Yangyang Korean BBQ, galbi sold out: pork belly at Yeoyejeong

Why we picked Yeoyejeong, a local Yangyang BBQ spot, for a trip dinner

Yeoyejeong (여여정) is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seomyeon, Yangyang, specializing in salt-aged meat, and I went because I'd heard it's popular with locals. On a Yangyang trip the sea is great and the cafés are great, but come evening, I always crave good meat. Tourist hotspots are fine, but isn't it fun to discover the places locals actually go when you travel? You could feel the pride in good meat and carefully prepared food here.

• Specializes in salt-aged meat
• Premium fresh meat
• House-made marinated galbi is the popular dish
• Coffee-wood binchotan charcoal
• Recommended for family meals
• White kimchi noodles recommended
• Naengmyeon (cold noodles) available
• A Yangyang local favorite

Is Yeoyejeong really a local favorite?

The restaurant had all kinds of diners, from families to local residents. True to its name, you could feel a wish to keep the same care and flavor, unchanged. A place with more locals than tourists always makes me expect more, right? It seems to raise trust in the food, too. And while eating, I really did feel care in every single dish.

Fine with kids? The drawing corner

Yeoyejeong even has a space where kids can draw, and my second child loved it most^^ They drew while we waited for the meat!

Galbi sold out, so we ordered salt-aged pork belly

Even though we visited on a weekday afternoon, Yeoyejeong's signature marinated galbi (seasoned ribs) was already sold out, so we ordered pork belly instead. I'd heard the galbi is the signature dish, with butterflied ribs marinated carefully in house-made sauce. I'd planned to try it before we even arrived, and, surprise, sold out. I guess that just shows how popular it is. It was a shame, but it gives me a reason to come back. Next Yangyang trip, I'm definitely having the galbi.

Yeoyejeong uses meat that has been salt-aged. Aging is said to maximize the meat's savory depth and keep it tender, and eating it, I could taste the difference. The pork belly was tender but still pleasantly chewy. The more I chewed, the more nutty juices spread, so I kept reaching for more.

Even my kid ate the pork belly happily

The pork belly was tender and chewy, so my kid ate it with no fuss. When the meat is good, kids are the first to react, aren't they? My second child ate it so well. She likes meat anyway, but that day she seemed to enjoy it even more. It made me think this is a good spot for a family meal.

What do Yeoyejeong's white kimchi noodles taste like?

Yeoyejeong's white kimchi noodles (baekkimchi guksu) are cold noodles made with house-fermented white kimchi (non-spicy kimchi), and I recommend having them after the meat. The first bite hit me with a fresh, bright flavor. The signature tang and clean taste of white kimchi melted right into the broth. A slightly spicy kick added to the appeal. It felt like it neatly reset my palate after the meat. I kept sipping the broth, so I was really satisfied. I think I'd crave it even more in the hot summer.

Why I recommend Yeoyejeong as a Yangyang BBQ restaurant

Yeoyejeong is a place that doesn't skimp on good ingredients, and you can feel the care for customers. Salt-aged meat, coffee-wood charcoal, plus house-made marinade and white kimchi. You can see the attention paid to every dish. It's a Yangyang local favorite I definitely want to revisit for the marinated galbi.