Free-corkage Korean BBQ in Yongsan, Seoul: 550g pork set at Yukmong

Today's post is my review of Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store. It's famous for solid Korean BBQ near Samgakji Station in Yongsan and has several branches, so I was expecting good things. I actually had a really satisfying meal, so here's the full review.

Where Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store is and when it opens

• 📍Location: 195m from Samgakji Station Exit 1
• 🚖Parking: 1 spot in front of the restaurant; if full, use the public parking lot near Woori Bank
• ⏱️Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)

Yukmong Yongsan Direct Store sits on the Yongridan-gil side near Samgakji Station rather than near Sinyongsan Station. The place had that unmistakable good-restaurant vibe from the entrance, so I walked in full of expectations!

Right at the entrance there were tons of celebrity signatures plastered up, which made me think I'd found the real deal~

The restaurant spans two floors and is fairly spacious, so there were plenty of groups having company dinners, and the clean interior also looked great for a date!

The full order and the one free corkage bottle

Here's the menu. We ordered the Korean pork mixed set (pork collar, pork belly, skirt steak), caviar cheese egg custard, Yukmong bibim noodles, and rice.

The best part about Yukmong, a favorite in Yongsan, is that one bottle of corkage is free! Great if you bring your own wine or spirits to enjoy with the pork.

Side dishes, shiitake mushroom rice and doenjang jjigae

They set up the side dishes for us right away: sauce, wasabi, salt, and ssamjang (soybean paste dip).

They gave us a wide variety — shredded green onion, seasoned bean sprouts, lettuce, chili peppers, pickled radish for wraps, pickled onion, kimchi, herring roe, and spicy radish salad — so it was fun to pick and choose!

I was surprised that ordering rice got us shiitake mushroom rice! Beyond the taste, it felt extra special, like they really cared about the details. Kind of like a nutritious rice bowl that makes you feel healthier just eating it? Fluffy and delicious.

No Korean BBQ meal is complete without doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). The broth wasn't heavy at all — deep and spicy in a clean way that cut right through the greasiness of the meat, the kind of stew that makes you polish off a whole bowl of rice.

It was loaded generously with tofu and vegetables, and the meat inside was plentiful too, which made it taste even better~ Yukmong in Yongsan is a total doenjang jjigae destination, so if you're a stew person, definitely order it! Personally, I always get doenjang jjigae at a BBQ restaurant.

What does the caviar cheese egg custard taste like?

The name 'caviar cheese egg custard' hooked me, so we ordered it, and the visual alone was surprising. The egg custard was puffed up soft and fluffy like it was about to burst, topped generously with rich, savory cheese. And on top of that, luxurious caviar!

The salty cheese, soft egg, and the popping burst of caviar all came together into a delicious in-between dish, great for pacing the meal.

What comes in the 550g mixed Handon pork set

Here's the Korean pork mixed set we ordered. It comes with snowflake pork collar, galbi pork belly, and whole skirt steak, and at 550g the portion was generous! It was plated beautifully alongside vegetables like sweet pumpkin, eggplant, and mushrooms that taste great grilled together, giving it a really upscale feel.

From left: pork collar, pork belly, and skirt steak. The pretty pink color with just the right marbling made the Korean pork look so appetizing, ugh. The whole pork collar especially — just seeing how thick it was, I knew it would be amazing if grilled right!

The owner grills every cut at your table

The owner kindly grilled everything for us. You know meat grilled by someone else is always the tastiest in the world, right...?

He grilled the pork collar first, and fast! Grilled with such pro moves. I was hungry, and it cooked really quickly too.

Snowflake pork collar

I love pork collar, but also hate pork collar. Thick-cut, juice-sealed pork collar in the Jeju style tastes even better than pork belly to me and I love that, but thin, dry pork collar is my least favorite thing in the world. With Yukmong's pork collar, I knew just from looking at it — ah, this one's going to be good! It looked thick and full of juice🩷

Sure enough, the thick pork collar was seared on the outside to seal in the juices, so one bite gave you all that juiciness and softness. It had more of a tender, delicious meaty taste than the usual dry pork collar texture! Dipped in salt with a bit of wasabi, it ate cleanly with no greasiness~

Whole skirt steak

Next up is the skirt steak. It has a distinct grain that gives it a clean yet chewy texture — a charming cut! The meaty flavor really came through, offering a different kind of enjoyment from the pork belly and pork collar.

Galbi pork belly

Lastly, the pork belly. The lean-to-fat ratio was just right, so the more you chewed, the more savory fat came through. Dipped in the shredded green onion salad or sauce, it paired really well with the meat!

Is Yukmong a good spot for a Yongsan company dinner?

We finished off with bibim noodles as a palate cleanser and walked out full~ For anyone looking for a solid BBQ place in Yongsan, this works well for group dinners or company dinners, and it's also good enough for an important occasion. The pork collar was so good that I think I'll be craving it again — Yukmong, a Korean BBQ spot in Yongsan worth remembering.