Korean BBQ family lunch behind Jogyesa Temple, Seoul: Eom Yongbaek

Today I'm bringing you a real review from a lunch my mom, my sister and I finally got together for on a weekday✨ The three of us are honestly pretty picky eaters, so we usually agonize over where to eat when we go out haha. Since it had been a while since we all had lunch together, I really wanted somewhere solid and satisfying. After a lot of searching and deliberating, the place I found was Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill, which has been super hyped lately as a Gwanghwamun favorite!

Where is Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill Gwanghwamun, and how do you get there?

Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill Gwanghwamun Branch is a standalone-building grill house at 51 Yulgok-ro 4-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, right in the alley behind Jogyesa Temple. It's also right in between Jonggak Station and Anguk Station, so it's super convenient for anyone hunting for good food near either spot🤍 We started from Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, and just a short walk down the alley behind Jogyesa Temple, the charming, pretty building came right into view — finding it was so easy! The accessibility alone already won me over.

The exterior already has the vibe — let's look inside🤍

The moment we arrived, all three of us gasped at the same time! The exterior looked so sleek and clean, yet cozy and full of atmosphere — more like a cute café than what you'd picture as a grill house haha.

Since it's a standalone building, it felt fairly large and even a little grand. The entrance alone was already exactly my style.

Inside Eom Yongbaek: seating for office dinners and group gatherings?

Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill Gwanghwamun Branch has seating up to the 2nd floor and wide table spacing, so it looked like it could easily handle groups. Once we stepped inside, the interior was really upscale, and the tables were spaced generously apart, making for a comfortable, relaxed dining atmosphere that I loved. With plenty of roomy seating up to the 2nd floor, this place seemed perfect not just for family meals but as a Gwanghwamun gathering spot too!

Three servings of the lunch charcoal bulgogi set, ordered🔥

What comes with the 16,000 won charcoal bulgogi lunch set?

The lunch specials at Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill Gwanghwamun Branch are the charcoal bulgogi set and the squid charcoal bulgogi set, both priced at ₩16,000 per person. We sat down and started reading through the menu carefully! During lunch hours they offer these two hearty sets specifically for office workers and visitors. Since all three of us are meat lovers and love dishes with that subtle charcoal-grilled aroma, we didn't hesitate and unified our order to three servings of the charcoal bulgogi set haha. The lunch set price is ₩16,000 per person, but the spread was so much more generous than expected — we were genuinely surprised!

After ordering, we caught up on chatting for a bit, and then the table filled up with neat, appetizing side dishes and the main dish all at once — the spread was so full it looked like the table might buckle, and our jaws dropped lol. It was a table setting that made you drool just looking at it.

A full, generous spread laid out on the table!!🤤

Side dishes, siraegi doenjang soup and thick soybean paste

The default side dishes were also really varied and beautifully arranged! From visibly fresh ssam vegetables to fragrant perilla leaf salad, crisp cool yeolmu kimchi, and savory namul, every single one was made with care — there wasn't a single dish I didn't reach for.

On top of that, there was a rich, savory siraegi doenjang soup (dried radish greens in soybean paste soup) served in a stone bowl, which paired wonderfully with everything else ㅠㅠ

But the real standout was the bubbling, savory-smelling ssamjang-style thick soybean paste. Mixed into the rice, it was so good you almost didn't need any other side dish.

Pot rice for two and sungnyung scorched rice tea

The rice comes freshly made in a glossy pot, served generously enough for two per pot, so my mom, my sister and I could each scoop out plenty without any worries about running short. The hot pot rice tasted amazing, and afterward you can pour in hot water to make nurungji (scorched rice tea) for the perfect finishing touch — a really thoughtful, complete way to end the meal🤍

Charcoal-grilled bulgogi, fully finished!

How did the charcoal bulgogi taste?

Eom Yongbaek's charcoal bulgogi comes out grilled on the pan with thinly sliced meat well soaked in seasoning. Finally, today's main star arrived in grand fashion. The moment it landed on the table, a subtle yet deep charcoal-fire aroma hit us and instantly set off a flood of saliva ㅠㅠ The thin slices of meat were thoroughly seasoned and properly grilled on the pan, and just looking at them you could tell the texture would be tender and soft!

The moment I grabbed a piece and took a bite, the sweet-savory seasoning and subtle smoky flavor filled my mouth, along with a chewy yet tender bite — a total rice thief in every sense. Piling a big spoonful of warm pot rice onto a fresh lettuce leaf, adding two pieces of the smoky charcoal bulgogi along with a bit of the savory ssamjang-style soybean paste and namul, and wrapping it all up into a neat bite made for pure, unrivaled happiness haha. The three of us got so into eating that we forgot to talk for a while, heads down, powering through until we cleared every last bite lol.

The interior is spacious and the table spacing is comfortable, so it seems like it would work perfectly for office dinners or group lunches for people working nearby too! Even my picky mom and sister said in unison that it had been a while since they'd eaten this satisfying and hearty a meal, which made me feel proud for having brought them✨ Whenever you're craving a neat, hearty Korean meat meal, I genuinely recommend Eom Yongbaek Pork Grill, a Gwanghwamun favorite!