Poil-dong yakiniku: skirt to snowflake short rib, Yakiniku Pungyeong

What is Yakiniku Pungyeong in Uiwang?

Yakiniku Pungyeong (야끼니꾸풍경) is a Japanese-style charcoal grill restaurant in Poil-dong, Uiwang. It opened in 2012 and has held the same spot for 14 years, a real neighborhood fixture. I've fallen hard for yakiniku lately, so I finally went to the place I'd wanted to visit.

The owner holds a meat processing technician license and an outstanding chef certification, and apparently selects all the meat personally, so my expectations were high even before I arrived.

There are traces of quite a few celebrity visits too.

The kitchen is open, so you can watch the owner trimming the meat, and you can really feel how sincere he is about it.

Yakiniku Pungyeong atmosphere and window seats

Every table has a Japanese-style charcoal grill, and partitions make it feel private. The Japanese vibe starts at the entrance, and I was excited from the first step.

Inside, soft Japanese music plays and it feels like being in Japan. With a charcoal grill on every table, the mood is the real deal. The partitions make it cozy, so it suits dates, anniversaries, business dinners and small company gatherings.

I had reserved ahead, so we were seated by a window overlooking green scenery. With the view right in front of us, it honestly felt like a trip. It's popular enough to be full even on weekdays, so definitely book ahead. On the day I went, the next table was having a company dinner and the mood was great.

Yakiniku Pungyeong menu and prices

The beef menu at Yakiniku Pungyeong runs from ₩23,000 for premium short rib to ₩37,000 for snowflake short rib, and doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) is ₩6,000. We had a full three-cut course: snowflake short rib, skirt steak and flower short rib.

• Wagyu premium beef tongue ₩33,000
• Premium beef tongue slices ₩33,000
• Snowflake short rib ₩37,000
• Seasoned snowflake short rib ₩37,000
• Skirt steak ₩31,000
• Seasoned skirt steak ₩31,000
• Flower short rib ₩31,000
• Seasoned flower short rib ₩31,000
• Premium short rib ₩23,000
• Seasoned premium short rib ₩23,000
• Doenjang stew ₩6,000

You order by scanning the QR code attached to the table.

We ordered snowflake short rib, skirt steak, flower short rib and doenjang stew.

Side dishes and yuja (citron) tomato salad

The side dishes were neat pickled items like white kimchi, gungchae pickles (pickled stem lettuce), pickled chili peppers and mustard leaf kimchi. The more I ate them with the meat, the better the pairing got, and I enjoyed them a lot.

A yuja tomato salad came out too, and its fresh, faintly fragrant flavor woke up my appetite, which really stood out.

The charcoal heat is really strong, so the meat cooks quickly and nicely, and the smoke clears well, so the meal stayed comfortable.

In what order should you grill the beef cuts?

The staff at Yakiniku Pungyeong told us to grill in this order: skirt steak → flower short rib → snowflake short rib. Eating in that order, I could clearly feel the flavor difference between the cuts.

Skirt steak: rich beefy flavor with tare sauce and yuja tomato

With the first bite of the skirt steak, I understood right away why regulars order it first.

It softly gives way as you chew and fills your mouth with rich beefy flavor, which was really something special.

It's tasty on its own, and dipping it in the salty tare sauce doubles the savoriness. Eaten with the tomato and yuja, wow~~ it's incredible.

Flower short rib: juicy, with fat that isn't too heavy

The flower short rib is really fresh, isn't it? It's just as pretty as it looks. When I lifted it with the tongs, you could see the juices, it's that plentiful.

The nutty flavor builds the more you chew, and the fat isn't overdone, so I kept reaching for more.

Snowflake short rib: the best marbling of the three cuts

Last was the snowflake short rib, and the marbling was a work of art.

When the meat is this fresh and good, even the sound of it sizzling on the grill tastes good.

It melts the moment it goes into your mouth, easily the best texture of the three cuts. The rich flavor lingers, and you can feel how good the meat quality is.

Finishing with a ₩6,000 doenjang stew

The doenjang stew at Yakiniku Pungyeong is packed with tofu, zucchini and even meat, and the broth is deep and savory, a perfect finish after the beef. At this price and quality, it's a must-order.

Free extras and the no-lose prize draw at Yakiniku Pungyeong

During the meal the owner gave us grape cream cheese crackers, persimmon tiramisu and watermelon as complimentary treats, and in the no-miss prize draw I won 5th prize, a beef tartare and gamtae (seaweed) rice ball. It was a feast of service full of the owner's generosity.

Mid-meal, the owner gave us grape cream cheese crackers as a freebie, and eaten with the meat they were a really tasty treat.

The persimmon tiramisu was a freebie too, and nice and sweet. It was a combination I'd never tried: the smooth mascarpone flavor plus the chewy dried persimmon left a different kind of aftertaste.

There's a nostalgic no-miss prize draw event, so be sure to join in. My husband and I both took part, and both of us won 5th prize.

The 5th prize was a beef tartare gamtae rice ball, and it tasted like art too.

Finally they gave us watermelon, and finishing cool and sweet was touching. Having tried it myself, I now know exactly why this Uiwang beef restaurant, Yakiniku Pungyeong, has been loved for 14 years.

On a day you want to reward yourself, spend special time with someone dear, or properly enjoy really good yakiniku, remember Yakiniku Pungyeong.^^

Yakiniku Pungyeong hours and parking

• Address: 1st floor, 28 Botdeul 2-gil, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (Poil-dong 667-1)
• Hours: weekdays 16:00–23:00, Saturday 15:00–22:00
• Last order: 22:00
• Closed: Sundays
• Parking: in front of the restaurant (if full, use the Poil Eoullim Center lot, paid weekdays 08:00–20:00, free otherwise)