Korean BBQ with minari soy sauce near Sookdae Ipgu: Muttuk Sookdae

My boyfriend and I were craving good meat today, so we went to Muttuk, a well-known spot near Sookdae Ipgu Station! We started with two servings of thick pork neck, my favorite cut, and once we got going we got curious about other cuts too, so we added a serving of odol pork belly. The staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, so we could just relax and enjoy the date :)

Where is Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch is at 289 Cheongpa-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on the 1st floor, about a 4-minute walk from Exit 10 of Sookdae Ipgu Station on Line 4. Hours are weekdays 11:30–23:00 and weekends 12:00–23:00, with last order at 22:30.

Spotting the Muttuk storefront on the Cheongpa-ro side street

Walking down the alley near Sookdae Ipgu, you can't miss the big "Muttuk" sign. The place was lively with people enjoying dinner after work. The phrase "when you suddenly crave meat" fit the name Muttuk perfectly.

There was even a standee out front noting the restaurant appeared on a live TV show, haha~~!

By the way, the name Muttuk apparently comes from a dialect version of "mundeuk," meaning "suddenly." I thought it was a nice touch — the idea of a place you can drop into comfortably whenever you suddenly crave meat.

Muttuk's menu: pork neck, pork belly and how to order

The menu at Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch had plenty of options, from set menus to pork neck, pork belly, skirt meat, and beef short rib. We skipped the sets and ordered our favorite cuts instead.

Pork neck is my favorite cut of pork, so I went straight for two servings of thick pork neck without a second thought! Compared to pork belly, pork neck has less fat, so it's leaner and lower in calories — a cut I like to eat even when I'm dieting!

The thick pork neck was ₩36,000 for two servings (300g), and the odol pork belly we added afterward was ₩18,000 for 180g.

Side dishes and the minari (water celery) soy sauce dip

The table at Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch was packed with side dishes — shredded scallions, kimchi, pickled onions, gim (dried seaweed), pickled perilla leaves, salted seafood, plus salt, wasabi, and garlic sauce. My first thought when it all arrived was, "the banchan (side dishes) here are really well put together!"

No matter how good the meat is, eating nothing but meat can get a little greasy after a while. Muttuk had a variety of sauces and side dishes, so it was fun to switch up combinations bite by bite. With shredded scallions it was spicy, with pickles it turned tangy, and depending on the sauce the flavor of the meat changed too — it never got old 😋

What stuck with me most was the soy sauce made with minari (water celery). The fragrant minari and salty soy sauce cut through the richness of the meat and made it feel lighter. It's not a sauce you see often, which made it even more special and felt like a signature touch unique to Muttuk. By the way, they gave us extra minari when we asked!

Thick pork neck for two, 300g for 36,000 won

Finally, the thick pork neck we'd been waiting for arrived. True to its name, the thickness caught my eye right away, and it came with onions, mushrooms, and potatoes to grill alongside.

The thick pork neck was plated nicely with onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. The vivid color and thick cut of the meat already looked fresh >_<

The pretty flower garnish felt like a signature plating touch for this Sookdae-area BBQ spot! The meat, dusted with pepper, looks so good even now, I'm getting hungry just remembering it~~

Staff at Muttuk grill and cut every piece for you

What I loved most about Muttuk was that the staff grilled the meat for us the whole time. Thick pork neck is tricky to grill at home — the outside can get tough while you wait for the inside to cook — but an expert flipping it at just the right moment and cutting it into bite-sized pieces took all the worry out of it.

It was also a big plus that neither of us had to hold the tongs the whole time on our date — we could just relax and talk while the meat cooked. It seems like a great fit for work dinners or gatherings where conversation matters.

The perfectly cooked pork neck had a nice sear on the outside, and as you can see in the photo, the inside stayed juicy. The clean, mild flavor unique to pork neck really came through without being dry — confirming once again why it's my favorite cut.

At first I dipped it lightly in salt to enjoy the meat's natural flavor, then alternated with shredded scallions, pickles, and the minari soy sauce. Even though it was the same pork neck, the flavor changed with every combination, so my chopsticks never stopped moving 💛

Is the cheese bomb steamed egg worth adding?

We also ordered cheese bomb egg custard as a side to go with the meat. True to its name, it came puffed up like it was about to explode, topped with plenty of cheese and corn.

Can you see how jiggly it looks in the video? The soft, savory egg custard, plus the stretchy cheese and the pop of corn, made for a satisfying dish. Eating a spoonful in between bites of the salty meat cleansed the palate nicely, making it a great side.

Adding one serving of odol pork belly, 180g for 18,000 won

After enjoying two servings of pork neck at Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch, we couldn't skip the pork belly. So we added a serving of odol pork belly (180g, ₩18,000).

The thick cut had an even balance of lean meat and fat, so it looked promising even before it hit the grill. As a couple, whenever we go to a good BBQ place, we always seem to end up starting with two servings of pork neck and then adding a serving of pork belly, haha.

Starting with the clean, mild pork neck and finishing with the rich, savory pork belly made for a satisfying order of dishes. Rather than ordering a lot of one cut from the start, having pork neck first and then adding pork belly let us enjoy both kinds of flavor.

The pork belly was also grilled by staff, so we didn't have to worry about oil splattering on the grill the whole time. They made sure we could eat it at exactly the right doneness, so this is a Sookdae Ipgu-area restaurant that's easy to visit even if you're not confident grilling meat yourself.

A couple photo at Muttuk after the meal

Inside the restaurant, there's even a mirror shaped like Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch's Instagram frame. I thought it was such a cute, clever touch, so after eating our fill, my boyfriend and I wrapped up the date with a photo in front of it ♥️

Why Muttuk Sookdae works for a date-night Korean BBQ in Seoul

The thick cuts of meat at Muttuk were great, but what I liked most was how relaxed the whole meal felt. With staff handling the grilling and cutting, it was easy to focus on the conversation with my date, and thanks to the variety of side dishes and sauces, we could eat three servings of meat without ever getting tired of it.

If you're a pork neck fan like me, I'd recommend starting with two servings of thick pork neck and adding a serving of odol pork belly. Add the soft cheese bomb egg custard on top, and two people can eat a hearty, varied meal.

In particular, the fragrant minari soy sauce was a standout point that set Muttuk apart from other BBQ restaurants. If you're looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant near Sookdae Ipgu where the staff grills for you, the side dishes are generous, or you just want an easy place for a date, Muttuk near Sookdae Ipgu is worth keeping in mind 🥰