Bangi, Seoul Korean BBQ: pork belly and kimchi fried rice at Yukmong

Today we had a date in Jamsil and went to Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch for dinner — pork belly and pork neck. It's a newly opened place, so it was clean and nice!!

Where is Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch, and what are its hours?

• Address - 9-13 Geumro 15-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea, B1–2F
• Hours - Daily 12:00 ~ 24:00
• Break time - 15:00 ~ 17:00 (no break time on Saturdays and Sundays)
• 🚗 Parking available (entrance at Pyeongwon Building parking lot)

My partner and I often meet in Jamsil for dates, and every time we end up wondering what to eat for dinner. This time, since meat is always a safe bet, we wanted pork belly and headed to the Bangi food street near Lotte Department Store and Seokchon Lake. It turned out that Yukmong, a pork belly spot I like, had just opened a new location nearby, so we couldn't just walk past it.

What are the 1st and 2nd floor halls and the basement private rooms like?

Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch uses basement level 1 through 2nd floor, and both the 1st and 2nd floors had a clean yet subtly upscale interior overall. The table spacing was also generous, making for a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere that's good for dates.

Since the restroom is in the basement, I went down for a moment and it looked like the entire basement is run as private rooms — a good spot for office workers' small group dinners. It seemed like reservations were already busy, as there were either guests already there or side dishes set out at the tables. True to a newly opened place, the restroom was really clean too!!

We were seated on the 1st floor. This was my first time visiting Yukmong in the evening, and since it's a corkage-free restaurant, more people than I expected had brought their own wine to enjoy.

Yukmong Bangi menu and how to order by kiosk

Yukmong Jamsil Bangi Branch menu

They sell both beef and pork, with a wide range of menu items from set menus to à la carte, plus several side dishes that go well with the meat, so it's easy to order according to your taste. Ordering is done via kiosk, so you can order comfortably at your own pace without having to call over staff.

How does corkage-free work at Yukmong Bangi?

At Yukmong Jamsil Bangi Branch, one bottle of wine or whiskey is corkage-free, with an extra ₩10,000 charged per bottle beyond that. What's notable is that wine and whiskey corkage cost the same!! They also sell traditional liquor, soju, beer, and wine, so anyone who likes to drink should be very satisfied.

Side dishes and sauces served with the meat

The side dishes at Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch included glass noodle japchae, seasoned crab, pickled onion, washed aged kimchi, cherry tomatoes, mala cucumber, seasoned radish (musaengchae), and seasoned fish roe. Seeing how neatly the side dishes were arranged, I could tell they paid careful attention to the table setting, fitting for a spot on Jamsil's Bangi food street, which is full of good restaurants.

There's a wide range of condiments — fleur de sel, wasabi, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), yuzu pickled ginger, and fish sauce — so you can eat however suits your taste. Apparently the ssamjang, fish sauce, and yuzu pickled ginger are made in-house at this Bangi branch.

The side dish lineup was varied, and each one felt carefully prepared.

Korean pork mixed set plus an extra serving of pork belly

We ordered the Korean pork mixed set plus an extra serving of pork belly. The mixed set comes with snowflake pork neck 300g, pork belly 150g, and whole skirt meat 100g — enough for two women on its own, but since we knew it wouldn't be enough for us, we added an extra serving of pork belly (150g).

I understand all Yukmong locations are directly operated, and this Jamsil Bangi branch we visited also had good meat quality. The pork belly had clearly distinct layers of fat and lean meat while keeping a good overall balance, and the pork neck was nicely thick with a good mix of lean meat and fat. Having visited several branches multiple times, I've found the meat quality doesn't vary much between locations, which I think is one of Yukmong's strengths — you can expect a consistent level of quality no matter which branch you visit.

Staff grilling at the table and the snowflake pork neck

The grill plate was one I hadn't seen before, so it felt a bit unfamiliar, but the staff grilled it for us directly, so we could just relax and eat without worrying about it. Their grilling skills were good and the heat was strong, so everything cooked quickly.

Can you tell how juicy the pork neck looks just from the photo? The staff mentioned we could cook it a bit more if we preferred, but I don't like pork neck when it's overcooked and dry, so I liked it best at this level of doneness, with juicy moisture still left.

Since the pork neck was juicy and moist, it paired really well with wasabi, and combined with the seasoned fish roe, it added a savory depth plus the fun of the roe popping in your mouth. My partner likes pork neck for its mild flavor, while I usually prefer pork belly more, but I think Yukmong does pork neck really well too.

Whole skirt meat and pork belly

Next up, the skirt meat they grilled for us was juicy yet mild and chewy — the more you chew, the more you get a subtle meaty aroma and nuttiness, and since it wasn't too fatty, it was easy to enjoy without feeling heavy.

And finally, the pork belly I love!! Just a light dip in salt and the savoriness of the fat spreads right out. Pairing well with all kinds of things is another strength of pork belly!

The doenjang jjigae that comes with the set

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that comes with the set was packed with vegetables like tofu and radish, and had a slightly spicy flavor similar to cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) — rich and savory, really delicious!

Radish and egg kimchi fried rice to finish

We also ordered the radish and egg kimchi fried rice.

The fluffy kimchi fried rice came out on the hot plate. I usually like kimchi fried rice anyway, so we ordered it, and the egg was savory and the seasoned radish was crunchy, so the texture was great and it was delicious.

The seasoned radish side dish was so good that we asked for a refill.

We timed it to order once the pork belly was cooking and left a little bit, so we could eat it together with the fried rice — even more delicious that way!

Is Yukmong Bangi good for a date or a small group dinner in Bangi-dong?

Today we visited Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch, a great Korean BBQ date spot near Seokchon Lake. Since it just opened, the clean interior was nice, the side dishes were varied, and the meat itself was delicious! Since corkage is free too, if you're looking for a group dinner or gathering spot in Bangi-dong, how about Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch?