Paju Unjeong BBQ: crab doenjang stew and steamed egg at Tannae

Tannae Paju Main Branch, 1F 103, 73 Garam-ro, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Hours: Mon–Fri 17:00–23:00, Sat–Sun 16:00–23:00.

I went out for a proper meat dinner with my mom over the weekend after a long while. The weather's been getting chillier, so warm food started sounding good, and so did meat cooked the right way. This time we headed to Tannae Paju Main Branch, near Garam-maeul in Unjeong.

We ordered two servings of the marinated pork king grill and a steamed egg, and had such a nice, filling meal with my mom that I wanted to share it here..!

Where is Tannae Paju Main Branch, and where do you park?

🚗 By car — search Tannae Paju Main Branch on navigation and it's easy to find. Park in the lot behind the building or the alley lot near the Samsung Plaza entrance.

🚋 By public transit — it's a 15-minute walk from Exit 1 of Unjeong Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, or a 3-minute walk from the Garam-maeul 4-danji bus stop.

What the name Tannae means and how the briquette charcoal grilling works

The name 'Tannae' apparently means the smell of charcoal. Built on the philosophy of only using quality meat, Tannae specializes in select cuts of white pork and marinated pork king grill. The charcoal-grilling method in particular really stood out.

Arriving at the 4pm weekend opening: what Tannae looks like inside

We visited on a weekend, when the shop opens at 4pm. We timed our visit for an early dinner, and right at opening there were already three tables of guests ahead of us. Customers kept streaming in the whole time we were eating, too.

The interior was wider and more comfortable than I expected. The spacing between tables wasn't cramped, and the space itself felt relaxed enough for family dinners as well as friend gatherings or work dinners with a larger group. Meat restaurants with tightly packed tables can feel a bit uncomfortable, so it was nice that this place didn't have that problem :)

Tannae's menu, basic banchan and self-serve side dish bar

The menu is split into grilled items and sides.

Once you order at your table, the basic banchan (side dishes) get set first. Anything you need more of can be grabbed from the self-serve bar, which was convenient — when you're deep into eating meat and run low on sides or vegetables, being able to help yourself is great.

Choosing crab doenjang stew as the included stew

I also liked the included stew at Tannae. You can choose between crab miso stew or pork kimchi stew. I went with the crab miso stew, and getting a stew alongside the meat as standard made the meal feel that much more filling 👍🏻

Two servings of marinated pork king grill, seared first then charcoal-grilled

What we ordered that day was two servings of marinated pork king grill 🥩 After ordering, the meat doesn't go straight onto the grill — the owner first sears it separately over high heat. That pre-seared meat is then placed on prepared charcoal for a second grilling. Going through the sear first, then a second pass over charcoal, really let the smoky flavor soak into the meat 🔥

Why finishing the pork over briquette charcoal is half the fun

With the charcoal set and the pre-seared meat placed on top, that distinct deep smoky flavor and richness that charcoal grilling brings really came through. Since it's marinated pork, the sweet, savory marinade paired well with the charcoal's smokiness. As you eat, the subtle charcoal aroma that rises up seems to make everything taste even better!

Best of all, having the owner do the first sear made the actual grilling part easier for us. Chatting away with my mom while slowly grilling the meat made for a perfect weekend dinner ☺️

Steamed egg instead of naengmyeon as the side order

For the side dish, we went with steamed egg! I originally considered ordering naengmyeon (cold noodles) as the side. But with the weather turning noticeably chillier, warm steamed egg sounded more appealing than cold noodles that day.

So we ordered the steamed egg, and it was genuinely delicious! It was soft and warm, went great with the meat, and tasted even better given the chilly weather. Personally, I think choosing steamed egg over naengmyeon was the right call that day :) Meat followed by warm steamed egg made for a really filling meal.

A weekend dinner at Tannae made better with mom

This time I went with my mom. These days everyone's so busy, finding time to sit down comfortably with your mom and grill meat while chatting isn't as easy as it sounds.

So beyond the good food, just having a relaxed, pleasant time eating together with my mom felt like the best part. Eating our fill of meat and finishing with warm steamed egg left me feeling full and in a good mood ✨️ On top of that, the owner was friendly the whole time, which made the meal even more pleasant..!

Verdict: is Tannae Paju Main Branch worth a visit?

Tannae Paju Main Branch was a place where I really got to feel the appeal of pork grilled over charcoal.

• ✔️ Specializes in marinated pork king grill
• ✔️ First sear happens as soon as you order
• ✔️ Second grill on charcoal gives deep smoky flavor
• ✔️ Choice of included stew
• ✔️ Self-serve bar for extra banchan
• ✔️ Spacious, comfortable interior good for family dinners, gatherings, or work dinners

If you're looking for a hearty, delicious pork meal near Garam-maeul in Unjeong, this is worth a visit. It's great for a family dinner like ours, and just as good for a group outing with several people. If you're in Paju's Unjeong area craving properly charcoal-grilled pork, I recommend Tannae Paju Main Branch 👍🏻👍🏻