Paju Unjeong BBQ: pork jowl vs belly vs marinated pork at Tannae

Tannae Paju Main Branch, the pork belly spot everyone raves about in Unjeong — I finally ate my way through it and compared honestly! A head-to-head of their three most popular menus.

Thick aged cuts grilled over high heat, keeping the juices locked in. That smoky char makes even pork taste like beef. So which wins — pork neck vs aged pork belly vs marinated pork rib?

Three best-sellers at Tannae Paju Main Branch in one sitting

I really did go back to Tannae, the pork belly place in Garam-maeul, Unjeong that's genuinely delicious! This time I ordered all three of Tannae's best-selling grilled menus and did a full comparison of marinated pork rib vs pork belly vs pork neck. Usually I just order pork neck or pork belly without thinking twice, but today was finally the day I branched out.

Just looking at the photos of the meat makes your mouth water. Tannae is technically a pork specialty restaurant, but the quality rivals beef and grabs both your eyes and your appetite.

Where is Tannae Paju Main Branch? Garam-maeul in Unjeong

Tannae sits in Garam-maeul, Unjeong, near Unjeong Lake Park, and it's the pork belly spot to know. The name 'Tannae' literally means 'burnt smell' — which sounds odd, but you could also read it as the mouthwatering smell of meat sizzling over the grill.

Pork neck is good, pork ribs are good too, but this is the place you have to try the pork belly. The moment you walk into Tannae, the first thing that hits you is the grilling station, positioned right where you can see it best from anywhere in the restaurant.

Thick aged cuts, pulled from the aging fridge and grilled the instant an order comes in. The flame is so intense it looks like it could grill the staff's hands along with the meat, haha. Because the fire is so strong, thick cuts sear almost instantly, sealing in all that soft, moist juice inside. No wonder it tastes this good!

Tannae Paju Main Branch prices and the free stew

*First order must be at least 2 servings

• Marinated pork rib 300g (₩17,900)
• Select pork belly 180g (₩16,500)
• Select pork neck 180g (₩16,000)
• Pork neck 180g (₩15,500)
• Marinated pork skin 180g (₩9,900)

We ate until full, and two of us came out at just ₩50,000 total — cheap! On top of that, ordering grilled pork gets you a free stew: pick either pork kimchi stew or blue crab doenjang stew. We picked the pork kimchi stew!

Shiitake wasabi seasoning and the seasoned lettuce side dish

One thing I love about Tannae Paju Main Branch is that the basic side dishes and seasonings/sauces aren't run-of-the-mill — the quality is genuinely good. My personal favorite seasoning here is the shiitake wasabi: finely chopped shiitake mushroom mixed with sharp fresh wasabi and a soy-based sauce, aged together into a premium meat condiment. Getting to try that in Unjeong Garam-maeul, somewhere you can't find at other barbecue places, was such a bonus.

And for someone like me who doesn't usually wrap meat in lettuce or perilla leaves, this lightly seasoned lettuce side dish is perfect. A clever side dish that gets me eating more vegetables — 10 out of 10.

Vegetable side dishes and various seasonings can also be refilled yourself at the self-serve bar.

Select pork belly, aged in house at Tannae

Tannae's true signature menus are actually the pork neck and pork belly. So even if you order other cuts, I'd still recommend making sure you try the pork belly or pork neck whenever you come here.

The meat comes to your table pre-grilled from the central grilling station, so you only need to finish it off a little more. The moment the thick aged pork belly hits the tabletop grill, a deep smoky, charred aroma hits your nose instantly. The flame is so strong that the surface sears golden brown in seconds, locking every drop of juice inside. The result: a crispy crust outside, moist and plump inside.

Biting through that crispy exterior, hot juice bursts across your whole mouth. Because it's carefully selected, well-aged pork belly, there's zero off smell, and even the fat isn't greasy — just rich and nutty, haha.

The smoky flavor is deep enough to enjoy on its own, but pairing it with the shiitake wasabi or the clean side dishes keeps you going without ever getting sick of it. The bounce from quick high-heat grilling and the tenderness of aged meat coexist here, so you enjoy every last bite :)

Pork jowl at Tannae: how the grilling makes it chewy

Since Tannae's grilling station sears the surface instantly over intense heat before serving it, you don't have to sit there choking on smoke, agonizing over the tabletop grill. The exterior comes golden-coated with juice locked in, so on the tabletop grill you only need a light extra roll to your taste — timing your bite was so easy.

Grill it a touch longer and the pork neck's signature crisp, chewy texture comes through with a satisfying bite. Usually fatty cuts get tiring after a few pieces, but grilling hard over high heat strips away the unnecessary fat, leaving concentrated savoriness that explodes with every chew. The crisp exterior against the chewy interior — the texture was pure art.

This pairs beautifully with the shiitake wasabi too, haha. It has a slightly salty edge, so a little goes a long way. Not needing to grill it forever and get the smell stuck in your clothes, and instead being able to pop pieces straight into your mouth right when the juice is at its peak, was a stroke of genius. A different kind of appeal from the pork belly — extreme chewiness that you can't stop reaching for with your chopsticks. This is exactly why pork neck is my favorite cut.

Fruit-aged marinated jumbo pork grill, 300g

Rather than artificial sugary sweetness, this is aged with plenty of blended fruit, so as the meat cooks, the marinade doesn't burn — it glazes and caramelizes across the surface with a beautiful sheen. Marinated pork rib really does win on looks alone, haha.

The sauce isn't overly sharp or cloyingly sweet sitting on the surface — it soaks all the way into the meat, so you never get sick of it. That signature freshly grilled smokiness paired with the deep flavor of fruit aging is really appealing. A classic yet upscale marinade flavor that pretty much everyone will love :)

A big, well-grilled piece of marinated pork rib! Thanks to the fruit tenderizing, it practically melts before you even chew. It's tender enough to bite through with your gums, and with every chew, the subtle sweetness of fruit, the deep saltiness of soy sauce, and the meat's own trapped juices all flow out together for incredible depth of flavor.

The kimchi stew that begs for rice and seaweed flakes

The pork kimchi stew's broth was a perfect blend of rich pork stock, with fat melted in from high-heat grilling, and the tangy freshness of well-fermented kimchi, giving it a deep savoriness. Spicy and hearty without being heavy!

Wrapping a chewy, juice-soaked piece of meat in well-fermented, tangy kimchi and popping it in your mouth — savory and rich with every chew. Pour a generous ladle of broth over rice and mix it with mashed tofu and meat, and a whole bowl of rice disappears in no time — seriously addictive :) A thick, hearty finish, the way a Korean BBQ restaurant's kimchi stew should be.

So which is the best menu at Tannae Paju Main Branch?

Ate really well again today! :) Left completely full. So today's BEST menu? For me, it's pork neck. For first-timers, it's the pork belly!