Free 3-hour parking and free galmaegisal at Daewol Charcoal Barbecue

My meat-master friend from college and I had plans that fell through, so while we were trying to figure out what to eat, I remembered he'd been talking about meat, meat, meat for days — so we decided to head to Daewol Charcoal Barbecue, a Dal-dong, Ulsan spot.

Location: 6 Samsan-ro122beon-gil, Nam-gu, Ulsan, South Korea, 1st floor

Hours: Mon–Sat 10:00–22:00, last order 21:30.

Why parking in Dal-dong wasn't a headache

Since it's near Good Morning Hospital in Dal-dong, an area where parking is a total nightmare, I was worried — but Daewol Charcoal Barbecue has a lot right next door you can use, which was great.

If you park at Truparking, they'll register you for 3 hours free. The Dal-dong lot charges ₩1,500 per 30 minutes, so this was such a win.

A new restaurant using only Jirye black pork

Even though Daewol Charcoal Barbecue hasn't been open long, lots of people say the meat is great — probably because they use Jirye black pork.

They also serve lunch, so I'll have to come back for that sometime. At lunch they offer galbitang (short rib soup), naengmyeon (cold noodles), cold boiled pork, and a mountain-high hot pot, among other things.

There were a lot of people eating, so I took this photo of the table right after it was cleared before we left. Being a new place, it was well maintained and there was no greasy residue at all, which I loved. And they had the AC blasting, so I never felt hot even while grilling.

Hall and private rooms — group gatherings possible

There's a separate hall and private rooms, so if you book a room, group gatherings are possible. There were guests inside the room so I only snapped a quick shot. You can store your belongings under the chair, which I found more convenient than those black storage-basket chairs.

We'd booked through Naver, so the table was already set up when we arrived. If you turn on Naver notifications, you get a free serving of galmaegisal (skirt meat) — worth doing.

They only sell Jirye black pork and bring it in directly from Jirye twice a week, according to the signage. I'd had Jirye pork in Dong-gu recently too, and it was delicious.

Sounds like a second branch is coming soon too.

They also give you myeoljeot (fermented anchovy sauce), with instructions to add extra chili and simmer it before dipping. Myeoljeot really does go well with pork, I think.

Every table has a guide on how to eat it deliciously, so you could just follow that. We ended up eating exactly the way it described. Going to a meat restaurant with a meat master always guarantees a good meal.

Perilla leaves among the wrap greens, and a hair tie

Unusually, Daewol Charcoal Barbecue gives you perilla leaves among the wrap vegetables. My friend and I sometimes wrap meat in perilla leaves when we eat together, but this was the first time I'd seen it offered at a barbecue restaurant. Totally my kind of thing.

My hair was down and a mess, and they had thoughtfully provided a hair tie. At other places it's usually one of those tiny kids' rubber bands, but here it was an actual hair tie — such a nice touch. Felt like they paid attention to the details.

If you leave a Naver receipt review, you get a free drink or a bottle of alcohol. With how expensive alcohol is these days, a free bottle is such a treat.

The lunch menu is varied too, so I'll have to come back for lunch next time.

They also have vegetable skewers, doenjang jjigae rice, and even a spicy version of the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) separately.

Starting with cold boiled pork and silkworm pupa soup

They brought out a taste of the cold boiled pork they normally sell for lunch, and it was delicious. Cold boiled pork is a quietly excellent dish — perfect with a drink and a bite before grilling even starts.

They also serve beondegi-tang (silkworm pupa soup), so drinkers could easily knock back a bottle or two before the meat even hits the grill.

Jirye pork platter — belly, neck, front leg

We ordered the Jirye pork platter, which comes with pork belly, pork neck, and front leg. Ordering the platter is a cheaper way to eat well.

The 'how to eat it deliciously' guide said to grill the belly first, and sure enough my meat-master friend grilled belly, then neck, then front leg, without even glancing at the instructions.

Grilling the vegetable skewers alongside made everything look even prettier. According to my friend's meat theory, grilling the skin side first traps in more juices and tastes better — his words, not mine.

Looking at these photos makes me want to eat it all over again. Maybe because it's Jirye black pork, but the meat was tender and the fat was nutty and savory.

I really think meat tastes best wrapped up. Wrapping it in perilla leaves made it even more aromatic and savory.

The pork neck came pre-seasoned with salt, so I didn't even need to dip it in anything else — the seasoning was spot on. My friend kept diligently grilling while I just kept eating, which honestly felt a little unfair to him.

The free serving of galmaegisal

While we were eating away, they brought out a free serving of galmaegisal (skirt meat). I was so thrilled — hadn't had galmaegisal in a while.

It came as one long strip. I think the galmaegisal might have been my favorite part of the whole meal.

The salt seasoning was so well done that I just kept picking at it nonstop with my chopsticks.

Self-serve side dish bar

There's also a self-serve bar, and I grabbed a ton of extra perilla leaves.

The radish salad was tasty and the crab stick mayo salad was delicious too — I held back because I was worried about my weight, but it was the kind of thing I could easily eat several plates of.

Finishing with doenjang jjigae and doenjang jjigae rice

Of course, we finished with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). It had that homestyle, country-doenjang flavor.

They made doenjang jjigae rice with big chunks of meat packed in generously, which my meat-master friend absolutely loved.

We left completely full — I wanted a cup of plum tea on the way out but was too stuffed to manage it. Don't forget to mention your parking registration when you pay. I'll definitely be back soon for the lunch menu.