Late-night Euljiro bone grill with grilled scallions: Eulji Baektan

I wanted something strong and punchy!! While I was agonizing over what to eat, I ended up at this Euljiro bone grill restaurant. Until recently bone grill (pork bones grilled and coated in sauce) was new to me, but it was so good that I crave it every so often, and this time I found a great spot in Euljiro 3-ga. It's the baektan bone grill at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui (을지백탄뼈구이), an old-school-feeling bone grill specialist.

Where is Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui in Euljiro?

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is on the 1st floor at 110-2 Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul, right in front of Exit 11 of Euljiro 3-ga Station. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:00–02:00 and Sat–Sun 15:00–02:00, with last order at 01:00. They offer paid corkage, takeout and Wi-Fi, and take reservations and groups, but there is no parking.

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is an old-school-feeling bone grill specialist right in front of Euljiro 3-ga Exit 11.

What difference does white charcoal (baektan) make?

As the name suggests, the restaurant makes a point of baektan (white charcoal). They say its heat is steady and it leaves no gamey smell, just a subtle charcoal aroma that brings out the flavor of the food. That's the big plus!

How big is Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui, and what's the vibe?

The first floor runs deep toward the back, so the place was bigger than I expected, and

it turned out to be a huge place with a second floor too! Group seating holds up to 20 people, so if you're looking for somewhere to host a group gathering in Euljiro (aka Hipjiro), Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is worth considering.

This is what the second floor looks like. We went late, yet it was packed, so you can tell it's a popular spot, right?

The slightly old-fashioned interior and the rustic tables add to the old-school charm of Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui.

Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui menu and prices

The menu is simple, and the bone grill and grilled cuttlefish are the signatures! The bone grill comes in small, medium and large, and you can adjust the spice level.

• Baektan bone grill, small ₩38,000
• Baektan bone grill, medium ₩45,000
• Baektan bone grill, large ₩52,000
• Baektan brisket odeuregi ₩38,000
• Baektan grilled cuttlefish ₩38,000
• Baektan fried cuttlefish ₩32,000
• Rice ball ₩5,000
• Janchi guksu (warm noodles) ₩9,000
• Kimchi-malli guksu (cold kimchi noodles) ₩9,500
• Potato pancake ₩14,000

You order with the QR code on the table! So many places let you order by QR these days, and it's so convenient... 👍👍

The basic side dishes are cabbage salad, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and white kimchi.

Are the rice ball and cold kimchi noodles worth adding?

Rice ball, 5,000 won

The rice ball is ₩5,000. We came for the bone grill, so we ordered the rice ball, a perfect match for the sweet-spicy bones, and mixed it up with gusto! That's Dong-gu hard at work making the rice ball, haha. I forgot to take a photo of the finished rice ball, but its shape was so funny we burst out laughing.

Kimchi mari guksu (cold kimchi noodles), 9,500 won

The kimchi-malli guksu is a cold noodle dish for ₩9,500. The weather suddenly got hot, so I ordered the tangy, sweet, refreshing kimchi noodles, and then I remembered that Dong-gu doesn't like kimchi!!!

So I regretted it a little, but the noodles were chewy and springy and delicious, and Dong-gu slurped them right up. I'm a broth killer, so I happily drank the broth. The tangy-sweet kick was just right and made my mouth water, a taste of summer. Definitely recommended as a palate cleanser, bb

Small baektan bone grill: is the mild level still spicy?

The small baektan bone grill is ₩38,000. They say pork neck bones are grilled over 1,300-degree baektan charcoal, giving clean smoky flavor with no gamey smell, a tender texture and rich, true meat flavor. The sweet-spicy special sauce is excellent!

The moment it arrived, that bone grill aroma crept into our noses and stirred up our stomachs! We're both spice wimps, so we ordered the mild level, but since it's a red sauce it got spicier the more we ate, so heads up! The menu said level 2 is about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, but we spice wimps wondered whether level 1 was already Shin Ramyun level...

The grilled scallions served with the bone grill

The baektan bone grill comes with grilled scallions. You cut them up neatly and eat them with the sweet-spicy bones, and these scallions were even more delicious than I expected. Dong-gu fell for them and kept saying "wow, these scallions are so good" while eating loads, hahaha

Pick up a meaty spine bone,

and the meat falls right off with just a light press of a spoon, that's how well the baektan bone grill at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui is cooked. Top the melt-in-your-mouth tender meat with grilled scallion, add a bit more sauce, and the addictive sauce, soft meat and fragrant scallion come together into pure heaven!

Is a small bone grill enough for two?

The small bone grill was enough for two. We ordered the small, but there were more bones than expected, so the two of us had plenty of meat. With the rice ball to tame the spice and the kimchi noodles to reset our mouths, it was a hearty spread where the soju just kept going down.

Why I recommend Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui for a late night in Euljiro

First, it's really, truly right by Euljiro 3-ga Station, so the accessibility is unbeatable. And since the place is big and tables free up quickly, we didn't have to wait long to get a seat even in Hipjiro, where the crowds are overwhelming. When you suddenly crave something sweet-spicy, addictive and bold? Why not gnaw on some bone grill at Eulji Baektan Ppyeogui in Euljiro? 😉