Euljiro grilled bone restaurant, weekday lunch for two: Eulji Baektan

I actually like grilled bones (ppyeogui) more than gamjatang, so I go hunting for good ppyeogui spots pretty often. I love it enough that I've done opening runs to the most famous ppyeogui place in Daejeon — but I finally found a really, truly amazing one. Spicy garlic-heavy sauce + massive grilled bones + grilled green onion, a combo no Korean could dislike. Here's my honest review of Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui.

Where is Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui, and what is the restaurant like?

True to its name, Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui sits just 30 seconds from Exit 11 of Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station. I went on a weekday lunch and got in without any wait, but on weekday evenings and weekends, you'll definitely need to wait.

The interior has a stylish, distinctly Korean design that suits a ppyeogui place well. I ate on the first floor, but there's also a spacious hall on the second floor — this would be a great spot for a company dinner or a drinking gathering.

The two of us ordered the small charcoal grilled bones and rice balls ✔️ The grilled and fried cuttlefish looked good too, and since it's a bone-focused restaurant, they also sell gamjatang. I ordered the grilled bones since that's what I was most curious about, and honestly... this place beat that famous Daejeon spot 🤭 It was the best grilled bones of my life.

How big is the small grilled bone plate — enough for two?

The basic side dishes are cabbage salad, diced radish kimchi, and rinsed baek-kimchi (white kimchi). The baek-kimchi is the twist — it surprisingly pairs perfectly with the grilled bones.

The rice balls come in a pretty generous portion, just right for two people. They're coated in roasted seaweed flakes, which went perfectly with the spicy, tingling sauce on the grilled bones.

Spice levels at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui: which one to pick

• Level 1: mildly spicy
• Level 2: spicier than Shin Ramyun
• Level 3: spicier than Buldak Bokkeummyeon
• Level 4: very spicy

For reference, I love spicy food — I eat Buldak Bokkeummyeon just fine and add fire noodle sauce to almost anything. I found level 2 to be perfectly delicious! It's noticeably spicier than Shin Ramyun. If you want it truly, gasp-inducingly 🥵 spicy, I'd recommend level 3, spicier than Buldak Bokkeummyeon.

When the food arrived I was genuinely stunned — doesn't the portion look totally normal in photos? But the plate itself is huge!!! And the grilled bones are seriously huge and plentiful!!! The plate is the size of three adult hands put together, so it looks deceptively modest in photos. In reality, the portion is massive. The small size comes with 6 pieces of grilled bones, and the two of us — grown women — ate until we were absolutely stuffed and still had one big piece left over.

The grilled bones are soaked in a garlic-heavy sauce, and the meat separates from the bone with just a light touch of the tongs. Piling it on top of a rice ball is the best.

Charcoal smoke and grilled green onion: how the meal tasted

I'm planning to come back to Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui soon. Even light eaters could easily share the small size among three people. From the spicy sauce to the portion size to the atmosphere, everything about this restaurant was satisfying.

These bones are grilled over 1,300-degree white charcoal, so you get a proper, deep smoky flavor! It's amazing how thoroughly the sauce soaks in, and the subtle garlic aroma is great too.

Green onions come out grilled alongside the meat — just peel off the charred outer layer and snip them with scissors. Since these are also grilled over white charcoal, they had a subtle smoky flavor and a nice sweetness. Piling grilled bone meat + green onion + rice ball onto a spoon and eating it all in one bite is truly delicious.

If you're looking for a great grilled bones spot or a spacious barbecue restaurant in Euljiro, this is a place almost anyone would enjoy, no matter their taste — I recommend Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui.