Yangyang barbecue restaurant for pork ribs and pork neck: Yeoyejeong

While on vacation in Yangyang, I stopped by Yeoyejeong (여여정), a barbecue restaurant in Seomyeon. We grilled fresh pork ribs and pork neck, then had mul-naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) and the lunch special meat sotbap (pot rice).

Where is Yeoyejeong, and what are the parking and dining areas like?

The restaurant is at 49 Ssangsolbaegi-gil, Seomyeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon State, South Korea. It gave a neat impression when I arrived.

The parking area was wide and ample, so it was easy to park.

The interior was fairly spacious and neat as well. I thought it would be comfortable for a family meal while traveling in Yangyang.

What should you keep in mind when having meat for lunch?

Service began at 11:30 a.m. On the day we went, break time began at 2 p.m., and meat was sold out around 1:30 p.m., when they were taking final orders for meat dishes. We wanted more meat during the meal, but orders had closed, so we added a lunch special instead.

What meat and lunch special dishes were available?

They sold both pork and beef. Marinated galbi was the signature dish, and there were fresh pork ribs, pork neck, pork belly, and pig tail. The beef options included kkotgalbisal (boneless short rib) and salchisal (chuck flap tail).

The lunch specials included meat sotbap, meat naengmyeon, sotbap kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew), and sotbap galbitang (short-rib soup). There were also side dishes that could be added after having meat.

What did we receive through the review event during our visit?

At the time of our visit, there was a prize-draw event open to people who wrote Google and Naver reviews. There was also a notice saying that writing reviews on both sites would earn 150 g of pig tail as a complimentary item. We received two items in the draw, and the children enjoyed the event too.

How were the fresh pork ribs and pork neck?

They gave us plenty of charcoal. We ordered one serving each of fresh pork ribs and pork neck, and mushrooms came with them.

We started by grilling the fresh pork ribs. They cooked quickly over the charcoal, and as the fat dripped away, they felt light. The meat itself was tender too.

Salt, doenjang (fermented soybean paste), and wasabi were served as accompaniments, with chive soy sauce on each individual plate. A little wasabi went well with the fresh pork ribs.

The lettuce was soft but crisp, making it good for wrapping around the meat.

We cut the pork neck into cubes and cooked all four sides evenly. Its fat dripped away as it cooked, and it had a good texture when eaten. I also had the pork neck with a little wasabi.

How were the mul-naengmyeon and complimentary pig tail?

We also had mul-naengmyeon with the meat. The noodles were chewy, and I especially liked the cool, refreshing broth.

The complimentary pig tail was seasoned with soy sauce. We began grilling it skin-side down.

The pig tail had a little meat on it, and the fatty part had a collagen-like texture. It was chewy, like jokbal (braised pig's feet).

What came with the lunch special meat sotbap we added?

We were still slightly hungry, but meat orders had already closed, so we added the meat sotbap. The rice came in a pot, and cool bean sprout soup came instead of doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew).

The meat was pork that felt similar to marinated galbi, served with pickled chives. The sweet seasoning was tasty.

It was good for wrapping the meat in lettuce, and it felt like a good-value lunch special to me. The scorched rice from the sotbap was nutty, and having it with a piece of kimchi made my mouth feel refreshed.

The tenderness of the fresh pork ribs and the texture of the pork neck stayed with me. It was disappointing that we could not order more meat, but after having the meat sotbap too, it was a satisfying meal.