Korean BBQ in Gwangalli after a Haeundae swim: alligator cut at Jukrim

Why Jukrim in Gwangalli after a swim at Haeundae

After swimming at Haeundae Beach, I wanted to refuel, so I headed to Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui (죽림숯불돼지구이), a Gwangalli BBQ place. In the evening Gwangalli is hot and has lots to do, so even if you've been playing in Haeundae you end up going to Gwangalli. This staff-grilled BBQ spot kept showing up in Suyeong, Busan restaurant recommendations, so here I was.

Jukrim is close to Gwangalli Beach, so it's also a good dinner stop after playing there. About a 3-minute walk from the beach? I think it's right across the traffic light.

Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui hours, parking and reservations

The address is 71 Gwangnam-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan (1st floor). Hours are 17:00-01:00 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu and Sun, and 15:00-01:00 Fri and Sat, with last order at 00:00. Reservations and group bookings are possible.

For parking, use the nearby paid lots: Namcheon Private Parking, Busanjip Parking, Gwangmyeong Building Parking or Gwangalli Public Parking. Jukrim also has a Gwangalli Instagram account, and it has really funny reels, hahaha

Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui exterior

This is a Gwangalli, Busan BBQ restaurant that's open until 1 a.m.

Is Jukrim in Gwangalli good for groups or a date?

The Gwangalli branch of Jukrim is a spacious BBQ place that holds up to 70 people, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a group gathering spot in Suyeong, Busan.

High chairs are available too. The place is clean and tidy, so it worked well for a date.

You can queue through Catch Table, and the restroom is inside the restaurant, which was convenient.

Jukrim side dishes and white charcoal grill

The basic setup has a huge variety of side dishes (banchan)!! I'll share tips for eating them well below.

• Bean sprouts
• Assorted pickles (looked like onion, myeongi wild greens and gungchae stem)
• White kimchi and green onion kimchi
• Salted scallops (gaerijeot)
• Homemade scallion sauce
• Ssamjang, Maldon salt and wasabi

They say this Suyeong, Busan favorite uses only white charcoal (baektan) for its fire. Unlike ordinary briquettes or imported charcoal, it holds 800-1,000 degrees, so the outside cooks fast while the inside stays juicy: crispy outside, moist inside!!

Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui menu and ordering rules

The menu has à la carte meats like pork belly and Iberico, plus meals, sides, drinks and highballs.

I wanted Iberico, and there happened to be a set menu, so I ordered the Jukrim Iberico set. For à la carte meat, the first order must be 3 servings or more. You can order 1 serving per cut, but they recommend 2 or more.

What's in the ₩63,000 Jukrim Iberico set?

• Jukrim Iberico set ₩63,000: 450g Iberico special cuts (3 kinds: pluma, alligator cut, rib meat) + brisket doenjang rice
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

Iberico is a special pig that lives only on the Iberian Peninsula, where Spain and Portugal are.

They'll bring lettuce wraps if you ask. Since there were 3 cuts, a staff member explained each one as they grilled it for us. Recommended for staff-grilled BBQ in Gwangalli!!

The meat in the middle is the rib meat.

Iberico rib meat, alligator cut or pluma: which cut was best?

Of the three Iberico cuts at Jukrim, both of us picked the alligator cut as the best. Here's how the menu describes each cut.

• Iberico rib meat, 100g, ₩14,000: a cut yielded in small amounts from between the ribs, known for chewy texture and rich savory flavor
• Iberico alligator cut, 100g, ₩14,000: from deep inside the neck, with a firm, muscular texture and nutty, deep flavor
• Iberico pluma, 100g, ₩14,000: from the tip of the shoulder, fine-grained and tender, a premium cut rich in juice and nuttiness

They gave us the rib meat first, then the alligator cut on the left, and finally the plump pluma on the right! I only knew the rib meat and tried the others for the first time. If you're ordering à la carte, I strongly recommend the alligator cut!! We both said it was the best, haha. It was chewy and you could taste the meaty aroma. The pluma was super tender, like eating a tenderloin steak.

They grilled mushrooms, shishito peppers and green onion nicely too.

Brisket doenjang rice for ₩9,000: add a bowl of rice

Jukrim's brisket doenjang rice (soybean paste rice) is ₩9,000 on its own and comes included with the Iberico set. It's a rich, savory pot loaded with brisket.

I ordered a bowl of steamed rice too, but the brisket doenjang rice was so good that I mixed more in.

Best pairings for Iberico pork at Jukrim

At Jukrim, I dipped the first bite in Maldon salt to enjoy the meat's own flavor, then kept going with whichever combos tasted best. I tried all five ways, and kept eating the ones I liked most from the rest!

Both of us had the same best combo, hahaha. Dip the meat deep in the homemade scallion sauce, top it with salted scallops, and eat it with white kimchi or pickles!! I'm not a big fan of meljeot (salted anchovy sauce), but even that was good, so I tried lots of combinations.

Who should try Jukrim Sutbul Dwaeji Gui in Gwangalli?

Jukrim is a Gwangalli BBQ place where staff do the grilling, so it was easier and tastier to enjoy. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good BBQ spot in Suyeong, Busan.

• Anyone looking for a tasty Iberico BBQ place in Gwangalli
• Anyone looking for staff-grilled BBQ in Gwangalli
• Anyone searching for Suyeong, Busan restaurant recommendations