Daejeon Korean BBQ family platters: Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop

A Yongun-dong charcoal barbecue restaurant for a family gathering

I visited Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop for a family gathering. The food was delicious, the portions were generous, and the prices were kind too—I'd already marked it down as an incredible value spot, so I recommend it even more!

What are the exterior and parking like?

This is the exterior of Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop, a barbecue restaurant in Yongun-dong, Daejeon. It is in an alley, but navigation took us right to the spot, so it was easy to find.

Since it is in an alley, you can park in the white-lined spaces. There are also marked parking spaces across from the restaurant, so parking is fairly convenient!

A spacious, clean interior where you take off your shoes

At Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop, you take off your shoes before coming in! It somehow felt really homey. The dining room was spacious and clean; there was not a speck of dust underfoot, nor that distinctive greasy sheen. There are plenty of both regular tables and floor-seating tables, so you can choose what suits you! We took a regular table so we could set up a high chair.

We ordered both the chicken and pork platters

Here is the menu at Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop. For meal dishes, they have jjageuli (a spicy, hearty stew), duruchigi (spicy stir-fried meat), kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), and more; the signature dishes are the charcoal-grilled pork platter and charcoal-grilled chicken platter. Since we came with children and parents for a family gathering and ate at two tables, we decided to try both chicken and pork! We ordered one charcoal-grilled pork platter and one charcoal-grilled chicken platter.

Charcoal-grilled chicken platter and the standard spread

This is the standard spread that comes with a platter. It included steamed egg and pork jjageuli. Both the pork and chicken platters came with the same items; only the chicken platter included mozzarella cheese to grill on the barbecue. The steamed egg was great as a side for the kids' rice, while the pork jjageuli had a wonderfully spicy kick that went so well with the meat.

This is the charcoal-grilled chicken platter set at our table with the children! It came with three styles on one platter: salt-grilled, soy sauce, and spicy marinated dakgalbi (stir-fried chicken). It arrived partially grilled already, which made it so easy to put on the barbecue, cut up, and finish cooking right away.

Because the meat was partially grilled, it cooked quickly after a few turns on the barbecue, as long as we kept it from burning. We moved the cooked meat to the separate dish they provided so it would not burn. Grill it in the order of salt ➡️ soy sauce ➡️ spicy marinade so the flavors do not mix—start with the mildest seasoning! All three versions of the charcoal chicken were clean-tasting, light, and full of savory flavor. The kids especially loved the salt-grilled chicken!

Overall, the pairings with the side dishes were fantastic. It was delicious on its own, and the mozzarella was a lovely match too. But for me, the absolute best combination was chicken with myeongran mayo (pollock roe mayonnaise) and pickled Cheongyang chili strips, wrapped in gim (roasted seaweed). The mild chicken and the sharp bite of the chili cut straight through any greasy flavor, while the myeongran mayo was rich and creamy—an absolutely out-of-this-world combination with the chicken!!

A generous charcoal-grilled pork platter

Here is the charcoal-grilled pork platter! It too arrived partially grilled, so it was incredibly easy to cook!! The amount of meat was generous enough for three adults to eat their fill. You can try a range of cuts—pork neck, ogyeop-sal (five-layer pork belly), pork jowl, skirt meat, and pork shoulder—so I recommend a platter if you are visiting as two or three people!

The pork was seriously, truly so delicious too! There was none of that distinctive pork smell; the meat was mild, pleasantly chewy, and full of juices. Above all, the aged sour kimchi they set out was the key!! Once it picked up that charcoal flavor, it was tangy yet deeply flavored—just outstanding. The pairing of this sour kimchi and the meat was so incredible that I simply have to come back💕

We paired the pork with the side dishes too! It went so well with the classic sour kimchi and pickled perilla leaves, and was delicious wrapped as ssam (a leafy wrap). And by my standards, Jeonbotdae's signature combination—meat wrapped in gim with myeongran mayo and pickled Cheongyang chili strips—was really delicious too!! At first glance you might wonder whether these go together, but they fit together perfectly and were so tasty!

Why we never got tired of it, right through the last bite

With its platter menu, Jeonbotdae Sutbul Ogyeop offers lots of meat at a good price, making it an excellent-value restaurant. Thanks to the owner's expert selection of sour kimchi, myeongran mayo, pickled chili strips, and gim—an all-time great lineup of side-dish pairings—we enjoyed every bite right through the last piece of meat without getting tired of it. We came as a big group with children and parents, ate both the pork and chicken menus with nothing but admiration, and even promised to return, so I truly recommend it😆