Sindang Korean BBQ with 12 sides and crab doenjang stew: Beefjeong

Beefjeong is a beef and pork spot known for making cakes out of meat. It has all kinds of side dishes, and they're so good you can see why people keep coming back.

Where Beefjeong Gogi Jip is, opening hours and how to book

• 📍Address: 6 Toegye-ro 74-gil, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰Hours: Open every day, Monday–Sunday 16:00–24:00 / last order 23:00
• 🚗Parking: No parking in the alley, use a nearby public lot
• 📞Reservations: Available via DM, text, or Naver Reservation

Hi, this is Lito. 🥩🥩 When the season shifts from summer to fall and you can feel a cold coming on, you really need something as hearty as meat. I think there's some truth to the saying that you should eat pork belly before getting a vaccine, so let me introduce Beefjeong, which I visited for dinner.

It's located right across from Chungmu Art Center, so actors apparently drop by sometimes, and because they also make special meat cakes, a lot of people come for birthday celebrations — which made me curious too.

Sindang Station is served by Lines 2 and 6, but if you want to get to Beefjeong quickly, come out via Line 6 and head into the alley — it's close by. You can also book through Naver Reservation, which is great since reserving ahead means you don't waste time waiting.

Probably because it was dinnertime, the place was fully booked except for a table or two for one or two people. I hadn't even come at peak time, so I imagine there's definitely a wait during the dinner rush.

Meat picked daily in Majang-dong, with labels posted on the door

The thing that caught my eye as soon as I walked into Beefjeong — even before the menu — was the meat labels. I don't know much about meat, but it gave off a real sense of using good quality product. All those labels covering the door felt like a badge of honor.

They said they hand-select the meat at Majang-dong every day, which made me trust it even more, and apparently if you order a set, the owner picks the three best cuts for you — so the set seems like a solid option too.

Choose your own apron and order by QR code

The second thing that stood out was the unusual aprons. There's one that flatters your figure and a more understated one for anyone who'd rather not, so you can just pick whichever suits you. I chose one since it's the kind of apron you can only try wearing at Beefjeong.

Instead of a kiosk, you order by scanning a QR code and ordering from your phone. It was nice being able to check the menu together with the people I was with and pick comfortably.

There are all kinds of options — pork belly, pork neck, beef, and more — but since Beefjeong specializes in beef, I'd recommend trying the beef first. I'd already had beef for lunch, so I went with pork this time.

How do you order the meat cake at Beefjeong?

For the meat cake, you tell them when ordering, and after they take a photo they cut it up so you can grill and eat it right there. They make it with pork or beef, whichever you're in the mood for that day.

Choosing side dishes at Beefjeong Gogi Jip

The side menu is quite varied. First, if you're a bread person instead of rice, ordering the burger is a good move — a beef patty and cheese in a soft roll, and several came out, one for each table. 🦀🦀 I ordered the doenjang stew (fermented soybean paste stew) called 'grandma's stew,' since I heard it's less like a typical stew and more seafood-forward, with a refreshing, spicy edge. I'm more of a hot-noodle than a cold-noodle person, so between jjagalchi and buldak, I went with buldak (spicy chicken noodles)! There was so much more I wanted to try, one by one.

The 12 basic side dishes — ssam vegetables only on request

Once we finished ordering, they brought out the basic side dishes — a whopping 12 kinds. Sauces like salted shrimp and salted anchovy for dipping, plus grillable kimchi, all made me glad I'd ordered pork belly.

Since a lot of people leave the lettuce wraps uneaten, you have to ask for them separately, which is worth keeping in mind. Even I, surprisingly, don't really eat wraps unless it's all-you-can-eat.

What I ordered wasn't quite enough for a meat cake, so it came pre-cut, which was a bit of a shame — the pieces are on the larger side, so if you prefer smaller ones, you can cut it up yourself once it's cooked.

The fat-to-meat ratio was perfect too

Buldak fire noodles with beef brisket

Next, the side dishes came out one after another. The buldak rabokki (spicy fire chicken noodles) turned into a premium dish thanks to the brisket in it. The moment I tasted the brisket, I thought, 'wow, if the brisket is this good, I have to try the beef' — I got really curious about it.

Grandma's doenjang stew with a whole blue crab, plus the old-school lunchbox

'Grandma's stew' hit with a savory flavor first, and having a whole crab inside gave it extra depth of flavor. Since it's the kind of dish that goes straight to your rice, I debated between plain rice and the old-school lunchbox, and picked the lunchbox!

It had been a while since I'd had an old-school lunchbox with fried egg and kimchi in it, and it was tastier than expected — I inhaled it. The owner clearly has serious cooking skills.

Beefjeong is friendly on top of everything else — I'd definitely go back.