Korean BBQ group tables near Yongsan Station: Jeokto Balhyo Gui

When you're looking for a place in Yongsan where a group of people can meet up, you end up checking everything — not just taste, but location, atmosphere, and parking too. Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch caught my eye from far away with its stylish exterior. When I visited, several parties were actually holding wedding-invitation gatherings on the basement 1st and 2nd floors, so it really does seem like a great Yongsan spot for that kind of meetup. But most of all, the food itself — jeot-samgyeop, balhyo-samgyeop, and bibim-memil — was so satisfying that both the space and the food stuck with me.

Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch: location, hours and menu prices

• Name: Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch
• Address: 12 Hangang-daero 14-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: About 600m from Exit 1 of Yongsan Station
• Hours: Weekdays 17:00–22:00 / Weekends 11:30–22:00
• Parking: Free parking available at Yongsan Tax Office
• Corkage: Free / no bottle limit
• Seating: Basement 1 / 1st floor / 2nd floor, reservations available for group and wedding-invitation gatherings

The signature dishes are jeot-samgyeop 260g for ₩28,000, balhyo-samgyeop 180g for ₩18,000, balhyo-mokssal (fermented pork neck) 180g for ₩18,000, hanwoo salchisal 130g for ₩58,000, and hanwoo chaekkeut deungsim (Korean beef striploin) 130g for ₩48,000.

Sides include jeotbap (rice with fermented seafood) for ₩6,000, toejang jjigae (soybean paste stew) for ₩9,000, mul-memil (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) for ₩8,000, and bibim-memil (spicy mixed buckwheat noodles) for ₩8,000.

A sleek exterior you can spot from down the street

Even before I got there, the exterior of Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch really stood out. Done in ochre and brown tones, it gave a traditional feel in a refined, updated way, so the atmosphere was clearly different from a typical Korean BBQ place. Even the signage worked with the overall concept, catching my eye from a distance — traditional-feeling but never old-fashioned. When you think of a Yongsan Korean BBQ place, you might picture something bustling and casual, but this one was a clean, tasteful space that suited everything from dates to wedding-invitation gatherings to group meetups.

First-floor bar table: watch the pork grilled in front of you

Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch is divided into basement 1, 1st floor, and 2nd floor spaces. I ate on the 1st floor, which is set up as a bar table — being able to watch the meat get grilled right in front of me was a special touch.

Watching the meat go onto the charcoal and slowly turn golden brown right in front of me made even the waiting fun. Unlike places where you have to grill it yourself, being able to sit back and eat perfectly grilled meat was great too. For a small group or a date, the 1st-floor bar seats are nice; for a bigger group, the basement 1 or 2nd-floor tables would work better.

Group tables on basement 1 and the 2nd floor for wedding-invitation parties

What especially caught my eye during my visit was the basement 1st and 2nd floors. Both floors actually had several groups holding wedding-invitation gatherings. With tables set up for larger groups and the floors separated into distinct spaces, it seemed like a great Yongsan spot for that kind of meetup.

What surprised me most was that even with quite a few group guests, I barely felt any noise or chaos while I was eating. A wedding-invitation gathering is usually a chance to catch up with old friends over a long conversation. So while the food matters, so does an atmosphere where you can talk comfortably — and on that front, this place had a clear advantage as a Yongsan meetup spot.

Free parking at Yongsan Tax Office and corkage-free with no bottle limit

Parking is quietly a big issue when choosing a meetup spot. Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch offers free parking at Yongsan Tax Office, so it was convenient to visit by car. On top of that, what I really liked was the corkage policy. It's a corkage-free spot in Yongsan where you can bring your own wine or whiskey, with no charge and no limit on the number of bottles. Wine glasses and rocks glasses are available, so it would suit a group bringing something special to drink. Being able to handle group seating, free parking, and corkage-free service all in one place was a pretty big plus — especially for anyone planning a Yongsan wedding-invitation gathering in Seoul.

Jeot-samgyeop, the signature cut: sweet, savory depth

That day I ordered one plate each of the signature jeot-samgyeop and balhyo-samgyeop. Jeokto's signature jeot-samgyeop is pork belly fermented in an ochre-clay onggi jar using jeotgal (fermented seafood) and a special sauce.

From the name, I expected a strong fermented-seafood smell, but the reality was quite different from what I imagined. The first bite reminded me a bit of yangnyeom galbi (seasoned marinated short ribs) with its sweet, savory pull, though it wasn't as strongly sweet as yangnyeom galbi. It was more like a subtle sweetness and salty savoriness layered between the pork belly's richness and cleanness. The more I chewed, the more the savory juices came through, leaving a lingering savoriness that kept me reaching for one more piece. Honestly, out of everything I ate that day, jeot-samgyeop was the most memorable dish.

Balhyo-samgyeop: tender pork belly with deep flavor

Balhyo-samgyeop had its own charm, different from jeot-samgyeop. Where jeot-samgyeop stuck with me for its sweet savoriness, balhyo-samgyeop stood out for its soft texture and the deep flavor of the meat itself.

Biting into it, there was no toughness or dryness — it was soft, and the more I chewed, the more the characteristic richness of pork belly came through. It felt deeper in flavor than regular pork belly, and I enjoyed it quite a lot too. If it's your first time at this Yongsan Station Korean BBQ spot, I'd recommend ordering one of each — jeot-samgyeop and balhyo-samgyeop — to compare the difference.

The banchan side dishes served before the pork arrives

I find that you can often tell how good a restaurant is by trying the basic side dishes. Here too, I tried each side dish before the meat arrived, and none of them felt like an afterthought.

There was a good variety that paired well with the meat — herring roe, mustard seeds, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), pickled onions, and more. Among them, the seasoned perilla leaves and seasoned minari (water celery) were especially delicious.

Fragrant and refreshing, they cut through the richness of the pork belly and revived my appetite between bites. The grilled mushrooms, peppers, and garlic served alongside were also delicious, picking up a subtle smoky, sweet flavor from the charcoal that paired well with the meat throughout the meal. It felt like a Yongsan Korean BBQ place that cared about more than just the meat — the accompaniments got just as much attention.

Why pork with bibim-memil (spicy buckwheat noodles) is worth ordering

Alongside the meat, I also ordered bibim-memil. The sauce was tangy with a bit of spice, and it carried the nutty, clean flavor characteristic of buckwheat noodles.

After eating plenty of meat, it was a nice way to refresh my palate. Placing a piece of jeot-samgyeop right on top of the bibim-memil worked especially well together.

The sweet, savory jeot-samgyeop and the tangy bibim-memil brought out the best in each other. If you're deciding on a side dish to pair with meat at this Yongsan Station Korean BBQ spot, I'd recommend ordering the bibim-memil too.

Is Jeokto Balhyo Gui a good spot for a group gathering in Yongsan?

I visited Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch drawn in at first by the pretty exterior and interior, but by the end of the meal, it was the food that stuck with me. The overall lineup — sweet, savory jeot-samgyeop, soft and deeply flavored balhyo-samgyeop, tangy bibim-memil, and tasty side dishes — was excellent.

On the 1st floor, you can watch the meat being grilled as you eat, while the basement 1st and 2nd floors have tables well suited to bigger groups, so you can choose the space depending on your purpose. Even the day I visited, with several parties holding Yongsan wedding-invitation gatherings, it never felt loud, which made for comfortable conversation. On top of that, easy access from Yongsan Station, free parking, group seating, and corkage-free service made it a pretty appealing spot for a meetup.

It's also close to the HYBE building, so it seems like HYBE artists drop by from time to time. If you're looking for a spot for a Yongsan wedding-invitation gathering in Seoul, or just a good-atmosphere Korean BBQ place near Yongsan Station, Jeokto Balhyo Gui Yongsan Branch is definitely one to remember.