Cauldron-lid pork belly at a Nonhyeon Station BBQ spot: Yuksam Maeul

I recently went to Yuksam Maeul, a pork belly spot near Nonhyeon Station. True to the name, the meat quality was excellent, and the lettuce wraps were especially fresh — I ate really well.

Where is Yuksam Maeul Nonhyeon Station Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Yuksam Maeul Nonhyeon Station Main Branch isn't far from Nonhyeon Station. It's open from 10am to 5am the next day, with no break time.

Since there's no break time and it stays open until dawn, you can basically show up whenever you want to eat. My lunch schedule is never fixed, so I often end up wanting lunch right in the middle of a typical break time — being able to walk in freely was really nice haha.

Inside Yuksam Maeul: a comfortable number of tables

When you go hunting for pork belly spots near Nonhyeon Station, you often end up eating in a loud, crowded room.

At Yuksam Maeul, the number of tables seems just right, so even at full capacity it probably won't get too loud. It might not be totally quiet, but I think it's a good spot for anyone who wants to eat meat without a lot of noise.

Ordering at Yuksam Maeul's tableside kiosk

You order through the kiosk at each table, and since we came to a pork belly spot near Nonhyeon Station, pork belly was a must-order.

• Gabrisal (pork jowl) 160g
• Dukkeopsam (thick pork belly) 180g
• Hamhung naengmyeon (bibim, spicy cold noodles)
• Rice
• Coke Zero

This was our order, and it was absolutely plenty for two people. Not too much for lunch, but filling — solid, satisfying kind of full.

The side dishes and ssam leaves that come with the meat

After ordering, the table gets set up while you wait. The side dishes are mostly picked to go well with grilled pork belly, and any combination of them tastes good haha.

How fresh are the ssam leaves?

When you come to Yuksam Maeul, a pork belly spot near Nonhyeon Station, the meat is great, but the wraps are exceptionally fresh and tasty too.

I'm not usually someone who eats a ton of wraps with meat, but there are so many kinds and each one tastes different, so definitely try the wraps here. Super nutty and delicious haha.

Bean sprouts and kimchi taste great grilled too

Every basic side dish was tasty. The green onion kimchi in particular was amazing... haha, I got a refill and ate it again.

Also, grilling the bean sprouts and kimchi together made them seriously delicious with the pork belly.

Gabrisal and dukkeopsam grilled on a cauldron lid

After a short wait, the meat arrived right away. Thick cuts with great color, looking really tasty haha. It'd been a while since I had gabrisal, and it's just as good as I remembered haha.

And true to its name, the pork belly (dukkeopsam, meaning 'thick pork belly') came out nice and thick, with great texture and an incredible amount of juice inside... haha.

Grilling it on a cauldron lid really does make a difference... haha.

Since it's grilled on a cauldron lid instead of a regular grill plate, the outside of the meat cooks quickly, which seems to seal in the juices.

Cooking it slowly means the outside gets nicely done while the inside stays tender, and the meat just melts away in your mouth haha.

Don't skip the ureong seafood doenjang stew

If you come to Yuksam Maeul, a pork belly spot near Nonhyeon Station, ordering the gooryeong seafood doenjang stew is a must.

You could skip the meat entirely and still eat two bowls of rice with just this stew... haha. With crab and clams in it, the broth is wonderfully clean-tasting, and there's plenty of gooryeong (mud snails) too, so it's really delicious.

Hamhung bibim naengmyeon with grilled pork

Hamhung bibim naengmyeon also pairs really well with the meat. This is a flavor everyone already knows, right?

Eating the meat together with the bibim naengmyeon... haha, the seasoning is bright and tangy, and there's a kind of magic where the sauce makes the meat taste even better.

Because it's a cauldron lid, the meat cooks fast too haha.

Try the pork in every kind of ssam wrap

When you come to Yuksam Maeul, a pork belly spot near Nonhyeon Station, it's definitely best eaten with the wraps. I tried a bunch of combinations, and personally the pairing with napa cabbage was my favorite. A familiar flavor is a scary thing... I already love napa cabbage, and since it was so fresh here, it tasted even better haha.

The onions that come with the meal are essential too. They're marinated in sauce, and eating them with ssamjang (dipping sauce) gives you that perfect sweet-and-salty combo haha.

Finishing the meal with a Coke Zero

After enjoying the pork belly and gabrisal, I finished up with a Coke Zero haha. Eating the meat with all those different wraps somehow made the meal feel healthy haha.

If you're ever near Nonhyeon Station, I think stopping by Yuksam Maeul for a meal will leave you satisfied and happy with your grilled meat, no regrets!