Korean BBQ near Hongik Univ. Station: honeycomb pork skin, Yookmong

Where is Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch?

Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch (육몽 홍대본점) is a BBQ restaurant about a 7-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. Station: go straight for roughly 500m, then turn into a side alley. It's the place my friend and I keep coming back to whenever we want good meat in Hongdae, and we went again this time! There were lots of people around the restaurant, so I was already excited.

What do Yookmong's exterior and interior look like?

The exterior is a neat building, and the restaurant uses the whole 1st and 2nd floors!

The outdoor terrace especially stands out. It matches Hongdae's lively vibe and looks like a perfect photo spot!

In the evening the lights glow prettily, so I bet it's popular for dates and get-togethers too ~.~ The inside feels upscale yet comfortable, and the concept apparently highlights the know-how of a 36-year meat master. True to that, it has wooden tables and warm lighting, a stylish interior 😄 There are also large group tables, so it should work well for company dinners and family gatherings!

How do the 1st- and 2nd-floor seats differ?

The 1st floor is lively, cool and open, so I highly recommend it in nice weather! Go up to the 2nd floor and it feels more private, haha.

Is there a weekend wait at Yookmong Hongdae?

The space is pretty big, but if you plan to visit Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch on a weekend evening, there may be a wait, so I recommend booking ahead! The staff were busy but grilled for us kindly, and the tables were kept tidy, so we ate without any trouble ~.~

Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch menu and prices

Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch lets you enjoy premium hanwoo pork and beef together, and the signature is apparently low-temperature aged beef and pork that's juicy and tender! There's a good range of sides to go with the meat, like cheese egg custard, minari yukhoe (seasoned raw beef with water dropwort), naengmyeon (cold noodles) and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), and corkage is free, so it's great with wine or soju!

Here's what we ordered!

• Hanwoo meat platter (550g) ₩69,900
• Honeycomb pork skin ₩10,000
• Cheese egg custard ₩7,000

How did the 550g Korean pork platter taste?

The Yookmong hanwoo platter (550g) we ordered this time has a really generous selection of cuts ~.~

Let's grill the meat nicely 😋

Look at these lovely cuts cooking away, haha. Let's eat them fresh off the grill 😌

The thick cuts of hanwoo platter burst with juice as they grill over charcoal, and the pork neck (moksal) and pork skirt (galmaegisal) were especially moist and chewy! The pork belly had just the right amount of fat, so it wasn't greasy! Since staff at Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch grilled it for us, it kept that nutty, pre-seared flavor, and they managed the grill perfectly too!

With the various dipping sauces like ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), salt, salted fermented seafood and wasabi, I never got tired of it and kept eating ~.~

Since it's a platter, comparing the taste of each cut was a lot of fun!

Side dishes, doenjang-jjigae and cheese steamed eggs

The basic side dishes at Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch (shredded scallion salad, pickled onions, kimchi and pickled radish wraps) were fresh too, and this doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) was a fantastic match with the meat. The broth was rich and hot, perfect for a spoonful whenever I got tired of meat 😚

The cheese bomb egg custard (₩7,000) was packed with egg and rich, so it was totally delicious 😣

What does the honeycomb pork skin taste like?

The honeycomb pork skin (₩10,000) at Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch is also grilled for you by the staff. Let's dig into the fully cooked skin 🥳

The honeycomb pork skin is crispy yet chewy, and the texture is addictive! As the fat renders out just enough, the nutty flavor comes alive, and the more you chew, the deeper the meaty taste ☺️ It's lightly seasoned, so it's the best snack with soju! Overall the meat quality is good, the juiciness and flavor are a cut above, and you can feel the touch of a meat master!

Final verdict on Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch

To sum up, Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch had a great atmosphere, tasty meat and satisfying service! There may be a wait, so I recommend booking ahead or going a bit early 😁 It's a perfect place for friends, couples or family, and next time I plan to try the beef set too! If you crave BBQ in Hongdae, I recommend Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch 😊

Yookmong Hongdae Main Branch: hours, parking and visitor info

• Address: 1F–3F, 19 Yanghwa-ro 16-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (서울 마포구 양화로16길 19 1-3층)
• Hours: Mon–Thu 11:30–24:00, Fri–Sun 11:30 to 01:00 the next day
• 7-minute walk from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ. Station
• No parking