Sejong butcher-shop BBQ: half pig with cabbage geotjeori at Hanmaeum

Partly paid for by me! Last week I was in Daepyeong-dong, Sejong, and had dinner at Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang (한마음정육식당). I'd heard for ages that their half pig is famous and wanted to try it, haha. I went with a friend, a little worried about whether two people could really finish a half pig, lol.

Where is Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang in Sejong, and is there parking?

The restaurant is in Daepyeong-dong, Sejong, at 35 Sicheong-daero, Sydney Hill, Unit 207, and it has a parking lot, so getting there by car was easy. Sejong is one of those places where it's awkward to get around without a car, so a restaurant with parking really matters, lol.

We went at dinner time and it was really busy. Not quite a wait, but nearly every seat was taken.

The parking lot is big too!

Is Hanmaeum good for families? The kids' playroom

Hanmaeum's Daepyeong branch has a playroom, so there were lots of families. It's the kind of place where parents with little ones come comfortably: the kids play in the playroom while the grown-ups eat their meat in peace.

We went as adults, so we didn't use the playroom, but I'm going to tell my friend who has a kid, lol.

The restaurant is spacious. The tables aren't cramped, and there were several kinds of seating.

Hanmaeum menu: how is the half pig served?

The menu is split by cut, like samgyeopsal (pork belly), moksal (pork neck) and ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), and there's a separate half-pig item. If you order the half pig, a variety of cuts comes out, so you can taste a bit of everything.

It's a jeongyuk sikdang (butcher-shop restaurant), so the meat prices aren't a burden. The concept is fresh meat sold at the butcher counter, grilled right there. We went for the half pig without a second thought. I was worried two of us couldn't finish it, but in the end we ate it all, lol.

Eolgari geotjeori and the basic side dishes

The basic side dish was eolgari geotjeori (fresh young-cabbage kimchi salad), with ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) and garlic alongside. The eolgari geotjeori really goes well with pork.

I put a piece of eolgari on each bite of meat, and it never got heavy. With so many things to eat with the meat, I kept making new combinations.

What's on the self-serve bar?

The self-bar has wrap vegetables, pa-chae (shredded scallion salad), garlic and ssamjang, plus several sauces. Rice and soup are self-serve too. The photo shows the self-bar.

You take as much as you need, which was convenient. I didn't have to keep going back for more pa-chae, because I could just grab a lot at once. Lots of butcher-shop restaurants have self-bars like this, but Hanmaeum had an especially wide variety.

Half pig portion and taste

The half pig has samgyeopsal and moksal as the main cuts, mixed with several other cuts, and it came out on a big plate. I was a little startled by the amount when it arrived.

It smelled amazing from the moment we started grilling (T_T). Maybe because it's a butcher-shop restaurant, the meat itself is fresh. Even just grilled with no seasoning, it's plenty tasty.

Do the staff grill the meat for you?

At Hanmaeum, a staff member came over to help with the grilling and cut the meat with scissors. Even at a busy time they looked after us, so we ate comfortably. No worrying about missing the moment the meat is done.

Samgyeopsal vs. moksal: how each cut tasted

The samgyeopsal didn't release too much grease, so I kept eating it. The moksal wasn't dry at all and went down easily.

Each cut tastes different, which makes eating fun. Some were chewy, some tender, never boring, haha. In between I dipped in ssamjang, wrapped bites in myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic-chive greens), ate it with the eolgari, and kept switching combinations. The meat is so fresh that anything you pair with it tastes good!!

Can two people finish a half pig?

The two of us finished the whole half pig. Even when we said we were full, we reached for more as soon as another cut came out, lol. Finishing with rice and soup at the end was just perfect.

Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang Sejong: final verdict

• If you're looking for meat in Daepyeong-dong, Sejong, I recommend Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Sikdang.
• The half pig lets you taste many cuts, and since it's a butcher-shop restaurant, the price isn't a burden.
• With a playroom, it's a comfortable place for families with little kids.
• The self-bar is well stocked, so you can eat without worrying about pa-chae or wrap refills, haha.
• Staff grill and cut the meat, so there was nothing for us to fuss over.

This isn't an ad. I paid part of it myself, and I was satisfied. If you're ever in the Daepyeong-dong area, give it a try!! There are lots of cafés nearby too, so it's easy to head over for coffee after your meal.