Open-window seats and premium pork belly lunch at Yongin BBQ: Dongbaek

It was the day my family and I were going to see a magic show at Sangsang Forest in Yongin. I wanted to eat a hearty lunch before the show, so I looked for restaurants nearby. That's how I found Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill. With both "hanok" (traditional Korean house) and "charcoal grill" in the name, I was already craving meat before I even saw the photos.

Since we'd be eating with the kids, the menu mattered — and there was quite a variety, from pork belly and pork neck to hanwoo (Korean beef). The pick-your-own-meat butcher restaurant format was fun, and best of all, we left satisfied with both the meat and the Suhyangmi rice — a solid Dongbaek restaurant find.

Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill: location, hours and parking

Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill Butcher Restaurant is located at 221 Eodong-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30–21:30, and closed every Monday.

• Address: 경기 용인시 기흥구 언동로 221 1층 (221 Eodong-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)
• Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30–21:30
• Closed: Every Monday
• Parking: On-site parking, free

Hanok exterior, open picture-window seats and how it feels with kids

As the name suggests, Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill has a hanok-style exterior, while the interior has wood-toned table seating. The seats had a huge window left wide open, so it didn't feel stuffy even sitting right in front of the charcoal grill.

When we first arrived, the hanok-style exterior immediately caught my eye, just like the name promises.

The atmosphere was a bit calmer than a typical Korean BBQ place, and the overall wood tones made it feel comfortable.

Going further inside, the table seating wasn't uncomfortable at all for sitting with the kids. It felt like a fine spot for a family lunch or a meal with a group.

What I especially liked that day was being able to eat with the big window wide open. It was a nice cool day, and even with the charcoal grill right in front of us and a breeze drifting in, it never felt stuffy.

Even sitting indoors, it felt a bit like eating outside — an open, airy feeling. I imagine that on a nice day, the mood while eating meat would be even better.

How to pick your meat at the butcher counter, and the menu

Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill is a butcher restaurant where you pick your own meat by the pack from a refrigerated showcase. Each pack has its weight and price labeled, and the weekday lunch special is listed as running 11:30–14:30.

※ The weekday lunch special is noted as running 11:30–14:30.

Unlike a typical BBQ restaurant, Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill lets you pick your own meat directly from the butcher counter. Inside the refrigerated showcase, meat was displayed pack by pack, each labeled with weight and price.

There was a good variety of pork belly, pork neck, and several cuts of hanwoo too, so we could browse and pick exactly how much we wanted.

Since we were with the kids, we picked the premium pork belly and premium pork neck, and also ordered a hanok doenjang stew and rice. With weight and price labeled on each pack, it was an easy structure for choosing exactly the amount we wanted.

Drinks and alcohol are also self-serve — you grab them from the fridge and pay for everything together with the meat at the end.

How do the premium pork neck and belly taste off the charcoal?

The premium pork neck and premium pork belly we picked at Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill both came sliced thick. We brought the meat to the table and started laying it on the charcoal grill — and honestly, the sound alone of the thick belly and neck sizzling on the grill was already great.

Premium pork neck

The pork neck was quite thick, but it wasn't as dry as I expected — there was still juice left when I chewed, so I kept reaching for more.

I think if we'd only picked one of the two — belly or neck — I would have felt a bit of regret, so I'm glad we chose both.

There were so many cuts to choose from that if I come back again, I'd like to try other parts next time.

Premium pork belly

We grilled the pork belly slowly until the outside turned a nice golden brown. It had just the right amount of fat, so it got nuttier the more we chewed, and the charcoal aroma on top made the meat's flavor come through even more. It was great on its own, but pairing it with pickled onions or jangajji (pickled vegetables) cut through the richness too. And piling a slice of belly onto a spoonful of rice was, once again, a can't-miss combo.

Hanok doenjang stew and Suhyangmi rice

What surprisingly stuck with me most that day was actually the rice. We eat Suhyangmi rice at home too, but this was the first time I think I'd had it at a restaurant! Even just a spoonful of plain rice already tasted good, so eating it with the meat made everything work even better together.

Adding a piece of meat on top of the rice brought out even more savoriness, making both the pork belly and neck taste even better. It also paired really well with the doenjang stew.

They had a roasted gim (seaweed) menu item, and I thought about asking for it, but the meat was already sizzling on the grill, so I skipped it. Next time, I think I'd ask for gim before the meat comes, to enjoy it with warm rice — haha.

And with the window wide open while grilling meat over charcoal, I kept thinking about beer — haha. With the cool breeze drifting in and the meat sizzling away, a cold beer would have been just perfect.

But since we were headed to a magic show with the kids that day, I settled for cola instead, sadly. After the meal, we finished things off slowly with iced Americanos. They even had Febreze set up near the entrance and in a corner inside, which seemed handy for anyone worried about the smell of grilled meat lingering on their clothes afterward.

Is Dongbaek Hanokjip a good family lunch near Yongin Sangsang Forest?

We found this place while looking for somewhere to eat lunch near Yongin Sangsang Forest before the magic show. It started out as just a convenient stop to fit our schedule, but the meat turned out to be surprisingly good, so it stuck with me. Both the pork belly and pork neck were delicious grilled over charcoal, and with the doenjang stew on the side, it made for a pretty filling meal.

What I personally liked most, though, was how good the Suhyangmi rice tasted — the kids each ate practically a full bowl, which made it a satisfying family meal out.

Since you pick your own meat directly from the butcher counter, it's also a good fit for anyone who wants to try a variety of cuts. On a nice day, eating in the space with the big windows wide open, catching the cool breeze, was a pretty great mood too.

Next time I come back, I'd like to visit on a day without a fixed schedule with the kids, take it a little slower, and enjoy the charcoal-grilled meat with a beer alongside it. If you're looking for a family lunch spot near Yongin Sangsang Forest, or a Dongbaek restaurant with good meat, Dongbaek Hanokjip Charcoal Grill Butcher Restaurant was an easy, comfortable place to drop by :)