Milyang pork BBQ at 5pm: free parking and egg custard at Dotdot

This is a review of Dotdot Milyang Main Branch, a newly opened pork restaurant in Samun-dong, Milyang.

Parking at Dotdot Milyang Main Branch: 2 free hours at Samun public parking lot

Right next to Dotdot there's the Samun public parking lot, and a free outdoor lot just a 1-minute walk away.

The Samun public parking tower gives the first two hours free, then ₩500 per extra 30 minutes — so three hours of parking costs just ₩1,000.

Why we arrived at Dotdot at 5pm to avoid the wait

I'd heard Dotdot Milyang Main Branch gets busy with waits, so we hurried out for an early dinner timed right at 5pm.

Walking in, a staff member in a Dotdot uniform was carefully trimming meat.

There's one table on the right, and past the self-serve corner, the main hall opens up.

There seem to be about 10 tables, and we grab what looks like the best spot in the main hall — a window seat.

A long menu board runs along one wall, with photos underneath — exactly the style of menu board I love.

Our order: 2 servings pork belly, 2 kkodeulsal, doenjang stew and egg custard

We already knew what we wanted today, so there was no agonizing over the menu: 2 servings pork belly, 2 servings kkodeulsal, 1 doenjang stew, 1 egg custard, 4 bowls of rice.

The owner wrote a really nice introduction on Naver Place, so let me share a bit of it here.

We took the rugged charm we found in Jeju-style grilled pork and rendered it in Dotdot's own way. So you can enjoy the rich flavor of the fat all the way through, every side dish and accompaniment has its own role to play. On top of that, we added rice cooked from good grains and hearty meal options. So Dotdot's catchphrase is simple: good grains and rich meat. The pork restaurant we wanted to build isn't about gimmicks to catch your eye — it's about focusing on a taste that makes people come back. That's the kind of pork restaurant we wanted to make. This is the first Dotdot, starting in Milyang. We've poured in the experience gained from years of running restaurants along with new attempts. A taste that outlasts trends, a restaurant that's better eaten than explained. That's the Dotdot we intend to be.

Side dishes that come with a Dotdot Milyang meal

The side dishes and accompaniments arrive.

There's appetizing kimchi and green onion kimchi, and I spot some olives too.

They even put thought into the soy sauce.

There's nurungji (scorched-rice) salt, Gangyeong seed jeotgal (fermented seasoning), and wasabi sharp enough to sting your nose.

A twisted cabbage salad that seems to stand in for the usual scallion salad.

It looks mild but has a little kick, and if you look closely there are tiny anchovies that give it good texture.

There's nutty sesame-oil garlic shrimp made with whole garlic cloves and salted shrimp, and

a rich Jeju-style myeoljorim (simmered anchovy dish) made with whole anchovies goes onto the grill.

Once you grab some lettuce wraps from the self-serve bar, you're ready for the meat.

Raw pork belly and kkodeulsal: 120g for 9,000 won

Here are our two servings of pork belly and two servings of kkodeulsal.

Dotdot uses raw, not frozen, pork belly and kkodeulsal, and at ₩9,000 per 120g, it's very reasonably priced.

We put the kkodeulsal on first.

What cut of pork is kkodeulsal?

I didn't know what part of the pig kkodeulsal comes from, so I asked Gemini. Kkodeulsal is a well-known specialty cut that yields only a very small amount per pig, sometimes called 'back meat.'

It's located near the back of the neck (between the neck bone and the shoulder blade), which is why it's also called 'deolmisal' or 'kkodeul-mokal.' As the name suggests, its defining trait is a springy, chewy texture that only gets better the more you chew.

Today both little ones took turns grilling the meat together.

Tiger bean doenjang stew and pollack roe egg custard the kids ate two bowls of rice with

The tiger bean doenjang stew arrives.

It's bubbling away, looking really delicious.

We ordered ours not spicy, and it's packed with tofu and vegetables.

Right after, the egg custard topped with pollack roe comes out.

Between the egg custard and the doenjang stew, the kids each put away two bowls of rice.

Between bites of rice, our little one didn't forget to flip the meat on the grill now and then.

The pork belly's browning up nicely; the thicker kkodeulsal looks like it needs a bit more time.

You can't grill meat without kimchi, of course.

We keep flipping the meat and the kimchi diligently to get everything cooked just right.

Dipping the pork in wasabi and Gangyeong seed jeotgal (salted seafood)

Time to eat. The wasabi is so fresh it gives a real nose-tingling jolt.

We try it with the Gangyeong seed jeotgal too — the meat is really delicious.

There's so much to pair the meat with at Dotdot.

Maybe because it's cooked in fat rendered from such good meat, even the stir-fried kimchi tastes amazing.

No free tables by 6pm: Dotdot Milyang opening hours

Before we know it, it's 6pm, and there isn't an empty table left.

Outside, there are customers waiting to be seated.

Dotdot Milyang Main Branch is open every day from 4pm to midnight, with last order at 11pm.

A place where you can eat delicious raw meat at a low price. My wife said the kkodeulsal was so good she wants to come back just for that next time.

The middle-aged gentleman running the floor at Dotdot Milyang Main Branch took great care of us, so we got to enjoy delicious meat and a fun meal with the kids. Thank you.