Yongsan Korean BBQ with staff-grilled pork: Jeokto

Coming to Yongsan for fermented aged meat

I went to Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch to have some proper meat in Yongsan 🥩🔥

The moment I arrived in front of the building, the Jeokto sign was right there, and even from the outside it did not feel like an ordinary barbecue place 😎 Since it specializes in fermented aged meat, I was already starting to think today’s meat would be a little different 🤭

There were chairs set up in front of the restaurant for waiting 😊 It looked like quite a few people wait during popular time slots. Those waiting chairs are not there for no reason, right? 😆

Inside, the restaurant was clean and calm overall. The tables were not cramped together, and it felt like a slightly more atmospheric place to eat than a typical Korean barbecue restaurant 😊 I came for the meat, but the atmosphere was nice too, so the first-impression points were already steadily adding up 😎

Further inside, there was a staircase leading down to the basement. At first I thought it might be the way to the restroom, but it turned out there was space downstairs too 😆

Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch also has a second-floor space, so group reservations are possible 😊 It looked suitable for coming with a crowd for barbecue, and it would be a nice spot for a company dinner or gathering too. Finding group seating at a barbecue restaurant can be surprisingly difficult, but this much space is reassuring 😎

Ordering Jeok samgyeop, fermented pork belly, and toenjang-jjigae

Once we sat down, the table was neatly set. Now for the most important part: exploring the menu 😆

After taking our time with the menu, we ordered Jeok samgyeop (salt-fermented pork belly) and fermented pork belly 🥩 And because meat alone would have felt a little incomplete, we also properly ordered toenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and mul memil (buckwheat noodles in chilled broth) 😋

Whenever we choose a menu, we always say we should eat a reasonable amount, but it is amazing how the definition of “reasonable” disappears after ordering 😂

Meat grilled by the staff

At Jeokto Balhyo Gui, the staff grill the meat for you 🔥 With someone grilling right beside us, all we had to do was hold our chopsticks and wait 😆 As the smell of grilling meat gradually rose, just watching it in front of me made this time feel the longest 😂 Still, having a professional grill it meant we could eat comfortably without worrying about doneness, which was really nice 👍

I also looked over the complimentary side dishes one by one 😊 There was a good variety, from kimchi and pickled vegetables to sauces and greens that went well with the meat.

On one side was something shaped like a rather unusual tree branch. At first I thought it was decoration, but it looked far too serious to be just decoration 😂 It turned out to be used as a stand.

Hearty toenjang-jjigae with plenty of meat

The toenjang-jjigae arrived before the meat 🍲 Its bubbling appearance was already a pass in my book 😋 One sip of the broth brought out a deep, savory flavor, and there was more meat inside than I expected.

It was a stew, but looking at the amount of meat, it was almost like a meat dish dropped into broth 😂 It was the kind of flavor that immediately makes you think of rice 🍚

Golden and juicy Jeok samgyeop

And finally, the star of the meal arrived: Jeok samgyeop 🥩🔥 The nicely grilled meat came with garlic, mushrooms, and chili peppers.

The moment the plate appeared, I thought, okay, now it is really starting 😆 Since the staff grilled it themselves, the outside was beautifully golden while the inside stayed moist.

The pork belly had that distinctive flavor of aged meat 😋 It was not overly heavily seasoned; it felt more like the seasoning brought out the flavor of the pork itself. Even though it was pork belly, it definitely felt different from regular grilled pork belly 🥩 It was tender with a rich meaty aroma, so after one piece, my chopsticks went straight for the next 😂

The meat was tasty on its own, but eating it with the many accompaniments prepared here gave it another dimension 😆

I first tried it with a light dip in salt, then with green onion kimchi, then topped with seasoned greens, and finally with kimchi 😋 It was the same meat, but every combination kept changing the flavor, so my chopsticks never got a break 😂 Just for today, I will leave my diet to ferment for a while too 😎

Finishing with fermented pork belly and mul memil

Next came the fermented pork belly 🥩 It felt like enjoying the pork belly I usually eat in a slightly more special way. The outside was grilled golden, while the inside was moist and tender, becoming more savory with every bite 😋 After trying both the Jeok samgyeop and the fermented pork belly, each had its own appeal, making it hard to choose just one.

We had already eaten meat and stew, but you cannot leave out the finishing carbs 😆 The mul memil arrived too 🍜

The cool broth had little shards of ice floating in it, topped generously with buckwheat noodles and crumbled seaweed.

The buckwheat noodles were clean-tasting and refreshing on their own, but of course they were best with the meat 🥩🍜 I picked up a big bundle of noodles, placed meat on top, and took a bite. The warm, savory meat and cold, mild buckwheat were a very good match 😋 I ate thoroughly right to the end—to the point where you would not believe I had said I was full 😂

Looking at liquor bottles on the way out

After the meal, I looked around and found a display of various liquor bottles on one side 🍶 At first I was simply looking because there were so many pretty bottles, but on closer inspection, each one had a celebrity signature on it 😮

It was fun to look through them one by one, and it made me realize a little that many people have visited here. I thought the meal would end with just enjoying the meat, but checking out the liquor bottles on the way out added a small bit of fun at Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch 😆

I liked being able to enjoy meat that felt a little different from everyday pork belly, such as Jeok samgyeop and fermented pork belly, and having the staff grill it made the meal especially comfortable 🥩🔥 With toenjang-jjigae and mul memil alongside, it was a thoroughly satisfying meal from beginning to end 😋