Busan family Korean BBQ with Hanwoo striploin, cheonggukjang: Yukmildo

Today I revisited Yukmildo, a Dongnae Korean BBQ restaurant where the staff grill everything for you — perfect for bringing your parents along.

Seating at Yukmildo Dongnae Direct Branch: does it suit a family gathering?

Yukmildo Dongnae Direct Branch has an open-plan room that seats twelve, plus glass-partitioned areas. There's also a long table in the middle with a curtain drawn across it, which makes this a place I'd recommend for a date or a family gathering.

I visited once before, right around when Yukmildo first opened, and both the quality and taste of the meat satisfied me — plus having the staff grill everything for you made it a really comfortable experience. So this time I came back with family and enjoyed it all over again.

The side dishes that come out with the meal are generous too, so you won't hear your parents complain about it being a cheap spread — haha.

The accompanying sauces at this Dongnae BBQ favorite are especially satisfying. They breathe new life into meat that could otherwise get monotonous, letting you experience it through a variety of flavors — that's Yukmildo Dongnae.

What to order first at Yukmildo in Dongnae

For the first round I went ahead and ordered pork jowl (130g, ₩16,000), pork belly (130g, ₩14,000), and striploin (100g, ₩34,000). I came to eat meat today, and sure enough, when you're with family you end up ordering things you wouldn't normally try. Today it's aged Hanwoo (Korean beef) striploin too!!!

You can order just one portion at a time, so if there's nothing in particular you're craving, I'd recommend trying one of everything on the menu at this Dongnae BBQ spot. There was a set menu too, but I wanted to enjoy only what I felt like eating, so I ordered several single items instead. Just look at the state of this meat.

Hanwoo striploin at Yukmildo, grilled by the staff

The red color shows freshness, and the Hanwoo striploin in particular was thick and truly mouthwatering. The staff grill it for you, so all we have to do is eat happily — and that sizzling sound is maybe the most exciting sound there is.

They grilled it carefully on all sides, and the savory Hanwoo smell made it hard to hold back. Front, back, both sides — grilled with real care.

They cut it into bite-sized pieces — bigger than I expected.

The well-grilled pieces get moved to the corner of the grill plate. If you're looking for a Dongnae BBQ restaurant, I highly recommend this one.

With all the sauces ready to go, I tried the Hanwoo striploin. My mom and younger sibling really enjoyed this Yukmildo Hanwoo striploin. My mom especially, who has a sharp palate for beef, was satisfied and said the quality of the meat was excellent.

Whether dipped in salt, whole-grain mustard sauce, or topped with wasabi, it's delicious any way you like — enjoy it to your taste! This Yukmildo Hanwoo striploin is worth every won. I'm a tenderloin person myself, so apparently everything except tenderloin tastes the same to me — haha.

How were the pork belly and pork jowl?

Next up, pork! We ate pork belly and pork jowl. Same as before, the staff grilled it deliciously while we sat there like baby sparrows accepting whatever came our way. The golden-brown color of grilling pork belly stimulates a different set of salivary glands than Hanwoo does.

The thick cut of meat filled my mouth with rich, luxurious juices, just like before. The fat and lean meat were mixed in just the right proportion, so it wasn't heavy or greasy.

It also paired well with the vegetables on the side, like potatoes, garlic, and mushrooms, so you don't get tired of eating it. The pork jowl was mild and savory the more you chewed, and it went really well with the tangy pickled garlic scapes.

And the pork belly, which has a bit more fat to it, was pure savory bliss eaten with the spicy shishito peppers. As a garlic lover, I couldn't skip wrapping it in a lettuce leaf.

Adding Imsil cheese to the grill

Ah, once you're deep into eating meat, there's one more thing you'll want to add — Imsil cheese :) Once it's grilled soft over the fire, try it together with the meat. Savory times 100.

The moist, stretchy, savory cheese together with the juicy pork causes chaos in your mouth. Highly, highly recommend the Imsil cheese.

Kimchi jjigae at Yukmildo

Yukmildo's kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) had a relatively clear, clean flavor. It came loaded with ingredients, making it a great way to finish the meal, and the broth was refreshing without being heavy.

They give you separate soup bowls to share, so one pot should be enough for three people.

Cheonggukjang at Yukmildo: five stars

This is the dish I'd give five stars to — Yukmildo's cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew)! If you like doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), you have to try this.

There's none of the usual 'strong' or 'funky' quality of cheonggukjang here — it's a clear version, though it still tastes richer than doenjang jjigae. With clams in it too, the umami is spot on, making Yukmildo's cheonggukjang the best way to end the meal.

Unless you're someone who absolutely refuses to eat cheonggukjang no matter what, I'd really recommend trying it at least once. If you like it spicy, ask them to make it hot — I have a feeling they'll load it up with chili peppers.

Pork neck at Yukmildo

It felt like a shame to stop there, so I added pork neck, which I hadn't tried before. Pork neck usually comes out round and flat, but at Yukmildo it's cut more like pork belly.

I was a little taken aback seeing so much fat on the pork neck, but grilled well it turns crispy and savory, like something deep-fried — a real treat. Again the staff grilled it for us, so we just sat there patting our full stomachs and waited.

Ah, look at the color on this pork neck up close.

Yukmildo's pork neck, the ultimate in savoriness, wrapped up today's meal. Ate well again today.