Daejeon gamjatang dinner in Daeheung-dong: rice in the broth, Yeonam

Wow, their gamjatang is pretty good too?

Why go back to Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang?

Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang (연암숯불뼈구이&감자탕) is a charcoal-grilled pork bone and gamjatang restaurant in Daeheung-dong, Daejeon, and this time I came back for gamjatang at dinner. On my last visit I had the charcoal-grilled pork bones, and the smoky, fire-kissed flavor really stuck with me, so I thought I'd try the other menu items this time.

Where is Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang in Daeheung-dong?

Yeonam sits in an alley in Daeheung-dong, right in front of the famous Jeongsikdang (정식당) and Hyeondae Sikdang (현대식당). If you hunt down Daeheung-dong restaurants, you'll know the spot right away. These two places are so well known that the alley makes you think of them first, but lately Yeonam seems to be making a name for itself in between!

Maybe because it was dinner time, diners filled the seats one by one, and as gamjatang pots started going onto every table, it felt like dinner time at Yeonam was really getting going.

Yeonam menu: grilled pork bones and gamjatang

The signature dishes at Yeonam are the charcoal-grilled pork bones and the gamjatang, and both come in small, medium and large. The grilled bones I had last time are coated in a special seasoning and cooked over charcoal and on a stone plate, so I'd recommend them if you love that smoky char flavor!

This time I chose the Yeonam gamjatang, and since it comes in different sizes, it's easy to share one pot with a group. There are also meal dishes like bone hangover soup (ppyeo haejangguk) and boneless hangover soup, and sides like crispy shredded potato pancake, rice balls and steamed egg. The potato pancake is made of thinly shredded potatoes fried crispy, and it seems like a lot of people order it with the grilled bones.

What we ordered for dinner and the prices

• Gamjatang, small: ₩34,000
• Soju: ₩5,000
• 2 bowls of rice: ₩2,000

House-made stir-fried anchovy side dish

One side dish I kept going back to was the stir-fried anchovies (myeolchi bokkeum), and apparently the restaurant makes it themselves. My chopsticks were super busy before the gamjatang even arrived, hahaha

How does the Yeonam gamjatang taste?

The Yeonam gamjatang arrives with a pot full of pork backbones, generously topped with perilla leaves. One look at it and I thought, that's the perfect Daeheung-dong dinner! As it started bubbling, the broth got darker and the smell rose up, and I just knew there was no way this could be bad.

First, I picked up a bone and started pulling off the meat. The meat on the bones was pretty generous, and it was cooked so tender that it came off with just a gentle nudge of the chopsticks! Gamjatang is all about the amount of meat plus the broth, right? Pick off some meat, take a spoonful of broth, and just repeat that route.

Charcoal-grilled pork bones vs. gamjatang: what's the difference?

If Yeonam's charcoal-grilled pork bones were all about that unmistakable charcoal smokiness, the gamjatang was about the fun of picking backbone meat out of hot broth. They're both pork bone dishes, but the vibe is totally different, so I was glad I came back and switched up the menu.

Mixing rice into the leftover gamjatang broth

After finishing the gamjatang, I added 2 bowls of rice (₩2,000) to the leftover broth and mixed it all together. How could I stop at just the gamjatang! I left a little broth in the pot, stirred the rice in, and the rich broth left over from the meat soaked right into the grains. Cleared every last drop🖤

How to call staff: choose an item on the call button

At Yeonam, the staff call options are split into detailed items, so for simple requests like water or small plates, all the way to takeout containers, you just select what you need without having to flag anyone down! It was especially handy when I wanted to pack up leftovers, since I could just press the takeout request.

Is Yeonam's gamjatang in Daeheung-dong worth a return dinner?

Charcoal-grilled bones last time, gamjatang this time, and Yeonam was good even with a different menu! I cleaned up the broth with 2 bowls of rice and had a proper dinner. If you're looking for dinner in Daeheung-dong, Daejeon, and you're craving hot gamjatang, stop by Yeonam Charcoal-Grilled Pork Backbone & Gamjatang.