Incheon Korean BBQ make-up lunch with grilled pineapple: Sip Sam Dae

A make-up lunch after a fight at Sip Sam Dae in Guwol-dong

On the day my boyfriend and I had an argument, we went to Sip Sam Dae (십삼대), a Korean BBQ restaurant near Yesulhoegwan Station (예술회관역) in Guwol-dong, for a make-up lunch. No matter how long you've been together, you still end up arguing, I guess. We've spent more years living differently than we have knowing each other, so of course we disagree sometimes, but it still stings. I can't even remember how the fight started... Anyway, we agreed to make up and have a nice lunch, still feeling a little awkward. After thinking about where to go, we picked Sip Sam Dae, the Korean BBQ place near Yesulhoegwan Station in Guwol-dong.

Sip Sam Dae opening hours and parking

• Hours: daily 11:30–22:30
• Break time: 14:00–16:00
• Parking: behind the building
• If there are no spaces, tell the staff at Sip Sam Dae and they'll open the underground parking lot

Is Sip Sam Dae good for family meals and team dinners?

All the seats at Sip Sam Dae, a beef restaurant in Guwol-dong, are sofa seats, so I think it would be comfortable for a family meal out. The tables are spaced widely and there are lots of them, so it's also a great place for a company dinner or a club get-together.

Sip Sam Dae side dishes and house soy sauce

The side dishes at Sip Sam Dae are potato salad, pickles, garlic, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), pickled radish wraps, kimchi, salt, fresh wasabi, pajeori (scallion salad) and lettuce wraps. They're only the sides that make the meat taste better, and the staff told us they mix the scallion salad with a sauce they make themselves. A staff member kindly explained that it's even better wrapped up with the meat.

The special soy sauce served alongside is also handmade, they said. Every side and sauce is made with care, so all the basic side dishes were really good.

Sip Sam Dae also has plenty of alcohol to choose from, so you can pick to your taste. It was a weekday lunch and we'd come by car, so sadly we didn't drink, but next time I want to leave the car at home and enjoy a drink of my choice together.

Sip Sam Dae Ugalbi A Set for two: what's included and the price

Sip Sam Dae wet-ages its meat for 13 days at -1°C, which they say makes it tender and juicy. The menu includes hanwoo (Korean beef), wagyu, ugalbi (thick-cut beef rib), Iberico, black pork, premium pork belly and more.

• Ugalbi A Set (with doenjang rice): ₩86,000
• Includes: ugalbi + premium pork belly + doenjang rice

While deciding what to order, we chose the Ugalbi A Set (with doenjang rice), which is plenty for two (honestly, it's stuffing). The kind staff member even made sure we could take nice photos. (Thank you!!)

The Ugalbi A Set pairs ugalbi and premium pork belly, both aged 13 days for deep flavor and a tender bite, so you don't have to agonize over beef or pork. Just eat both. (Yum yum)

How to eat ugalbi (beef short ribs) at Sip Sam Dae

We ate the ugalbi in this order: first bite with wasabi and salt, then the special soy sauce, then wrapped with scallion salad. The 13-day aging gives it a tender texture and deep flavor, and the direct charcoal grilling keeps the smoky aroma and juices alive.

The staff separate the bone from the meat themselves and grill every piece for you, so you can eat without lifting a finger.

They recommend the first bite with wasabi and salt. You know the golden rule is to eat the meat the way they recommend, right?? The mild kick of wasabi cleanly cuts the richness of the ugalbi, and the salt lets the meat's own juices and flavor come through.

Next, they dip the meat in the special soy sauce, and told us to dip it just briefly and eat it right away. I usually prefer beef with salt, so I went in without much expectation, but the soy sauce mingling with the meat juices was really delicious.

The ugalbi wrapped with scallion salad was also so good. The scallion aroma, the sauce and the beef together made the meat disappear nonstop.

The basic side dishes also went really well with the ugalbi, and we ate it all up.

Sip Sam Dae premium pork belly and a grill with no ceiling vent

Sip Sam Dae's premium pork belly is also aged 13 days, like the ugalbi. It came out thick, crispy outside and juicy inside, and so good.

The staff grilled the pork belly for us too, so we didn't pick up the tongs for even one second and just devoured the meat.

While eating the pork belly I noticed something interesting: Sip Sam Dae has no separate vent on the ceiling. Instead, smoke is pulled in through the hole in the middle of the grill, so we never felt stuffy from smoke.

Premium pork belly after ugalbi... beef, then... pork... it's happiness after happiness.

We ate the pork belly first with wasabi and salt too, and the meat's own flavor with wasabi really is the best combo. Grilled over charcoal it's even better, no question!

Of course we had to dip the pork belly in the special soy sauce too, right?? It tasted different from the ugalbi and was so good.

With pork belly, you have to eat it with radish wraps and lettuce wraps before you can proudly say you've had pork belly.

They also grill wedge potatoes, pineapple and mushrooms alongside. Do you like warm pineapple?? I'm not a fan of pineapple pizza, but I like grilled pineapple, so I happily ate it.

Sip Sam Dae doenjang sulbap, simmered with the rib bone meat

Sip Sam Dae's doenjang rice (된장술밥, rice simmered in soybean paste) is rice boiled together with a savory doenjang base, giving a deep, rich umami. Eating it after the ugalbi and pork belly made a very clean finish.

They separate the rib bones and add the meat clinging to them into the doenjang rice as it simmers, so nothing from the ugalbi goes to waste, which I loved.

Wherever you scoop, there's ugalbi, so I don't think anyone would ever fight over the meat.

Sip Sam Dae is officially a great restaurant!

And they even gave us candy to finish!!

How did the make-up lunch at Sip Sam Dae go?

The ugalbi and premium pork belly at Sip Sam Dae were so delicious, and I was really grateful that the staff grilled every piece and looked after us kindly to the end. The slightly awkward mood with my boyfriend melted away after we ate well, and we both went home in a good mood. Next time I'll definitely leave the car at home and drink...

Who Sip Sam Dae is best for

• People who want to properly enjoy aged beef and ugalbi
• People who prefer a place where staff grill the meat
• People looking for a company dinner or date spot in Guwol-dong
• People who want a hearty finish with doenjang rice