Pork skin and beef tartare noodles at Neolpanji, a Pohang BBQ spot

2026.09.06

We spent some time at a café looking out over the open Yeongildae sea, sipping a cool iced Americano to relax. Weekend days always fly by so fast — enjoying the ocean view with my sisters and our dog Nununi, before we knew it, it was already time for dinner. We decided on meat for dinner and headed to Neolpanji Pohang Yeongildae Branch, a well-known BBQ spot near Yeongildae.

One minute from Yeongildae Beach, parking at the public lot

Neolpanji Pohang Yeongildae Branch, a popular BBQ restaurant by Yeongildae Beach, boasts incredible accessibility — it's just a one-minute walk from Yeongildae Beach. The restaurant doesn't have its own parking lot, but you can use the nearby Yeongildae public parking lot. On weekends, though, that lot fills up fast, so it's best to hurry if you want a spot.

First in line at the 5pm opening, with a baseball game on in the background

We walked in first, right as the restaurant opened at 5pm. The interior was much more spacious and pleasant than I expected. The walls were covered in phrases showing the young owners' pride and passion for meat, and on one wall hung jerseys from the Pohang Steelers and the Samsung Lions, which caught our eye. At the entrance, a big TV was playing that day's professional baseball game. For sports fans, it was the perfect atmosphere to enjoy juicy meat and a cold drink while watching the match.

What we ordered on the tablet

Once seated, we used the tablet to order three servings of aged pork belly, two servings of pre-grilled makchang (beef intestine), one serving of pre-grilled honeycomb pork skin, and beef tartare noodles as a side. Ordering was super easy with the tablet installed at every table.

As soon as our order went in, the owner quickly set up the table. Shortly after, he placed the aged pork belly — its texture looking chewy just from the look of it — and the savory pre-grilled makchang on the grill.

Along with the meat, he also grilled bracken fern and mushrooms on the edge of the grill until golden brown, and the sizzling sound and sight really got our appetite going.

Pre-grilled makchang: no odor, crispy outside and chewy inside

Since the makchang came pre-grilled, we didn't have to wait long before eating it. We dipped the nicely browned makchang in the special dipping sauce, adding sliced spicy cheongyang chili peppers to taste. There was absolutely no unpleasant smell, and the crispy-outside, chewy-inside texture completely won over my sister, who loves makchang.

Aged pork belly and the special sauce

The thick, aged pork belly also released savory juices with every bite, and dipping it in the restaurant's homemade special sauce made for a fantastic combination of flavors.

Pre-grilled honeycomb pork skin that had us saying 'best ever'

While we were busy devouring the meat, the pre-grilled pork skin and beef tartare noodles arrived. The pork skin here was so good it genuinely had us calling it the best we'd ever had. It wasn't tough at all — tender and strongly savory — and dipping it in the accompanying soybean powder doubled the savoriness. The soybean powder itself seemed to have some secret ingredient of its own, with an addictive, mouth-clinging umami flavor.

Beef tartare noodles that cut through the richness

The beef tartare noodles on the side, topped generously with fresh raw beef tartare in a sweet and spicy sauce, were excellent at cutting through the richness of the meat.

No dogs allowed, so we took turns eating dinner

This visit had a bit of a hitch since our dog Nununi came along. Neolpanji Pohang Yeongildae Branch isn't a dog-friendly restaurant, so we couldn't leave Nununi alone in the car while we ate — my sister's friend stayed in the car with Nununi instead. My sister and I went in first to eat, and while we were there, we made sure to carefully grill fresh meat on the grill so it would be ready for my sister's friend to eat right away when it was her turn, and then we swapped places. When my sister's friend came in for her turn, she dove straight into the nicely browned meat and beef tartare noodles. Even though she'd had a pretty filling lunch, watching her clean her plate while raving about how good the meat was felt really satisfying.

On our way out, full and happy, the owner thoughtfully gave us a cool plum drink to help with digestion after our overeating — a nice touch that ended the meal on a good note.

In summary

If you want to properly enjoy well-made aged pork belly, odor-free pre-grilled makchang, and the special treat of pork skin near Pohang's Yeongildae Beach, I'd strongly recommend Neolpanji Pohang Yeongildae Branch. Between the great location right by Yeongildae Beach, the pleasant, spacious interior, the lively atmosphere with sports on TV, and the owner's generous hospitality and thoughtful service, it's a great spot to enjoy a good meal with family, a partner, or friends.