Weekday lunch Korean BBQ in Bangi-dong, 700g pork for two: Yukmong

I hadn't been to Lotte World Mall in Jamsil in a while, so my partner and I went there for a date. We were trying to decide what to have for lunch, and since we always seem to eat inside the mall, we decided to head out to nearby Bangi-dong this time.

That's how we found Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch. It's open for lunch and has private rooms, which seemed perfect for a comfortable meal for two.

We started with the Korean pork sampler, but ended up adding pork belly and caviar cheese egg custard along the way. In the end we ate 700g of pork for lunch — here's the full review, from the space itself to the best cut-and-sauce combinations.

Where is Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch? Location, parking and hours

Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant on Ogeum-ro 15-gil in Songpa, Seoul, close to both Lotte World Mall and Seokchon Lake. We visited right at the weekday 12pm opening time, which worked well since we'd been shopping and wanted to grab lunch nearby.

The restaurant takes up an entire building, so it was easy to spot, with a clean, upscale look from the outside. There's parking space out front too — if you end up using an alternate lot, it's worth checking with the restaurant about fees or support.

From basement rooms to window seats: a different mood on every floor

Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch is spread across three floors: basement, 1st floor, and 2nd floor. The basement is made up entirely of private rooms — spacious and calm.

The 1st floor is a hall-style layout, more open than the rooms downstairs, but with the same clean interior style.

The 2nd floor caught my eye with its floor-to-ceiling window seats. Some tables can be curtained off to feel like a private room, and there was a long row of four-person tables that looked great for larger groups.

According to the restaurant, rooms hold 2–20 people and group seating fits 4–24. The basement and 2nd floor are also available for private hire — just call ahead. If you're looking for a Korean BBQ spot near Seokchon Lake for a work dinner, it's worth mentioning your group size and preferred space when booking.

We were seated in a basement room. It was a private, comfortable space for the two of us to talk while eating — a good fit for a date. Orders are placed through the tablet at the table.

Yukmong reinterprets the idea of 'juji yukmong' — a feast of meat and drink for kings — pairing meat and seafood with alcohol. The menu backs this up, with a fairly wide range covering pork, beef, and even sashimi.

Yukmong menu and prices, and the 550g Korean pork sampler we ordered

The menu is divided into special sets, fresh menu, Seolhwa 1%, Korean pork, sides, and drinks. Here's what was on offer during our visit.

The flower rib set comes with flower ribs, Seolhwa ribeye, and rib meat, plus doenjang stew. There's also a seasonal sashimi platter and a small tasting portion of sashimi for those who want to add seafood. We went with pork this time.

After some deliberating, we ordered one Korean pork sampler and one bowl of rice. It includes 550g total of snowflake pork neck, rib pork belly, and whole hanger meat, plus doenjang stew — good for comparing several cuts side by side.

The drinks menu was varied, and corkage was available too. Wine and whiskey (excluding drinks sold in-store) are free for the first bottle, then ₩10,000 per bottle from the second one on. There's no limit on how many bottles you can bring, so it's worth confirming the type and number when you book.

During our visit, there was also a receipt photo review event running — one review gets you brisket hangover ramyeon, two gets you beef tartare. Worth checking the exact terms on-site.

Side dishes and sauces at Yukmong, explained one by one

Even before the meat arrived, the table at Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch was already filling up. Staff took the time to explain each side dish and sauce, which said a lot about how much care went into the pairings.

We got a Korean-style spicy cucumber salad based on Chinese mala-flavored fruit, radish salad and seasoned fish roe done bossam-style for texture, lettuce scallion salad, and a sweet-savory vegetable mushroom japchae (glass noodle stir-fry). There was also seasoned raw crab with Tongyeong kelp, seaweed, and vinegar-chili sauce, plus house-made soaked pickled radish in soy sauce and onion-chili pickles. The seasoned crab can also be grilled if you order it separately.

The sauces went a bit beyond the usual setup too — a house-made fish tamarind sauce, a Yukmong ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) with pickled radish for extra texture, and an onion sauce made in collaboration with a master rib chef. There was also Maldon salt, Japanese fresh wasabi, and Yukmong's house-made pickled ginger with the yuzu peel ground in.

Every side dish was clean and well made, and each bite of meat tasted different depending on how you paired it.

The Korean pork sampler, grilled at the table from start to finish

The Korean pork sampler arrived after staff set up the tabletop grill with charcoal. The cuts were thick, with a nice balance of fat and lean meat — a great first impression.

What I appreciated most was that staff grilled everything from start to finish. They started with the pork neck, and even while waiting, I kept glancing over at the grill.

Cooked pieces were placed on our individual plates, and staff kindly explained which combinations worked best for each cut.

The fattier part of the pork neck was cut off separately and grilled a bit crispier. It was interesting that even within the same cut, they adjusted the grilling and pairing depending on the exact part.

Following the staff's suggestion, I tried the pork neck with wasabi — the savory fat with a hit of sharpness was really good. My favorites ended up being the fatty part of the pork neck with wasabi, and the pork belly.

My partner liked the hanger meat with pickled yuzu and ginger, and the pork belly, best. The hanger meat had a distinctly chewy texture that stood out.

Staff mentioned that a lot of customers order hanger meat in the evening specifically for that chewy texture, to go with drinks. In that case, they cut it smaller to make it easier to eat as a side — a thoughtful touch that adjusts to how you're eating.

A doenjang stew that won over someone who avoids cheonggukjang

Once the doenjang (soybean paste) stew that comes with the Korean pork sampler arrived, the meal felt complete. We were told it's simmered with lightly grilled radish and has a cheonggukjang (fermented soybean) base.

I'm honestly not usually a fan of cheonggukjang. But this stew's aroma wasn't overpowering, and the savory flavor came through nicely — I really enjoyed it.

My partner, who does like cheonggukjang, was also a fan. It's rare for a dish to satisfy two such different preferences, which made it stick in my memory. Glad we added that extra bowl of rice.

Adding rib pork belly and the caviar cheese egg custard

After finishing the sampler, I wanted a bit more pork belly. So we ended up adding a serving of rib pork belly and caviar cheese egg custard. I was curious what egg custard topped with caviar would even taste like, haha.

Staff grilled the added order for us too. The pork belly looked great right away, with fat wrapping the outside and lean meat at the center. The fat-to-lean ratio suited my taste perfectly, and I enjoyed every bite of the extra order.

The egg custard came piled up high, topped with cheese and caviar. It looked delicious straight off the grill, still steaming.

It was hot, so I scooped out small portions with the caviar — the custard had a subtle ocean flavor that made it feel different from the usual version. It also went well tucked in between bites of meat.

In the end, the two of us ate 700g of pork, plus doenjang stew, rice, and caviar cheese egg custard. We only meant to order the sampler at first, but it tasted so good that our order kept growing.

Is Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch worth a Jamsil lunch date?

What I liked most about Yukmong Bangi Direct Branch was being able to talk comfortably in a private room while eating. Staff grilled the meat and explained which cuts paired well with what, so we could focus on eating while still noticing the differences between cuts.

My favorite was the fatty pork neck with wasabi; my partner's was the hanger meat with pickled yuzu and ginger. The pork belly was the one dish we both loved enough to order more of.

It's a good spot to remember if you're on a date at Lotte World Mall and want lunch nearby, or if you want to enjoy Korean BBQ in a calm, private room. Next time, I'd like to come back in the evening for hanger meat and drinks, just like staff suggested.