Yangyang garden-view BBQ restaurant for salt-aged ribs: Yeoyejeong

I was looking for a good meat restaurant in Yangyang and found somewhere really special. Yeoyejeong. The restaurant's philosophy — that even when washing rice, they wash it wishing happiness on the people who'll eat it — turned out not to be just a nice phrase once I visited. Places this genuinely dedicated to ingredients and cooking method aren't common among Yangyang meat restaurants.

Yeoyejeong's garden-view window seat and coffee-tree binchotan charcoal

The atmosphere at Yeoyejeong was striking. The window seat looking out onto the garden view had especially great vibes. As evening fell and the garden lights turned on, it added an even more romantic mood.

A round grill using coffee-tree binchotan charcoal was set up in the middle of the table. Since coffee-tree binchotan doesn't spark, it's reassuring to visit with kids, and unlike regular charcoal, it doesn't flare up even as the fat drips down — so there's less smoke and the smell doesn't cling to the indoor air as much. That's what's special about the charcoal here.

One serving of salt-aged fresh ribs, two of marinated ribs

At Yeoyejeong I ordered domestic salt-aged fresh pork ribs (1 serving) and marinated ribs (2 servings), 3 servings total. The fresh ribs came out on a plate first. As the description of salt-aging promised, the salt had tenderized the protein, so it promised a special texture that melted softly in the mouth as you chewed — and it really did. The meat color was vivid and the marbling was evenly distributed. Even though it could be stored longer, they only prepare enough for within 3 days — a freshness principle that turned into trust the moment I saw this meat.

The moment the fresh ribs hit the coffee-tree binchotan fire, it was different. The heat was far more even than regular charcoal, so the surface of the meat browned uniformly through the Maillard reaction.

Picking up a well-grilled piece of fresh rib and putting it in my mouth, the umami distinctive to salt-aging hit first, followed by tender, easy-chewing meat. It was a clearly different flavor from regular fresh ribs. It struck me that places offering this level of salt-aged meat aren't common among Yangyang's local restaurants.

How Yeoyejeong's house-marinated galbi tastes

The marinated ribs came out next. As described — deboned ribs hand-marinated in house-made sauce — the seasoning had soaked deep between the grain of the meat. As it grilled over the coffee-tree binchotan fire, a faint caramelizing aroma from the sauce rose up. Cutting off a piece, the umami-packed sauce flavor burst first, followed by the clean charcoal-grilled flavor underneath. Alternating between the plainness of the fresh ribs and the rich flavor of the marinated ribs, I never got tired of it, and the 3 servings disappeared in no time.

Caipira lettuce and white kimchi side dishes

The wrapping greens at Yeoyejeong were special. They use Caipira lettuce grown hydroponically, pesticide-free, at a smart farm run by the Yangyang Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities. The lettuce leaves were thicker, crunchier, and more aromatic than regular lettuce. House-made white kimchi (baek-kimchi) and side dishes made from vegetables grown right in Yangyang fields also came out, and you could feel the care in each one. It made sense why this place comes up as a Korean-food spot in Yangyang, starting right from the side dish spread.

Finishing with white kimchi janchi guksu noodles

To finish, I ordered jjanchi guksu (banquet noodles). The noodles were made with house-made white kimchi mixed in, and the clean, refreshing broth tidied up the rich meat flavor nicely at the end. That combo of finishing off a meat meal with a bite of jjanchi guksu was perfect.

For anyone looking for a good meat restaurant in Yangyang, or trying to decide on a spot for dinner or a group gathering in Yangyang, I can confidently recommend Yeoyejeong.