Yongridan-gil BBQ restaurant, Seoul: snow-flake pork collar at Yukmong

I was looking for a BBQ spot on Yongridan-gil and ended up at Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store! Worked out and wanted to load up on protein with a hearty meat meal — they serve both beef and pork, and the place spans two floors, so it's great for group outings too!

Where is Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store, and when is it open?

Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store is at 34 Hangangdae-ro 62-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st and 2nd floors, open daily 12:00–24:00 (last order 23:00). It's 195m from Samgakji Station Exit 1 — go right 200m from Exit 1, or about 600m from Sinyongsan Station Exit 1!

Arrived~ There's a Jinro frog mascot lying out front and a meat signboard, so it was easy to find!

Inside the two floors at Yukmong, and how does corkage work?

Walking in, the place felt spacious and clean across both floors. Seemed like a really good spot for a Yongsan company dinner! There were actually a lot of people there for gatherings and dinners~ It seems to be famous enough that a lot of foreign visitors came in too. Wine or spirits get free corkage for one bottle (₩10,000 per bottle from the second), so it looked like a good place to bring your own good bottle~

Yukmong menu and what we ordered

The menu ranges from pork dishes like the Hanwoo pork mixed platter, galbi-samgyeopsal, and snow-flake pork collar, to beef dishes like 1++ Korean beef sirloin and beef short rib meat, plus sides like caviar cheese egg soufflé, Yukmong jjolmyeon (chewy noodles), and premium doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)!

What we ordered

• Caviar cheese egg soufflé (₩13,000)
• Snow-flake pork collar for 2 (₩18,000×2)
• 1++ Korean beef sirloin, 1% grade (₩49,000)
• Saero soju (₩6,000)
• Beef brisket ramyeon (₩8,000)

This is how the basic side dishes come out! Kimchi, jeotgal (salted seafood), and ssammu (pickled radish wraps), things that pair well with meat. Wrapping the meat with the green onion salad or radish gave it a different flavor each time, so we got to enjoy it in a lot of ways~

Caviar cheese steamed egg, 13,000 won

A side dish where caviar takes the umami up a notch! The fluffy egg soufflé had a big pile of caviar on top with plenty of cheese, so it hit with a salty, savory, umami punch right away~ Good to have between bites of meat, and also great paired with rice haha. Big recommend as a side dish~.~

1++ Korean beef sirloin, top 1% grade

They say it's 1++ premium Korean beef! Staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, so we could just relax and eat~ They seared the outside golden over strong charcoal heat.

There were also a variety of sauces, but they told us to try it first with just salt or wasabi to taste the meat's own flavor before anything else!

Why snow-flake pork collar comes in servings of two

It's introduced as the thickest pork collar in Seoul, and apparently it's only sold in servings of 2 to keep the juices rich! Even though it's quite thick, the staff grilled it skillfully so it came out golden outside and moist inside~ I really recommend the pork here,,! The juices burst out the moment I took a bite, and the more I chewed, the richer the savory flavor got haha. We paired it with soju too, and it would be perfect for a company dinner~

Finishing with beef brisket ramyeon

This is what we ordered to finish after all the meat. The beef brisket fat soaked into the ramyeon broth, bringing out a spicy yet savory umami~ Tasted like Shin Ramyeon~ Even though we were already full from the meat, the broth was so refreshing and deep that we kept reaching for more haha.

Is Yukmong worth it for a group dinner in Yongsan?

Staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, so we didn't have to worry about a thing and could just enjoy the meal. If you're looking for a company dinner spot around Yongridan-gil or Samgakji, I recommend Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store!

• 3-minute walk from Samgakji Station Exit 1, a Korean BBQ restaurant on Yongridan-gil
• Free corkage for 1 bottle (₩10,000 per bottle from the second)
• Snow-flake pork collar sold in servings of 2, thick and juicy