Pork BBQ with sauce pairings in Suseong, Daegu: Matdongsam

The weather has gotten nicely cool lately, so I finally went out for meat for the first time in a while!

This time, I visited the newly opened Matdongsam in Beomeo-dong! True to its name, “delicious neighborhood pork belly,” it felt like a hidden local barbecue spot that would be easy to drop into—and when I went, I really liked the atmosphere too!

Location and parking at Matdongsam Beomeo Main Branch

• Address: 1F, 15 Dongdaegu-ro 74an-gil, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00–23:00
• Parking: Two cars can park in front of the restaurant
• Park along the nearby white-lined street
• Use the inner parking lot beside the Girl Scouts Federation at 34 Dongdaegu-ro 80-gil, Suseong-gu, Daegu, South Korea

The exterior of Matdongsam is divided into the main building and an annex!

The main building is a converted two-story home, so the retro concept suited it so well! There’s a separate annex too, which would be great for all kinds of get-togethers or company dinners, right?

This is the inside of the main building! As you’d expect from a newly opened place, everything was clean overall, and the tables were kept very hygienically. There are private rooms in the main building too, so it seems great for a family meal!

We ate in the annex that day! We ordered at the kiosk—these days, there really isn’t anywhere without one.

They’re running a Naver receipt-review event! You can choose one of Grandma’s doenjang stew, ramyeon, a bottle of soju, a highball, or Melona, so keep that in mind!

💡 There’s a separate children’s menu too, so I thought it would be nice for family dining. You don’t often see a kids-only menu at a barbecue restaurant—such a thoughtful touch, right?.?

Ordering premium five-layer pork belly and pork jowl

The signature item is premium five-layer pork belly! They also have the Matdongsam Platter, a 600 g menu where you can try several kinds of meat at a slightly discounted price, so I recommend it if you’re going as a group. There were two of us that day, so we ordered two servings of premium five-layer pork belly, one serving of pork jowl, Grandma’s doenjang stew, and steamed egg haha.

Once we ordered, the banchan (Korean side dishes) came out quickly. Neat, unfussy, and just right for a barbecue restaurant!

The meat quality was so good... Even the dishes matched the concept 😆 Time to get grilling haha.

Pork belly, pork jowl, potatoes, mushrooms, and kimchi all lined up nicely! Meanwhile, the steamed egg we ordered came out too.

Soft and mild. Perfect for snacking on while the meat cooks haha. Hot steamed egg under the blasting air conditioner 💛

Pork belly grilled to a lovely golden brown!

How should you pair the five-layer pork belly sauces?

I loved that Matdongsam has so many sauces to enjoy with the meat.

There were several choices, including house-made barley doenjang (soybean paste), herring roe jeot (salted seafood), and a special garlic sauce, so you could pick whatever suited your taste! Even with the same meat, the flavor changed depending on the sauce, and it was fun switching things up.

No matter how delicious meat is, your palate gets tired if you keep eating it... but Matdongsam was a Beomeo-dong barbecue restaurant where I could enjoy every last bite!!

The secret weapon is the stir-fried aged kimchi. Its tanginess cuts through the richness of the meat, and putting it on a piece of pork belly makes it such a treat haha. It comes already stir-fried, so just cook it a little!

Grandma’s doenjang stew that even Grandma enjoyed

And one of the most memorable dishes that day was Grandma’s doenjang stew! My own grandma tried it too and said it was tasty and not salty, and she ate it well~~ After meat, a spoonful of doenjang stew really is the perfect finish!

Just like its name, it had a savory, comforting flavor. It was packed with tofu and other ingredients, and perhaps because it contained shrimp powder, the umami was no joke.

A nice spot for family meals or gatherings

Overall, it felt like a place I’d think of when I wanted an easygoing meat meal in Beomeo-dong. I liked the retro atmosphere of the converted house, and the fact that it was a new restaurant—clean and comfortable—was a plus too 😆

It also looked good for family meals or gatherings. They say they give out Naver coupons for pre-wedding gatherings or birthday parties too!! I’m planning to come back and try other cuts next time! 100% willing to revisit 🙌