Yangyang Korean barbecue dinner with sotbap: Yeoyejeong

Is it convenient after a Yangyang trip?

After our Yangyang trip, we stopped at Yeoyejeong (여여정) for dinner with my family on the way back to Seoul. I chose it after seeing local recommendations and meal reviews while searching.

It was close to Yangyang IC, so it was convenient to stop by on the way back. As we passed through Yangyang town and entered quiet country roads, I wondered whether we had found the right way, but the restaurant appeared in a peaceful village. Its spacious yard serves as a parking lot, which made parking easy.

Was there a wait on a weekday evening?

We were the first customers to arrive at 17:00, when the weekday break time ended. I thought we would be able to eat at a relaxed pace, but customers soon kept coming in. About 40 minutes after we began eating, the restaurant was full and a wait had formed. It was busy from early evening on the day I visited.

The hours listed in the original post were 11:30–21:00 from Wednesday through Monday, with a break time from 15:00–17:00. It also noted that the restaurant was closed every Tuesday.

What was it like waiting for food with a child?

The exterior had the feel of a country restaurant, while handwritten menus and drawings covering the walls stood out inside. Paper, colored pencils, and pens were set out in the middle of the restaurant for drawing.

My child spent the time drawing until the food arrived. Having something to do while we grilled the meat was helpful, too.

There was also a separate event space. It felt like a place where families visiting with children could spend some time.

What did we order, and was it enough?

They sold both pork and beef, and the lunch menu included sotbap (rice cooked in an individual pot), naengmyeon, stews, and galbitang. For three adults and one child, we ordered one serving of hangjeongsal (pork neck), two servings of samgyeopsal (pork belly), sotbap, and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew). Each meat serving was 200 g, and with the meal dishes included, it felt like enough food.

How did we eat the pork neck and pork belly?

The banchan (side dishes) were neatly served, and the lettuce was fresh. The baek-kimchi (white kimchi) was particularly good; the owner told us they made it themselves.

After the charcoal arrived, we grilled the thick-cut pork neck and pork belly ourselves. The heat was strong, so they cooked quickly; we cut them into bite-size pieces and grilled them with mushrooms. They also provided a separate plate for the cooked meat.

I ate the meat as ssam (lettuce wraps), with lettuce and a sauce containing meat and chives. It was also good with just wasabi and salt, or with baek-kimchi. The pickled cucumber we ate between bites was refreshing and helped keep the meat from becoming tiresome.

My father ordered a bottle of soju during the meal. The soju glass with the Yeoyejeong logo also caught my eye. I had to drive, so I could not drink with him.

Did my child eat the sotbap and doenjang-jjigae too?

The freshly cooked sotbap was delicious on its own, and the doenjang-jjigae made it a filling meal. Of the dishes we ordered with the meat, the sotbap was particularly memorable.

When ordering the doenjang-jjigae, I asked for it without Cheongyang chili peppers. It came as requested that day, so I could serve my child tofu and the other ingredients with sotbap, and my child ate well. We finished the meal with nurungji (scorched rice) and warm sungnyung (rice tea).

Many family groups came in while we were eating. The atmosphere felt well suited to finishing a trip with meat and rice alongside a child. Phone chargers were also available.

The easy parking and space for my child to wait made this a satisfying family meal. I will keep in mind that a dinner wait formed even on a weekday if I visit again. If I return, I would order samgyeopsal with sotbap again.