Gyeongju charcoal grill for two, 700g sow pork: Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae

This is Haru :) One of those evenings when I randomly craved meat. My husband and I were deciding what to eat and figured meat really tastes best grilled over charcoal, so off we went.

When I eat meat, I really love that real charcoal smell. When I'm out grilling meat for fun, I even go buy actual charcoal separately just to get that smoke going. Haha. And this place nailed that charcoal aroma for me that day.

Where is Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae in Hyeongok, Gyeongju, and where do you park?

Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is a pork restaurant at 548-14 Yongdam-ro, Hyeongok-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, unit 102, between the Gyeongju Central Prugio and Xi Rne apartment complexes. It's right on the road, so the sign caught my eye even while driving past.

You just walk in once you spot the sign, though I did pause for a second wondering which door to use.

Turns out any door works :)

There was parking right in front of the restaurant, and I heard there's also a lot behind it, so you can use either. Just note that the street in front is under parking enforcement from 7:30am to 6pm, so keep that in mind.

• Closed every Monday
• Tue–Sun 16:40–23:00
• Last order 21:30

Inside Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae: room layout and seating

Walking into Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae, the space was bigger than I expected.

There are 4-person tables on both sides and a 6-person table in the middle. When we went, not many seats were open, so we sat at the middle 6-person table — which actually felt more comfortable since it had more room. There were quite a few families in too, so it seems like a good neighborhood spot for dinner.

This is what the menu looked like. And right away, we ordered the whole pork belly and pork neck combo, 700g.

The free side dishes: curry powder, soybean powder and salted anchovy dip

Not long after ordering, the table setup arrived first.

Various pickled vegetables, kimchi, and other sides to go with the meat came out.

There were three different dipping powders in particular — not just salt and ssamjang, but curry powder and soybean powder too.

Garlic came out as well, along with salted anchovy sauce for dipping the meat in. It's the kind you lightly boil over the fire before dipping, and it went really well with the meat. Salted hairtail guts came alongside it too. For wraps, we got lettuce, perilla leaves, and peppers.

And the water!? Not plain bottled water — barley tea. It came out really cold too, so having a glass before the meat felt great.

And the free steamed egg! It comes out in a bowl and is hot, so be careful — the seasoning was spot on!

The 700g sow pork belly and neck platter: how strong is the charcoal aroma?

Ta-da~ our 700g combo arrived. First off, the thickness of the meat was impressive.

Whole pork belly and pork neck came together, and overall the cuts were so thick that just looking at them made me feel like this was going to be a proper meat day. Haha.

And the meat here comes pre-grilled once, so we didn't have to wait long on the charcoal grill.

We grilled it ourselves over the fire, and thanks to the score marks cut into the meat, even these thick cuts cooked faster than I expected.

And what I loved most was, of course, the charcoal aroma!

The moment the meat hit the fire, the smoky aroma rose up strong, and I thought, ah, this is exactly the flavor I love.

Both the pork belly and the pork neck were thick, but surprisingly tender.

Given the thickness, I worried it might be chewy, but the juices stayed intact and the charcoal aroma kept coming through with each chew.

I generally love thick cuts of meat like this, so it was exactly to my taste. It's good dipped lightly in salt, and just as good with ssamjang or the salted sauces. I especially liked dipping it in the soybean powder.

The best way to eat the grilled mushrooms

At Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae, you also get a mushroom to grill alongside the meat. Rather than slicing it into rounds, I'd recommend cutting it lengthwise along the grain into flat pieces.

Grill the mushroom whole, then just snip the end off with scissors — done!

This right here is my husband's signature mushroom wrap. Wrapping the grilled mushroom together with the meat is seriously delicious.

You really get the mushroom's texture this way, so please try it!

Why the doenjang jjigae at Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is worth adding

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) we ordered as a side had crab and radish in it, and the broth was genuinely excellent.

Ah, this place is actually a doenjang jjigae spot.

— that's how good it was. Eating meat, then a spoonful of doenjang jjigae, then some rice — the combo was so good. At that point you have to mix rice into the stew. Let's go!

We ordered rice on the side too, and when you don't want just meat, adding the doenjang jjigae and rice makes it perfect.

Finishing the meal with bibim naengmyeon

And as usual, my husband finishes with noodles. We ordered a naengmyeon (cold noodles) too.

We got the bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles), and it came with a separate broth on the side.

We poured in a little broth to taste, and after all that meat, finishing with spicy cold noodles felt refreshing and clean. A boiled egg in the bowl is basically the rule, right?! And after meat, you just can't skip naengmyeon. Haha.

Is 700g of pork for two people good value in Gyeongju?

What stuck with me most that day was, again, the charcoal aroma. Grilling thick pork belly and pork neck over charcoal and getting that strong smoky scent off the meat was exactly my kind of thing, since I already love that charcoal smell.

We ordered 700g, and it was plenty for two of us, and with doenjang jjigae, rice, and naengmyeon on top, it felt like a proper dinner. At ₩55,000 for 700g, that works out to about ₩7,857 per 100g, which felt reasonable given how thick and generous the portions were.

Above all, my husband said the meat was delicious too, so we're planning to go back together next time we're craving meat. If you like thick pork with real charcoal smokiness, this is worth a visit. If you're looking for a pork restaurant in Gyeongju Hyeongok and craving that charcoal-grilled flavor, Ddeoggogi Ttaenggijae is the place that'll come to mind.