Myeongdong date-night BBQ, omija-aged black pork: Yuktongnyeong

Visited Yuktongnyeong on a weekday evening date in Myeongdong. This place broke my assumption that restaurants full of tourists can't be good — there were plenty of tourists, sure, but a lot of Korean customers too. Turns out it was just a place with a lot of customers, period, haha.

Right in the middle of Myeongdong, so it was easy to get to, and staff grilled the meat for us table-side, which made the whole meal easy. But best of all — the pork belly was tastier than what I had in Jeju..! More on that below.

Where is Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch, and how long is the wait?

Myeongdong favorite Yuktongnyeong is right across from a recently opened Uniqlo in Myeongdong! The place runs across 3 floors, so even though it was a busy time, there were enough seats that any wait moved along fast.

Banchan and sauces at Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong

Once we sat down, the basic banchan (side dishes) were set out neatly. Salad, scallion salad, perilla leaves — all good pairings for the meat, and the sauces were pretty varied too. They had everything from salt to wasabi, ssamjang (soybean paste dip), and salted hairtail guts, so it was fun mixing up combinations with each bite.

Of course, pork belly calls for soju... we ordered Saero and they even brought out matching cute Saero glasses for us haha.

15-day omija-aged black pork bone-in pork belly

Finally, Yuktongnyeong's signature dish arrived! The 15-day omija-aged black pork bone-in pork belly. A big chunky bone with thick pork belly attached to it. Impossible not to order this visual... had to take a photo first, of course.

Staff grill the meat themselves, so even though it was a thick cut that's tricky to cook, no need to worry haha. They cut the pork belly off the bone into bite-sized pieces and cooked it, and even during a busy hour they kept checking on it so it wouldn't burn — really appreciated that.

Pork belly cooking away, getting nice and chewy 😋 The well-grilled pork belly had a golden crisp outside and a juicy inside, and the fat — the whole point of pork belly — was so chewy it was almost too good, ugh.

The best bite combination on the grill

With so many banchan to choose from, it was fun picking different combos! Dipping plain in salt was already tasty, and a touch of wasabi or salted hairtail guts worked well too, but wrapping it in perilla leaf was my favorite combination!

The rice wasn't pre-scooped either — they scooped it fresh when we ordered, which paired great with the meat.

The meat closest to the bone is always the best part, right? The staff plated the tastiest bit onto our little dish for us... and yep, it was a real treat.

Is the kimchi stew at Yuktongnyeong really that good?

While deciding on a side dish, I looked up reviews and saw a lot of people raving about Yuktongnyeong's kimchi stew, so I ordered it. It comes out with a big chunky piece of kimchi in it, and simmers once more at the table!

Plenty of ingredients, tasty broth — I basically ate it like a main dish, haha. If you're torn on a side, kimchi stew comes recommended!!!

Mushrooms grilled long enough to get chewy — grilled just as nicely as the meat 😋

Last but not least, a must at any Korean BBQ restaurant: water naengmyeon (cold noodles). After all that rich pork belly, finishing with cool naengmyeon left my mouth feeling refreshed haha. Recommend!!

Is Yuktongnyeong worth it for a Myeongdong Korean BBQ date?

If you want proper black pork belly in Myeongdong, Yuktongnyeong is the one I'd recommend! Between the grilling service and every dish tasting good, I left satisfied. If you're looking for a barbecue spot in Myeongdong for a date, family dinner, or group gathering, definitely give it a try!