Korean BBQ family dinner in Jinju: saeupsal at Sabong Hanwoochon

Lalala~ it's been so long since I had hanwoo (Korean beef), I'm so excited~ excited~

With Chuseok holiday cooking coming up, I needed to build up some stamina first. Feeling weak~ weak~ no energy at all, so I went to recharge.

Jinju's famous hanwoo restaurant, the go-to spot for premium hanwoo — Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang

That's where I went.

Hanwoo gift sets and a dry-aging lab at the entrance

At the entrance of Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang, hanwoo gift sets are on display, ranging from budget-friendly sets to the most premium options.

Wow~ they were just setting out freshly prepared hanwoo gift sets by the entrance, click~click

Right next to the fridge is a fascinating dry-aging lab — apparently where they age the beef. At first I thought the meat was fake display models, but on closer look, it was real. After enjoying the view, let's head inside.

Where Sabong Hanwoochon is, opening hours and parking

Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang is located at 441 Sagun-ro, Sabong-myeon, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, 1st floor. It's open daily 10:00–21:30 (last order 20:30), and Saturday–Sunday 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30), with no break time.

• Group-friendly
• Parking (wide lot beside the restaurant)
• Wi-Fi
• Takeout
• Kids' facilities
• Separate men's/women's restrooms
• Reservations

Deep flavor from 35 days of aging, real delicious hanwoo you can taste in one bite — this is the exterior of Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang, Jinju's go-to spot for premium hanwoo, sticking only to grade 1+ or higher.

150 seats and private rooms: good for family gatherings and group dinners?

Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang has a spacious 150-seat hall and separate rooms, making it possible to host family gatherings and group dinners. The place was really spacious and clean — plenty of wooden 4-person tables with wooden chairs.

With such a spacious layout, it's a great place for family gatherings, group dinners, and any kind of get-together.

High ceilings and a spacious floor made it feel open and comfortable, no stuffiness at all.

Kids' play room and the self-serve bar

There's a play room for kids~ with a slide, game machines, and more, so parents visiting with children can enjoy their meal peacefully. Totally great~👍👍

The self-serve side dish bar is conveniently placed~ basic side dishes are already provided, but if you want more, just help yourself at the bar. Right next to it, there was even a high chair for toddlers.

What we ordered at Sabong Hanwoochon and what it cost

The menu at Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang was split on the table into meat dishes on one side and meal dishes on the other. We ordered two servings of hanwoo myeongpum (130g), a top 2% limited cut at ₩39,000, yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice) at ₩12,000, and after the meat, doenjang stew (soybean paste stew).

Side dishes and the complimentary starter

After ordering, they set out the basic side dishes — garlic, doenjang, white wasabi, dressed lettuce salad, cucumber muchim, myeongi namul (wild leek greens), kimchi, and tomato — then shortly after, freshly fried shrimp, then yukhoe sushi and beef tteok with enoki mushroom. Wow~ everything came out fresh, made right on the spot, so it was all so delicious.

Grilling the hanwoo myeongpum, 130g

After the tasty starters, the charcoal fire came on and my excitement peaked! ! The two servings of hanwoo myeongpum arrived — the marbling was beautiful, the color was stunning, this premium hanwoo was on another level.

Let's grill it up quickly. Sizzling on the charcoal~ glossy sheen~ the hanwoo myeongpum cooked just right~

Dipped in salt, one bite. So savory, so savory~ it melts in your mouth, melts~

Wrapped in myeongi namul, one bite~ this — this is a real treat.

The standout cut: saeupsal (chuck flap tail)

Wow~ amazing~ my top pick was the saeupsal cut~ pure tenderness~ my son and I both love salchisal (top blade cut), but at Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang, the saeupsal was the best~ thanks to the dense marbling, it had a distinct savoriness and softness~ honestly the best saeupsal I've ever had.

I think choosing hanwoo myeongpum was the right call. Juices bursting, savory flavor and satisfying chew when you bite into it — a real taste of premium hanwoo. Being a top 2% limited cut, of course it couldn't taste anything but amazing.

Grilled on the garlic-topped pan drizzled generously with sesame oil~ the aroma of garlic and rich sesame oil meeting the hanwoo ^ ^ it's fantastic.

Yukhoe bibimbap 12,000 won and doenjang stew 3,000 won

Yukhoe bibimbap at Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang is ₩12,000. I usually eat doenjang stew after the meat, but my husband wanted yukhoe bibimbap, so we ordered it.

This — this would've been such a regret if we hadn't ordered it~ the yukhoe (raw beef) mixed into the bibimbap was so, so tender and delicious. Mixed well with crunchy bean sprouts and various namul (seasoned vegetables)

A generous drizzle of sesame oil~ mixed once more with the sauce~ mix mix~ one bite. My husband offered me a bite of his yukhoe bibimbap, and one bite led to another, I kept reaching for more.

I had doenjang stew with a bowl of rice — three thousand won, amazing~ such great value for the price.

Dessert to finish the meal

Once we'd eaten our fill, right as we were finishing up, the staff brought out ice cream for dessert. It had been a while since I had Excellent ice cream, and it was delicious.

I think I'll keep thinking about the saeupsal at Sabong Hanwoochon Sikyuk Sikdang. They also have soft, moist marinated hanwoo, various aged cuts, fermented sirloin, and hanwoo myeongpum — such a range of great beef to try. Come to Sabong Hanwoochon for delicious meat. Highly, highly recommend~