Korean BBQ in Jinju: first taste of hanwoo jebichuri at Psyche

Jinju is my hometown on my mom's side, so I come down often to see family. This time I wanted a slightly special meal with my parents, so I searched for good places in Chojeon-dong, Jinju, and ended up at Psyche, which runs on reservations only.

• Psyche: 16-18 Chojeonbuk-ro 61beon-gil, Jinju, Gyeongnam (1st floor)
• Hours 18:00–22:00
• 4 rooms, reservation-only
• Main menu: toshi-sal, anchang-sal, jebi-churi

Jinju has plenty of famous beef restaurants, but not that many where you can enjoy special hanwoo cuts in a quiet room.

Having been, I was happy with the quality of the meat, the dining space and the service, and my parents loved it too. If you're looking for a place for an anniversary or a family gathering in Jinju, take a look.

Can you go to Psyche without a reservation?

Psyche in Chojeon-dong, Jinju, is 100% reservation-only, so you must book before visiting. It works a bit differently from an ordinary Korean BBQ place.

When we arrived at our reservation time, a staff member led us straight to our room, so we started eating without any wait. I liked the calm, quiet mood from the very start.

A private room that's great for dining with parents

What I liked most about Psyche was that every table is a private room.

With no noise from neighboring tables, it was easy to chat as a family, and I thought it would be a great fit for an anniversary or a meal with parents. It also seemed well suited to a date or a business dinner.

Starters: abalone porridge and salmon steak salad

Once we settled into our room at Psyche and ordered, the first things to arrive were abalone porridge and a salmon steak salad.

At most BBQ places only basic side dishes come out first, but Psyche's care showed from the starters, and the first impression was great.

The abalone porridge had a gently nutty flavor that soothed the stomach, and it felt like a natural way to open up the appetite before the meat.

The salmon steak salad, with fresh greens and tender salmon, was surprisingly good for a starter. My parents said, "It's off to a good start," and were pleased.

Every side dish was delicious too

I really liked Psyche's basic side dishes as well. Seasonal namul (seasoned greens) and jangajji (pickles) were neatly prepared, and none was over-seasoned, so they seemed perfect with the meat.

You could feel that not even a small side dish was made carelessly. It's not just a place with good beef; the whole table is polished.

Which cuts does Psyche serve?

Rather than ordinary sirloin or short rib meat, Psyche specializes in three special hanwoo cuts: toshi-sal, anchang-sal and jebi-churi.

• 💫 Toshi-sal (chuck flap tail)
• 💫 Anchang-sal (inside skirt)
• 💫 Jebi-churi (beef skirt meat)

The room also had a note explaining each cut, which I liked, because you know what you're eating instead of just eating it. This time we ordered 3 servings of jebi-churi.

Jebi-churi for the first time: what cut is it?

This visit was my first time trying jebi-churi. The name was unfamiliar and I was curious, and the note said it has the least fat of the three special cuts and an excellent texture.

It said the meat is juicy but not greasy, with a clean, nutty flavor, and when I tried it, it was exactly as described.

With the first bite, the tender texture came first, and the more I chewed, the richer the nutty flavor became. Even people who find fatty cuts heavy would like it.

My parents said, "I've never had this cut, and it's really good." Personally, it stayed with me more than regular sirloin did.

What should you dip jebi-churi in?

At Psyche you can enjoy the meat with turmeric shiitake mushrooms, sea salt, whole-grain mustard and wasabi, and it was fun how each combination changed the taste. The accompaniments were impressive too.

The hanwoo's flavor came through best with just a light dip in sea salt, and eating it with wasabi brought out the clean taste even more.

Care in the small things: safflower rice and brass bowls

Reading the note, I learned what makes Psyche distinctive: different namul each season, homemade jangajji, and rice cooked in water steeped with safflower and mixed with geumhwagyu (Okinawa spinach) leaf powder.

Reading this during the meal, I felt this isn't just a restaurant selling good meat; it tries to put care into every dish.

Another thing that impressed me was the tableware. Psyche uses yugi (traditional brass) bowls for most of its dishes, and the food looked more upscale when served in them.

Finishing with seafood doenjang-jjigae

After enjoying plenty of meat, we ordered 2 servings of Psyche's seafood doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew). Many BBQ places serve a harsh, strong doenjang-jjigae, but Psyche's broth was really clean.

The seafood gave it a refreshing savory depth, and it was a perfect way to finish after the meat. My parents said the stew was really good and ate almost all of it.

A meal my parents loved too

This Psyche meal was even more memorable because I was with my parents. The delicious hanwoo was great, but best of all was being able to relax and talk in a quiet room.

The staff also helped naturally whenever we needed something, without being overbearing, so we could focus on the meal.

Who I'd recommend Psyche to

• 🔴 A meal with parents
• 🔴 Family gatherings
• 🔴 Anniversaries
• 🔴 Dates
• 🔴 Business dinners
• 🔴 Anyone looking for a quiet private-room restaurant
• 🔴 Anyone who likes special hanwoo cuts

Psyche, a Chojeon-dong, Jinju restaurant I'll remember

I try different restaurants every time I come down to Jinju, but this meal at Psyche stayed with me especially.

The relaxed mood of a reservation-only restaurant, the private room and the quality hanwoo special cuts all satisfied me.

Best of all, I got to properly experience jebi-churi, which is hard to come by. If you're looking for a place in Jinju for a meal with your parents or a special day, Psyche seems like a pretty good choice.