Myeongdong Korean BBQ with Red Cross parking nearby: Yuktongnyeong

Myeongdong restaurant spotlight: Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch

I visited the Yuktongnyeong Gyodae branch not too long ago, tried the black pork there, and it was so good that this time I went to the Myeongdong main branch! Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch is considered one of Myeongdong's four legendary old-school restaurants, alongside Hadongkwan, Myeongdong Kyoja, and Youngyangcenter. Let's get into the must-order menu review!

Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch: hours and basics

• Address: 37-2 Myeongdong8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:30–23:00
• Parking: Use nearby paid parking lots

Where is Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch, and where do you park?

Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch is super accessible — just a 3-minute walk from Myeongdong Station!

Given the nature of Myeongdong, there's no parking support. We parked at the nearby Korean Red Cross parking lot. It's ₩2,000 for the first 30 minutes, then ₩600 per additional 10 minutes. It's cheap for Myeongdong standards, so we parked there and walked over.

One of Myeongdong's four old-school classics: the Yuktongnyeong storefront

Near Myeongdong Station, once you turn into the alley, you immediately spot the main branch with its stylish tiled-roof sign! The exterior alone gives off serious old-school restaurant vibes!

At the entrance there was a standing sign packed with impressive media history — selected as one of Seoul's top 3 pork belly restaurants on episode 74 of Suyo Misikhoe (a food TV show), featured on Live Today for its king axe-bone pork belly, and more. You can reserve via Catch Table, but there was a wait, so we shopped at the Uniqlo right across the street while waiting. This is the first Myeongdong restaurant I've waited for since Myeongdong Kyoja!

The door was covered in Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon stickers stacked densely from 2021 all the way through this year, 2026 — it built up my expectations before I even walked in!

Inside Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch

Walking inside, the atmosphere was really lively! Not just Korean customers — foreign tourists seemed to have come after hearing it's one of Seoul's top 3 pork belly restaurants too.

The walls were covered with plaques from Korean cuisine masters and autographs from famous celebrities.

One of Seoul's top 3 meat restaurants, holding not just a Blue Ribbon but a Red Ribbon too!

There's also a second floor. Being one of Myeongdong's four old-school legends, the interior really has that genuine, long-standing restaurant feel.

What we ordered at Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch

We ordered one serving of Gwanggaeto black pork belly (ogyeopsal), one serving of pork neck belly (yukgyeopsal), and kimchi stew. They use Gwanggaeto black pork aged for 15 days in omija (schisandra berry), and the description of it as a native black pig breed with a 6,000-year lineage got me even more excited to try it!

When the meat came out, the thickness was on a whole different level. The bright red meat, with the skin still attached like true black pork, looked incredibly fresh. The pork belly is on the left, and the fattier neck belly is on the right.

Side dishes served at Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch

Along with hairtail intestine jeotgal (fermented sauce) and salted shrimp, wild garlic namul, and scallion strips, we also got perilla leaves! Eating perilla leaves with the pork belly was delicious.

What's the tastiest meat? Meat someone else grills for you! And since they grill it over charcoal too, it's impossible to go wrong!

I tried the well-grilled pork neck belly, and true to aged black pork, the juices burst out! The charcoal aroma was strong and it was so delicious.

The pork belly's skin part was chewy while the meat was tender — the texture was really great.

Ogyeopsal or yukgyeopsal: which black pork cut wins?

We enjoyed both, but the clear pick for me and my daughter was the black pork belly (ogyeopsal)! The harmony between the clean, light meat flavor and the chewy skin texture was genuinely moving! If you come to Yuktongnyeong in Myeongdong, I highly recommend trying the pork belly!

The whole-grilled king oyster mushrooms were also delicious, and wrapping them with the scallion salad that came along — the tangy-sweet dressing cut through the richness perfectly, making it even tastier!

The classic combo with wild garlic namul is just unbeatable~

Wrapping it in perilla leaves was also a new, refreshing taste.

And then the kimchi stew, bubbling away in a yellow tin pot! Made with well-aged old kimchi and pork, the broth was truly refreshing and spicy.

Eating it alongside the meat cut through the richness, so I kept going back for more spoonfuls!

Final verdict on Yuktongnyeong Myeongdong Main Branch

I fell for Yuktongnyeong at the Gyodae branch and made the trip out to the main branch, and it didn't disappoint. I got to properly enjoy thick, juicy black pork grilled over charcoal along with a refreshing bowl of kimchi stew. If you're looking for a great pork restaurant near Myeongdong, definitely pay a visit!