers too, haha.

Where is Hwaseol Yeonnam Main Branch? Parking and hours

Hwaseol Yeonnam-bonjeom is on the 1st floor at 188 Seongmisan-ro (Yeonnam-dong 228-4), Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Hours are Monday-Friday 16:00 to 1:00 the next day, and Saturday-Sunday 12:00 to 24:00. Group seating, reservations, WiFi, corkage-free drinking, Zero Pay, and even the high oil price relief subsidy are all accepted here.

The exterior is so pretty. Sadly, only 1 car can park right in front — you'll need a nearby public lot! Yeonnam 3 public lot, Yeonnam 4 roadside public lot / ₩250 per 5 minutes.

You can browse the wine selection from outside too. Beef with wine — just imagining it makes me happy. (I'm on a no-drinking streak right now, so imagining is all I get.)

We showed up a little after 2pm on a weekend and there was no wait, but a CatchTable kiosk was set up out front, so there's clearly a wait at busier times. I hear this place has even appeared on a show about restaurants with lines out the door, so my expectations were high.

Inside Hwaseol Yeonnam Main Branch

The dining room isn't huge, but the woody atmosphere is so pretty. Overall it feels warm and calm...? Looked like there'd already been one round of lunch service by the time we arrived.

And I really noticed how many foreign customers come here. It was a late lunch, so there were three other tables occupied — all foreign guests, haha. Classic Hongdae... classic Yeonnam-dong.

There are tons of celebrity autographs too. Twice, Fiona, Lee Hi have all stopped by — a genuine celebrity favorite.

And you know how these little details end up touching you unexpectedly. There was a short handwritten note waiting for me since I'd made a reservation. Feeling looked after over something so small — I hope Hwaseol Yeonnam keeps thriving, ^_^

Hwaseol Yeonnam menu and prices

You order by scanning a QR code~~

The menu was even more extensive once we scanned the QR code ourselves, compared to what I'd seen on Naver beforehand. With four women trying to decide what to order, we ended up going with

• Hwaseol Special Combo (stew included) ₩169,000
• Hot stone pot rice ₩3,000 × 2

Order placed! There was a nice range of drinks to pair with the meat too — soju, beer, bokbunja (raspberry wine), champagne, white wine, red wine, and more.

And a great review event, too

• 1-person review: dolsot pork belly ramyeon
• 2-person review: hanwoo 1++ yukhoe (raw beef)

We thought about doing it, but one friend showed up so late that we ended up eating as three people and got so full we couldn't manage the review event..

Hwaseol Special Combo 950g: black beef and Korean pork

Since we'd made a reservation, the side dishes were already set out: salt / whole grain mustard / wasabi / basil pesto / onion sauce / green onion shreds / seaweed / perilla leaf-onion-chili pickles. Every single one pairs well with meat..

The Hwaseol Special Combo has arrived!!

• 1% black beef: flower rib, ribeye, rib meat
• Korean pork: neck, belly, skirt meat

And it even comes with soybean paste stew!! Look at those gorgeous colors.. Being able to eat both beef and pork without having to choose is a blessing, haha.

And since the staff grill everything for you, all you have to do is eat comfortably. The thing that matters more as you get older... who's doing the grilling... meat someone else grills for you is always the best, haha.

Black beef cuts: flower rib, ribeye and rib meat

Apparently Hwaseol's black beef literally means cattle with black hair — like wagyu or hanwoo, it refers to a breed of cattle. I think this was my first time eating black beef. Hwaseol's black beef comes as 1% wagyu flower rib / 1% wagyu ribeye / rib meat!

Whoa, see that marbling on the flower rib? The juices... the fat... just bursting with savory richness. The way it melts in your mouth — what more is there to say. Dip it in salt and the flavor goes up another level!!

Honestly, is it even fair for the ribeye to taste this good too..

Everywhere seems to grill in the order flower rib or chuck flap first, then ribeye, then rib meat, haha.

When the deep red interior is cooked just right, it melts away with that gorgeous soft texture and the meaty aroma spreads through your mouth — pure happiness. Compared to the flower rib it's got more thickness, so naturally more chew, but the tenderness of the meat itself can't be hidden.. haha.

I also loved dipping it in whole grain mustard — felt like eating a steak, haha.

Soybean paste stew with stone pot rice

This soybean paste stew was so deep and savory, haha. Plenty of hearty ingredients too, plus a few pieces of meat mixed in, which made it even better. So we thought, ah, we need rice with this, and went to order some — turns out they sell stone pot rice!

Wow.. the rice came out perfectly cooked, seriously ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Rice topped with meat and dipped in the stew is ridiculously delicious ㅠㅠ You're supposed to appreciate the pure flavor of the beef itself, but the moment I tasted that stew, there was no resisting the classic Korean combo of rice + soybean stew + meat, haha...

Korean pork: neck and belly

We finished the beef quickly and moved on to the Korean pork, haha. Pork neck has been so good lately — the neck meat at restaurants these days is nice and thick, and this one was no exception.

Because it's so thick, they cut the sides and stand it up with tongs to grill it evenly — nice technique, haha.

Definitely a different kind of charm from beef. After the clean flavor of beef, biting into pork dripping with fat brings your appetite right back to life.

And it's grilled so skillfully that the meat just melts in your mouth. Apparently Hwaseol's pork belly uses the cut near the rib bones, so neither the flavor nor the texture is lacking.

They grill every last piece with the same care, and eaten alongside the scorched-rice tea and soybean stew, the meat disappears in an instant..

Is Hwaseol Yeonnam worth it, and which groups will like it?

• A place in Yeonnam-dong to enjoy beef + Korean pork at once
• A great Korean BBQ restaurant for group outings in Yeonnam-dong
• For anyone who wants stone pot rice + soybean stew alongside their Korean BBQ
• Highly recommend the Hwaseol black beef special combo

The four of us ate until we were completely full. On a day when you want both beef and pork, the Hwaseol black beef special combo left everyone satisfied, haha.