Yangyang grilled-meat restaurant for families: Yeoyejeong

During a family trip to Gangneung and Yangyang, I stopped by Yeoyejeong with my parents. Since we had samgyeopsal barbecue the day before, we chose mainly pork jowl and beef this time. My parents were satisfied too, and I remember not only the meat but also the charcoal and ssam vegetables.

How were the parking and dining space for visiting with parents?

Yeoyejeong is at 49 Ssangsolbaegi-gil, Seo-myeon, Yangyang-gun. There is a large parking area in front, as well as high chairs and a group room.

They sell both pork and beef. Around the restaurant, there were notes posted that looked like guestbook messages.

There was also a lucky-draw event when I visited. I joined because the draw's design was unusual, and I drew a gift certificate.

The dining space was spacious and neat. Even though I visited a little outside regular weekday mealtime, there were many diners.

What stood out about the charcoal and ssam vegetables?

The owner told me they use coffee-tree binchotan charcoal. When grilling the meat, there were no large flames or much smoke. Since I barbecue at home from time to time, I made a note of the charcoal's name.

The lettuce looked fresh, with green, tender leaves. I was told it was pesticide-free lettuce grown hydroponically at a smart farm run by the Yangyang Association for the Physically Disabled.

How did pork jowl, kkotgalbisal, and salchisal differ?

That day, we had hangjeongsal (pork jowl), kkotgalbisal (boneless beef short rib), salchisal (beef chuck flap), and pork tail, with bomb gyeranjjim (fluffy steamed egg) and Yeojeong naengmyeon (cold noodles) on the side. The pork jowl we ate first was thick, so its chew and grain came through clearly. With wasabi, its rich fatty flavor remained while the finish was clean.

We ate the kkotgalbisal slightly underdone; it was tender but had a different texture from the pork jowl. After having it, I became curious about the salchisal and ordered it as an extra.

Salchisal was my favorite cut. It felt more tender than the kkotgalbisal, leaving a nutty richness rather than heaviness. Even though I was full because we ordered it last, I kept reaching for it.

How were the steamed egg and Yeojeong naengmyeon with the meat?

The bomb gyeranjjim was fluffy, and its seasoning suited my taste.

Yeonjeong naengmyeon felt like bibim-naengmyeon with a generous amount of broth added. Its spicy flavor and broth especially stayed with me. My family usually has one bowl of naengmyeon and two bowls of rice with five or six servings of meat, but that day we had two bowls of naengmyeon.

Which meat did each family member like best?

As we grilled several cuts, everyone's preferred texture became clear. I liked the thick texture of the pork jowl paired with wasabi.

I was initially a little worried about pork tail because of its name. Once I tried it, it had a texture like pork skin with more soft meat attached, and my whole family enjoyed it.

We had different preferences for the beef. I liked the tender salchisal more, while my mother preferred the kkotgalbisal, which had more chew. It was a family meal where we could compare several cuts together with my parents.