Yongsan Seoul Korean BBQ with smoked 800g set: Byeoljin Hwarogui

Today I’m introducing Byeoljin Hwarogui (별진화로구이), a long-standing neighborhood favorite near Namyeong Station that is just perfect for grilling meat in a great atmosphere! This is already my third visit, so I can recommend this Namyeong Station favorite with even more confidence!

Byeoljin Hwarogui is a specialty charcoal-grill restaurant with an incredible 30-year history. It was remodeled after a fire, and I’ve visited several times since the renovation. Rather than a typical Korean barbecue restaurant, it has dim lighting and a modern interior that create an upscale mood! It is great for company dinners, and I recommend it if you want a Korean BBQ date near Namyeong Station without giving up a stylish atmosphere for somewhere too casual.

📍 Byeoljin Hwarogui basics Address: 1F, 11 Hangang-daero 77-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea Getting there: About 103 m from Exit 1 of Namyeong Station, less than a one-minute walk! It is so close to the exit that it is convenient for after-work plans or company dinners. You can also walk from Sookmyung Women’s University Station.

A camping mood beneath the starlight

As soon as I walked in, the tiny lights filling the ceiling caught my eye. The softly sparkling starlight and wood-toned tables made it feel like we had come to a campground in the middle of the city—and it felt incredibly romantic too! Such a different mood from an ordinary Korean BBQ place, right?

The ceiling’s star-like lights made it feel cozier and more atmospheric than a typical Korean barbecue restaurant. It suited dates or casual get-togethers perfectly. Each table had its own grill and ventilation, so we could eat comfortably.

Because I had reserved, there was a little sign with my name on the table, which made me feel especially well looked after :) You can feel the thoughtful care for guests in details like this! There was also a storage box beside the table, so we could keep our things neatly without worrying about our clothes picking up smells.

There was also a partitioned area that looked great for large company dinners! There really were office workers having a team dinner there, haha! Looking at the overall interior, you can really feel that it is an atmospheric space. There is a reason I came back for a third time, haha~~~

Offers to check before your visit

Another feature of Byeoljin Hwarogui near Namyeong Station is that it always has a variety of events running! In my experience, places that offer their customers so many perks always do well, haha~

• Review event: Participate for a 100% chance to win a Pandora’s box draw.
• Naver reservation benefit: Receive free gyeranjjim (Korean steamed egg) when visiting after a Naver reservation. Please tell the staff you reserved.
• Entry before 5 p.m.: Free Korean beef kkakdugi fried rice or braised Korean beef.
• Entry after 8 p.m.: Free Korean beef kkakdugi fried rice or braised Korean beef.
• Birthday benefit: Free naengmyeon (cold noodles) for birthday guests that month after ID verification.
• Corkage benefit: Corkage is free for the first bottle of wine or whisky. Traditional Korean liquor is excluded.
• For benefits 2–4, please tell the staff directly. Events may change depending on the restaurant’s circumstances.

Charcoal-grill dishes ordered by kiosk

Byeoljin Hwarogui has a wide range of dishes, from beef and pork to its newly introduced camping charcoal-grill menu! I had beef on an earlier visit, and it was so refined and delicious that my parents loved it too~! My boyfriend and I debated between the camping set and pork belly, then ordered the camping set, a menu you can only find at Byeoljin Hwarogui! Plenty of places sell pork belly, but not many sell smoked barbecue, right?

A generous table of accompaniments for the meat

The basic table setting was quite generous too. Along with kimchi, pickles, and seaweed side dishes, there were salt, wasabi, meat sauce, and more, so we could make combinations to suit our tastes. A big wooden bowl of salad, assorted side dishes, and sauces filled the table. It was a great spread to enjoy between bites of meat.

These days, perilla leaf pickles can be expensive, so many places do not serve them as a basic side—but here we had perilla leaf pickles, pickled onions, and stir-fried kimchi in such a generous spread! The tangy aged kimchi was a special little side that cut through the richness of the meat, so we refilled it, haha~~~

Oak-smoked par-cooking and a real charcoal grill

Byeoljin Hwarogui’s biggest draw is that pork back ribs, dakgalbi (spicy grilled chicken), and pork belly—the sort of things you might eat while camping—are oak-smoked and par-cooked, then grilled over real charcoal.

Once the glowing red charcoal arrived, the charcoal grilling really began. The gentle scent unique to charcoal raised my anticipation even more. When the charcoal was placed in our grill after ordering, it truly felt like we were getting ready for a camping barbecue. By the way, there was a huge stack of firewood outside, plus a large refrigerator for aging meat and a separate area for par-cooking the barbecue!

The rib kimchi stew included with the barbecue set

The basic galbi kimchi-jjigae (rib kimchi stew) that comes with the barbecue set was so mouthwatering too! Its spicy-looking broth and well-fermented kimchi came together beautifully, and it was packed with savoriness, haha!

It came out before the meat, so my boyfriend and I started on it first—and it was so good that we finished it before the meat even arrived. That is no secret, hahaha!

And kimchi stew ladled out by my boyfriend? How could it not be delicious, haha~~~

Smoked barbecue set: 800 g for ₩45,000

At last, a huge wooden platter piled high with meat and vegetables arrived!!

The smoked barbecue set gives you 800 g total of pork back ribs, dakgalbi, and pork belly for ₩45,000. It was very filling for two people, and with side dishes it seemed like a good amount for several people to share too. Considering dining-out prices these days, this Namyeong Station meat restaurant really stood out for value, since you can enjoy several cuts on one platter.

Oak-smoked, par-cooked meat and chunky vegetables filled the platter. Seeing all the cuts at once was reassuring from the moment it arrived. Eggplant, king oyster mushrooms, shishito peppers, tomatoes, and more sat among the thick pieces of meat, making it look incredibly generous. Grilling vegetables over charcoal alongside the meat gave us a welcome change of flavor too.

Because the meat had already been oak-smoked and par-cooked, it was convenient: we did not need to grill it at the table for long. It had an appetizing sear outside while remaining moist within, so it was perfect to warm gently over the charcoal.

Thick, juicy pork back ribs

We placed the par-cooked meat over the charcoal and grilled it to a good eating temperature. The pork back ribs in particular were impressive, with thick meat clinging to the bone. The outside absorbed a gentle charcoal aroma while the inside retained its juices, becoming more savory with every chew.

As the thick pork back ribs sat over the charcoal, their surface turned golden and glossy. They went wonderfully with a little salt or wasabi. I usually do not like ribs because they feel too rich, but why were these unseasoned back ribs this delicious? ㅠㅠ haha

The pork belly had a nutty fatty richness, while the dakgalbi was comparatively lighter and tender, so each cut had a different charm. The charcoal-grilled mushrooms and peppers became more fragrant too, and I kept making sure to eat them between bites of meat. I also loved not having to agonize over a menu choice because we could try a little of several kinds. It was so delicious that I got distracted by eating, and sadly I do not have photos of the pork belly and chicken ㅠㅠㅠ

The maddeningly delicious steamed egg

The gyeranjjim we ordered separately was so delicious too ㅠㅠ haha. The steamed egg puffed up high over its earthenware bowl and looked mouthwatering just sitting there, right? Soft and warm, it nicely settled the flavors between the meat and stew.

I was so distracted by the meat that, when I looked over, my boyfriend had finished it all. It was the first time I jokingly got mad and called him a pig!! I was so disappointed after it was gone ㅠㅠ haha. He said he would order another, but I was already too full, so I said no... Still, if you visit Byeoljin Hwarogui, please make sure to order it~~~

Byeoljin Hwarogui was satisfying because we could enjoy generous meat, real-charcoal aroma, and an atmospheric space all at once! It was seriously, seriously so delicious that I want to visit again, haha! If you want a special dinner near Namyeong Station or a Korean barbecue restaurant for a company dinner, date, or family gathering, it is worth saving as a place to visit. Its definite charm is that you can feel the mood of a camping barbecue right in the middle of the city ♥ I am planning another visit soon~~