Late weekday Korean BBQ in Yongsan ending in doenjang rice: Muttuk

Today I'm sharing my visit to Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch, a Korean BBQ spot in Yongsan I found while hunting for a good grill place near Sookdae. The meat quality was great, and the staff grilled everything for us with real skill, so I could just sit back and enjoy the meal!

Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch hours and amenities

• Mon–Fri 11:30–23:00
• Sat, Sun 12:00–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Group seating available / reservations
• Waiting area / wifi / baby chairs
• Separate men's and women's restrooms
• Pet-friendly
• Corkage available (free)

How to walk to Muttuk Sookdae from Sookdae Station

Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch is easy to reach — just take Exit 10 at Sookdae Station, walk through the underpass, cross the street, and you're there (about 4 minutes).

The exterior has a real retro vibe, and the sign for 'Muttuk' glows so brightly that I spotted the place the moment I turned into the alley.

We visited on a weekday, a little on the later side for dinner, and there was a real mix of customers — a group having a company dinner, families, even foreign tourists!

True to its reputation as a Sookdae favorite, customers kept streaming in the whole time we were eating, even as it got later.

Self-serve bar, aprons and a photo zone

Inside there's a self-serve bar with disposable aprons ready to go. I was wearing white that day, and before I could even go looking for one myself, a staff member thoughtfully brought me an apron first — so kind! All the staff were friendly.

There are signs of visits from various celebrities on the walls, plus a photo zone!^^

What's on the menu at Muttuk Sookdae

This Sookdae favorite has the signature matcha galbi (matcha-marinated pork ribs), plus best-sellers like the Hanwoo pork mixed set, thick pork neck, odol samgyeopsal, and whole galmaegisal — and even a premium beef mixed set for beef lovers!

• Corkage is free at Muttuk!
• A photo review event is also running!

What we ordered on this late weekday visit

• Odol samgyeopsal (180g) x2
• Whole galmaegisal (150g) x1
• Chadol doenjang sulbap
• Zero-sugar cola

I was craving samgyeopsal (pork belly) that day, so I ordered two servings of odol samgyeopsal along with one serving of whole galmaegisal!

Side dishes, fresh vegetables and sauces

First they set out the banchan (side dishes), and I liked that every single one felt worth eating — there was shredded scallion and pickled onion, the classic BBQ pairing,

plus corn salad, kimchi, and doenjang-pickled perilla leaves. That perilla leaf side dish was so savory and salty from the doenjang (soybean paste) that my mouth kept watering — it was delicious with the meat!

And as I've mentioned before, I take vegetables pretty seriously at a BBQ place haha — the lettuce at Muttuk was nice and fresh!

+ There's also a huge variety of sauces to bring out the flavor of the meat! Muttuk's special garlic sauce, squid jeotgal (salted fermented squid), wasabi, salt, ssamjang (dipping paste), and even a minari (water dropwort) soy sauce — tasting through them all, the meat disappears before you know it haha.

Writing this is making my mouth water all over again thinking about it — let me actually get into the meat now!

Two servings of odol samgyeopsal and one whole galmaegisal, grilled by the staff

Here are the two servings of odol samgyeopsal and one whole galmaegisal :) The raw meat's thickness, color, and condition were all excellent — especially look at the fat-to-lean ratio on the odol samgyeopsal! I wish every samgyeopsal looked like this haha. Onion, mushroom, and potato also came out alongside, which was a nice touch.

The meat on the grill! The galmaegisal served whole was a first for me visually, and I was fully hyped for it.

At this Sookdae favorite, the staff grill everything for you, and their skill is next level! I just got to relax and watch the meat cook, which was great haha.

Oh, and the smell of the meat cooking was no joke — I'd never smelled something that delicious the second meat hit the grill haha.

The meat cooked surprisingly fast, but there wasn't a single burnt spot — grilled evenly all around. Fire control: perfect!

How the whole galmaegisal (pork skirt) tasted

I tried the whole galmaegisal first! Dipped in the minari soy sauce, one bite — that chewy texture made for great mouthfeel, and it was so savory it made me forget every galmaegisal I'd had before!

Odol samgyeopsal with wasabi: the best pairing

Next up, odol samgyeopsal! I hear it's the part of the pork belly closest to the bone, which apparently makes it the tastiest cut.

The pork belly looked so juicy! Sliced neither too small nor too big — just the right size, perfect. Eaten plain, you really get that nutty flavor, and adding a bit of minari on top makes it even better!

But my favorite combo is still with wasabi — eating it that way seemed to bring out the nutty flavor of the odol samgyeopsal even more haha.

The shredded scallion seasoning was also delicious with the meat — I ate a ton of it, and scraped up every last bit at the end haha.

Finishing with chadol doenjang sulbap

And to close out the meal, the chadol doenjang sulbap (soy-bean-paste rice with beef brisket) arrived!

I wasn't drinking that day, but doenjang sulbap — which tastes like eating doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and rice together — is something I always end up ordering if it's on the menu haha.

And places with good meat often have good doenjang sulbap too — Muttuk's chadol doenjang sulbap was thumbs-up good! The stone pot was also packed full^^

What the name 'Muttuk' means

The restaurant's name, Muttuk (무뚝), is a dialect form of 'mundeuk' (문득), meaning 'suddenly' or 'out of nowhere' — the idea being it's a place that suddenly comes to mind when you're craving meat. Given how satisfied I was with the taste, atmosphere, and service, I really do think this is a place I'll suddenly think of again! If you're looking for a Yongsan Korean BBQ spot or a great restaurant near Sookdae Station, I highly recommend Muttuk Sookdae Main Branch.