Korean BBQ on Uijeongbu's Haengbok-ro: 500g marinated rib at Sotongae

I wanted meat for dinner, so I went to Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store (소통애 의정부직영점). It's not far from Uijeongbu Station and the Haengbok-ro area, so it was a handy place to eat. This time I ordered Sotongae's signature marinated beef short rib (500g) and the steamed egg with flying fish roe.

The marinated short rib goes straight onto the charcoal grill, and the smell was amazing the moment I started grilling, haha

Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store: location, hours and parking

Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store is at 58 Hoguk-ro 1298beon-gil, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi, on the 1st floor. It opens at 12:30 on weekdays and 12:00 on weekends, and runs until 23:30 (last order 23:00). There is no private parking lot, so you'll need the nearby Uijeongbu 1-dong underground public parking or a paid lot around the area.

• Address: 58 Hoguk-ro 1298beon-gil, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi (1st floor)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 12:30–23:30, Sat–Sun 12:00–23:30
• Last order: 23:00
• Parking: no private lot; nearby Uijeongbu 1-dong underground public parking or paid lots
• Other: reservations, group seating, takeout, delivery and baby chairs available

What's the atmosphere like inside?

It's a relaxed BBQ-joint kind of place, with a charcoal grill built into every round table. From outside, the red chairs catch your eye first, and inside there are several round tables. Each has a charcoal grill in the middle, with ventilation installed above.

Overall it has that comfortable grill-house feel, so it looks fine for dinner with friends or a group get-together. The tables aren't packed tightly together, and when I visited the inside felt bigger than I expected~

What we ordered and prices

• Marinated beef short rib 500g: ₩45,000
• Steamed egg with flying fish roe: ₩6,000

The signature marinated short rib (500g) came piled high on the plate. A big king oyster mushroom sat on top, stamped with the Sotongae name, which really stands out in photos, haha

The side dishes included kimchi, garlic, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), pickled onions and seasoned vegetables, plenty to eat with the meat, plus lettuce and chili peppers.

How does the marinated beef short rib (500g, ₩45,000) taste?

The marinade soaked evenly into the meat, and the flavor wasn't too sweet, with a light charcoal smokiness. We put the meat on the charcoal grill right after ordering.

Because it's marinated, it can cook fast if the fire is too strong, so I added a little at a time. On the charcoal the surface turned a nice appetizing brown.

I tried a golden-brown piece, as in the photo, and the marinade had soaked in evenly. It isn't a marinade with no sweetness at all, but it never felt too sweet, and the charcoal-grilled parts had a slight smoky aroma, so it was good even eaten on its own.

Best of all, the meat isn't sliced thin but has some thickness, so each piece had a satisfying chew. Up close, the cooked meat still had juices and marinade glistening on the surface, and as long as you don't overcook it, it stays tender.

Side combos that go well with the marinated short rib

The marinated short rib was good alternated with grilled garlic, myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-leaf-like greens), king oyster mushroom and lettuce wraps. If you like marinated Uijeongbu-style short rib, it should suit you fine.

After eating just meat for a while, I also put grilled garlic on top. Grilling the garlic added a nutty flavor that went well.

I also wrapped the meat in myeongi namul, as in the photo. The tangy taste was a good break after several pieces of marinated meat.

I grilled the king oyster mushroom on the charcoal too. Cut thick and eaten together with the meat, the moist mushroom and the marinated short rib made a good pair.

And of course, lettuce wraps, haha. I put meat and garlic in lettuce, or stuffed in seasoned vegetables and mushroom for one big bite. With so many side dishes, the same meat could be eaten alternating with garlic, myeongi namul, green onion salad and wraps.

How many people is 500g of marinated short rib good for?

500g was quite generous for two or three people. Since it's marinated meat, it went even better with vegetables. It made a filling dinner.

Is the steamed egg with flying fish roe (₩6,000) worth ordering?

Sotongae's steamed egg is topped with plenty of orange flying fish roe, so it looks clearly more striking than a plain steamed egg, and it was nice to eat between bites of meat. The one we ordered with the meat came out hot in a metal pot.

The orange roe was piled generously on top, so it looked far more eye-catching than a regular steamed egg. When I scooped it with a spoon, the inside was softly cooked and the roe popped as I chewed, giving a nice texture.

Taking a spoonful of egg in the middle of the marinated short rib was soft and a good match, and scooping up a generous amount of roe, as in the photo, was the best way to eat it, haha. While hot, the egg is moist and the roe texture comes through even more.

Does the doenjang-jjigae come free?

At Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store, ordering one plate of marinated short rib gets you one free doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) per table. It comes with an order of 2 servings of raw short rib or one plate of marinated short rib, so we got the stew too.

It had big pieces of tofu and a warm broth, which was nice to have between bites of meat. I also liked that it wasn't something we ordered separately, but came with the meat order, haha

Verdict: dinner of marinated short rib at Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store

What I liked most about Sotongae Uijeongbu Direct Store is that you grill the marinated short rib right over charcoal. With 500g the portion was generous, and I could eat the meat on its own, then switch to garlic, myeongi namul, mushroom or lettuce wraps, so I never got tired of the plate until the end.

The steamed egg with flying fish roe, unlike a plain steamed egg, comes with generous roe on top and was a good order alongside the meat, and I also liked that the doenjang-jjigae is free with a plate of marinated short rib.

If you want meat for dinner near Uijeongbu Station and Haengbok-ro, or you're looking for Uijeongbu-style short rib, it's worth a visit. Especially if you like charcoal-grilled marinated meat, you might want to check it out, haha