Anyang bar with crispy kimchi pancakes: Bueongi Sanjang Beomgye

The weather has gotten so nice lately, right? On my way home from work, when the air had warmed up and I was really craving an open-air drink, Bueongi Sanjang suddenly came to mind. When the weather is good, Bueongi Sanjang opens all the windows by the window seats, so a gentle breeze comes through and you can have a drink in such a lovely mood. Even on rainy days, it is such a nice bar for a drink while listening to the rain.

Bueongi Sanjang Beomgye Branch

A group gathering spot on Beomgye Rodeo Street

Bueongi Sanjang Beomgye Branch is on Beomgye Rodeo Street, so it is in such a convenient spot for making plans. It is on the second floor, and as soon as you get off the elevator, the entire floor is Bueongi Sanjang. There are loads of tables, including plenty of group seating near Beomgye Station, making it a great bar for work dinners, wedding-invitation gatherings, and other group meetups. They were also running a ₩1,000 discount event when you order two bottles of Saero!

True to its name, which means an owl mountain lodge, Bueongi Sanjang has a well-done lodge-style interior too.

They had everything from four-person tables to larger group tables near Beomgye Station. The restroom is inside too, which made it easy and convenient.

Maybe because the weather was so nice, lots of people were sitting by the windows. I secured a window seat too...!

Ordering pork jowl suyuk and bossam kimchi

This is what the menu looked like. There were soju-friendly dishes such as dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken), offal hot pots, and chicken bulgogi, plus pancakes and side dishes. I remembered enjoying the pork jowl suyuk last time, so I ordered the pork jowl suyuk and bossam kimchi.

Freshly mixed bossam kimchi with tender pork jowl suyuk—how could that possibly be bad? I also captured a short video of it.

Pork jowl suyuk does have quite a bit of fat, but the sweet-and-tangy bossam kimchi cut through all that richness, so the combination was so good.

They had also drizzled sesame oil over the ssamjang dipping paste, which made the ssamjang itself even tastier.

And personally, wasabi with myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic leaves) was the best combination. After having a few pieces with the myeongi namul, I realized I had finished it all.

Definitely get the side-dish refills

It said everything except the suyuk could be refilled, so I asked for more myeongi namul. I really loved that everything but the meat was refillable. That means the kimchi can be refilled too, right? Haha. If you are eating other dishes as well and need more kimchi, it would be so handy to get a refill. When I asked for more myeongi namul, they were kind and brought plenty. I missed that sign last time and did not get any refills, so make sure you do!

Perilla-oil buckwheat noodles with extra wasabi

Pork jowl suyuk alone felt a little too plain, so I also ordered deulgireum makguksu, buckwheat noodles with perilla oil. It came generously dressed with perilla oil. I loved that it was topped with shredded seaweed and had enough perilla oil to keep the noodles nicely moist.

And if you want it a little more punchy as you eat, add some of the wasabi that comes with the pork jowl suyuk. This Bueongi Sanjang perilla-oil makguksu was even better that way. For my taste, it was much tastier after mixing in the wasabi.

The kimchi pancake I loved for its crispness

I was really craving kimchi pancake, so I ordered one as well. It is such a basic menu item that it was my first time ordering it at Bueongi Sanjang, but wow, this place is seriously great at pancakes. It had been so long since I had eaten a properly crisp kimchi pancake. Even at home, pancakes somehow often turn out soggy, which is always disappointing, but Bueongi Sanjang served theirs crisp and it was so delicious. It seemed to be topped with breadcrumbs or something similar, and that was the key: even the middle stayed crisp. I need to come back for a bowl of makgeolli and kimchi pancake on a rainy day!