Charcoal BBQ in Galma-dong, Daejeon: jjokgalbi at Yeongolyeontanjip

I found a place famous for delicious charcoal grilling, so I went to check it out! It's Yeongolyeontanjip Daejeon Galma.

• 📍 Location: 202 Singalma-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, 1F Yeongolyeontanjip
• ⏰ Hours: 16:00 - 00:30 (last order 23:30)
• ❌ Closed every Monday

What is the atmosphere like at Yeongolyeontanjip Daejeon Galma?

The moment you walk into Yeongolyeontanjip, you feel a very retro atmosphere.

The interior felt like a pojangmacha (street food tent), and they were playing upbeat 90s songs that made me want to break out in dance inside my head haha

Menu and how to order at Yeongolyeontanjip

The menu was really varied too — jjokgalbi, dwitgogi (pork neck), kkomjangeo (hagfish), so-galbisal (short rib meat), gyeopdae (pork skin), makchang, dakbal (chicken feet), and more.

There was a tablet at every table, so I could check the menu and order right away.

We ordered two servings of soy-sauce jjokgalbi + one serving of makchang.

While we were ordering, they brought over the charcoal fire.

Self-serve bar and free chicken porridge, heart skewers and pork skin

They set up the basics for us, and I noticed there was a self-serve bar, so I went to check it out right away.

Besides the basic side dishes they brought, the self-serve bar had things like peppers, garlic, and rice cake that go well with grilled meat.

And they said it was on the house, giving us a piece each of chicken porridge, heart skewers, and pork skin,

so I put them straight on the charcoal grill and tried them — seriously so good,,,🥹

I especially loved the pork skin and wanted to order more, but we'd already ordered a lot of food so I held back for now,,, sigh

The chicken porridge was bubbling away in a stone bowl, so it clearly looked super hot, but when I tried it there were some cold spots, which was a bit of a letdown,,, (still tasted good though)

How does the soy-sauce jjokgalbi for two arrive?

While we were eating the complimentary food, the jjokgalbi we'd ordered arrived!! It seemed to take a bit of time since it comes pre-cooked. We ordered 2 servings and got 6 pieces, so it looks like 3 pieces per serving.

They said the jjokgalbi comes about 70% cooked and just needs a bit more time on the grill.

So I put it right on the grill and started cooking.

After grilling it for a while, I figured it was cooked, so I picked up a piece with the tongs and tore into it — the soy sauce seasoning had soaked in really well, and the sweet-and-savory rib flavor combined with the charcoal aroma was so delicious🤤

I guess meat really does taste best grilled over charcoal haha

As I kept eating, holding the jjokgalbi and gnawing at it got a bit inconvenient, so I cut the meat off with scissors and left the bone parts to grill a little longer over gentle heat. Eating it this way was much easier to pair with the other dishes too. Also, I had to drive that day so I couldn't drink, and it was so painful not being able to drink in that atmosphere,,,ㅠㅠ

The atmosphere was so good, the food was tasty, the music was upbeat — just sitting there put me in a good mood haha

Makchang grilled crisp on a fresh grill plate

After working hard through the jjokgalbi, the makchang arrived.

The owner said makchang needs a different grill plate and swapped it out for us.

After oiling the grill, they put the plump makchang on and started grilling again — since the makchang was so plump, it seemed like it would take a while to cook through if just left as is.

So we cut one side open and spread it out flat to grill.

Makchang really does taste better the more crispily it's grilled haha

Once it turned golden brown, it looked so much more delicious.

The crispily grilled makchang was chewy and savory — really good.

Adding sliced cheongyang chili to the makchang sauce made it even more amazing

Grilling all these different things over charcoal felt like getting both the mood and the flavor right, haha

While eating, I looked at the menu again and noticed they also had gapojingeo (cuttlefish)? Grilling cuttlefish over charcoal sounds like it would be so good, but I was already too full to try it ㅠㅠ If I come back, I'd love to try the cuttlefish😋

Parking and closing days in Galma-dong

Closed every Monday!!

Everything about this place is great, but one thing to note is that parking is a bit tough. That day, the nearby public parking lot was full, and I couldn't find anywhere to park close by. So I ended up parking at the Daiso lot across the street, and the parking fee wasn't cheap. If you're driving, I'd recommend looking up parking options in advance!!

Is Yeongolyeontanjip Daejeon Galma worth a visit?

I loved being able to enjoy charcoal grilling in such a retro atmosphere at Yeongolyeontanjip. With that pojangmacha vibe and 90s songs playing, it offers a different kind of fun compared to today's typical Korean BBQ restaurants.

The jjokgalbi had the soy sauce seasoning soaked in nicely, so the sweet-and-savory rib flavor plus the charcoal aroma was delicious, and the makchang was plump and tasty when grilled crispy.

If you want to enjoy charcoal grilling with a retro vibe in Galma-dong, or if you want to try a range of meat dishes from jjokgalbi to makchang to pork skin, Yeongolyeontanjip Daejeon Galma is worth a visit.