Yongsan Korean BBQ for a quiet date: Jeokto Balhyo Gui

I found a Korean BBQ place near Yongsan Station that looked perfect for a wedding-invitation gathering... everything came out so neatly, so I had to pay it a visit.

It is about 600 m from Exit 1 of Yongsan Station. So close—just a five-minute walk from either Yongsan Station or Sinyongsan Station! Free parking is also available at Yongsan Tax Office.

Jeokto Balhyo Gui near Yongsan Station: location and seating

Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch is located in front of Seoul Hangang Elementary School. If a place catches your eye... that is probably the one.

Maybe because I visited on Friday evening, there was a short wait. Luckily, I had made a reservation and could go straight in.

The restaurant runs from the basement level up to the second floor. The second floor has table seating, so it looked good for a large wedding-invitation gathering, while the first floor has these counter seats, which seemed ideal for two people to have a quiet chat.

There were so many signatures in one corner of the first floor that I snapped a photo.

They also had high chairs available.

The restroom was inside the restaurant. Men's was on the first floor and women's was on the second. There was mouthwash and dental floss in the restroom, too.

Jeokto Balhyo Gui menu and prices

The signature item here is jeot samgyeop, pork belly fermented with jeotgal (salted seafood) and a house sauce in earthenware jars made with red clay. One plate is 260 g for ₩28,000. There is also fermented pork neck, 180 g for ₩18,000 (minimum order of two servings), fermented pork belly, 180 g for ₩18,000. Sides included jeot bap (fried rice to finish the meal), doenjang jjigae (soybean-paste stew), mul memil (buckwheat noodles in broth), bibim memil (mixed buckwheat noodles), steamed rice, Korean beef yukhoe (seasoned raw beef), spicy charcoal-grilled deodeok root, sujebi (hand-torn dough soup), pork and tofu hot pot, and more.

There was a wide selection of drinks too: traditional Korean liquor, highballs, draft beer, and so on. And FYI, they offer free corkage!!!

The day I tried jeot samgyeop and fermented pork neck

Since I had reserved, I was able to sit at a first-floor counter seat. This was posted right beside me, so I took a photo: gochujang pork belly ₩19,000, lemon highball ₩7,000, moonbae highball ₩9,000, and yuja highball ₩7,000.

I could watch this little fire-show(?) cooking action right in front of me, so waiting was not boring. (And it was convenient for ordering or getting side-dish refills, too.)

These were the side dishes set out to start: green-onion kimchi, pickled onions, watery kimchi... plus sauces that I could not quite identify but were delicious.

This place has a very clear concept—they use these rice-straw-style stands. They put the meat on them.

Like this!

I ordered 1 serving of jeot samgyeop plus 2 servings of fermented pork neck. Originally, I wanted 2 servings of jeot samgyeop and 1 serving of pork neck, but fermented pork neck has a two-serving minimum, so I went with 1 serving of jeot samgyeop and 2 servings of fermented pork neck.

First, the jeot samgyeop: 260 g for ₩28,000. It is pork belly marinated in sauce, almost like seasoned galbi, and it comes with garlic, mushrooms, and shishito peppers. They gave us tongs and scissors too, so I cut it into easy-to-eat pieces.

Maybe because it had been marinated in sauce, it was delicious even on its own without dipping it in anything else. It tastes like seasoned galbi, but it is pork belly...?

Then came two servings of fermented pork neck, 180 g for ₩18,000 each. The pork neck looked so bouncy and springy.

It was glistening, and tasty even eaten just as it was.

I am not exactly sure what they were, but it was also good with the sauces that had been set out from the start.

The especially delicious pickled onions

All the basic side dishes here were good, but especially these pickled onions!!! They were so good that I wanted to ask how they made them. Not spicy at all, just tangy and sweet... they cut right through the richness, making them the perfect Korean BBQ side dish. They were so good that I even took a solo photo of the onions.

After eating only meat... it felt like something was missing, so I ordered bibim memil as a side. The fried rice to finish the meal looked delicious too... but I had seen lots of reviews recommending the buckwheat noodles, so I picked bibim memil.

Chewy noodles with a tangy mixed sauce. It was perfect for dessert... I am so glad I chose the bibim memil. I cleaned up all the side dishes too and headed out,,,

How was it for a wedding-invitation gathering and a date?

Jeokto Balhyo Gui is a distinctive Yongsan restaurant with a great atmosphere. Since the staff grill the meat for you, you do not come away smelling like smoke, so I think it would be nice for a wedding-invitation gathering. For a date, the first-floor counter seats would be great for enjoying a quiet time together. You can visit without a reservation, but just in case, I recommend booking through Naver Reservation. And the free corkage is unlimited, so bring whatever drink you want to have with your meal!!