Ansan Gojan-dong charcoal beef BBQ, wrap and sauce combos: Yangsimso

On days when I want meat, charcoal grilling is the best. Grilling beef right over charcoal is hard to do at home, so it always tastes better than usual somehow. This time I went to Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch (양심소 안산고잔점) in Gojan-dong, Ansan.

I went this day with one goal: eat meat properly. To cut to the chase, I ate really well.

Just from the photo you can tell how hard I was grilling that day. Once the meat goes on the charcoal and starts sizzling, my appetite is already up. Honestly, meat is most exciting while it's being grilled, more than before.

How do you grill beef at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch?

At Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch, charcoal and a grill are brought to your table, and you grill several cuts of beef, served in bite-size pieces, yourself. I got a seat and ordered the meat, and one of my favorite moments at a meat restaurant is when the charcoal arrives at the grill. Once the charcoal is ready and the grill is set on top, the meal really begins.

The various cuts came in bite-size pieces, and I put them on the grill one by one. If you put too much on at once you can miss the timing, so it's best to put on a moderate amount and flip them one at a time as you eat.

As the surface cooks to golden brown and picks up a light charcoal aroma, the smell is really hard to resist. At a meat restaurant, the smell alone makes me hungrier.

And charcoal-grilled meat is good even on its own. When you pick up a well-cooked piece, you feel the juices, the smoky flavor adds to it, and the fun of eating meat really comes alive.

Charcoal-grilled vs pan-fried beef: what's the difference?

What I liked most about grilling at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch was the distinctive, savory aroma of charcoal. Meat grilled in a pan and meat grilled over charcoal definitely feel different.

Just watching the meat sizzle and sear on the grill makes my mouth water. It's especially good eaten right when the outside turns golden. Cook it too long and it can get tough, so eating it as soon as it's just right is best. One piece, then another.

I told myself I'd eat slowly, but once the meat starts cooking nicely, my chopsticks just keep moving. Beef is especially nice because it doesn't take long to cook. Put it on, wait a moment, flip it, and when it's ready, yum. I really felt that I'd come to eat meat.

Yangsimso side dishes: mixing wraps, garlic and sauces

Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch had several basic side dishes to go with the meat, including wrap vegetables, seasoning and garlic. At a meat restaurant, good meat alone isn't enough. The accompaniments matter too. A piece of meat is good on its own, but put it in a wrap with garlic or other sides and it tastes different again.

Personally, I like switching up combinations when I eat meat. Dip it in sauce, then wrap it, then add garlic. It's the same meat, but the taste changes a little depending on what you eat it with, and that's fun. So at meat restaurants I try several combinations rather than eating just one way.

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) to finish the beef

The doenjang jjigae that came with the meat at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch had tofu and vegetables and arrived bubbling hot, so it was nice to spoon up between bites of meat. Having a soupy dish in the middle of a meat meal makes it feel complete. I took a photo of the doenjang jjigae that day too.

Keep eating meat and it can get a little greasy, and a spoonful of doenjang jjigae makes your mouth feel fresh again. And I don't know why doenjang jjigae at a meat restaurant tastes better than the one at home. Grilling meat over charcoal while having hot doenjang jjigae was a pretty good combination. A bite of meat, a spoonful of stew. Add rice and it's literally a hearty meal.

Atmosphere at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch: good for chatting?

Another plus of a charcoal meat restaurant like Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch is that it's easy to chat while eating. You talk while grilling, pick up cooked pieces one by one, and time flies. Even if it's not a special day, charcoal grilling seems like the right thing for a day when you just want meat.

It comes to mind after work when you want something tasty, and it's also fine for a weekend meal out with family or friends. Above all, I was satisfied because I grilled and ate plenty of meat that day. What matters at a meat restaurant is whether the meat is grilled well enough that your hand keeps reaching for it, and that day I kept grilling. If a little meat was left on the grill I wanted to add more, and when I saw cooked meat I wanted to eat it right away. Eating like that, I was pretty full before I knew it.

Where to eat charcoal-grilled beef in Gojan-dong, Ansan

I was looking for a place to eat meat in Ansan and visited Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch, and the meal was satisfying overall. Grilling the meat myself over charcoal made it fun to eat, and I liked being able to enjoy it with all kinds of accompaniments like wraps and garlic.

Above all, looking at the photos again makes me want to eat it again. Strangely, with meat I sometimes crave it more when I look at photos later than when I'm eating. The photos of meat turning golden over charcoal are totally unfair. Looking at them, I suddenly got hungry. And finishing with doenjang jjigae at the end made it a hearty finish.

If you like meat, you have to have charcoal-grilled beef at least once. If you want tasty grilled beef with charcoal aroma on a day you crave meat in Gojan-dong, Ansan, Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch is worth remembering. That day I went without overthinking, just thinking, let's go eat meat well! And I really did eat well. From the sound of grilling to the smell to the look of it turning golden. Meat really is best grilled over charcoal.

Especially since it suits a group grilling several kinds of meat while chatting, it seems fine as a place for a family meal or dinner with friends.

When you pick up a piece that's golden outside and juicy inside, you don't need a lot of explanation. It's just delicious.

Personally, what I remembered most that day was the taste of meat grilled over charcoal. When you want meat, eating meat is the right answer. Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch, thank you for the great meal that day. Next time I'm craving meat, I want to go for charcoal grilling again.