# Apgujeong BBQ restaurant with MT stew and lunchbox: Yeontan Gongjang - By Iseul (https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/) - Written Sep 6, 2026 - Updated Sep 15, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gangnam, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a visit provided by the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [简体中文](https://superchart.com/zh-cn/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [繁體中文](https://superchart.com/zh-tw/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [Tiếng Việt](https://superchart.com/vi/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [Bahasa Indonesia](https://superchart.com/id/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [Bahasa Melayu](https://superchart.com/ms/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) · [Español](https://superchart.com/es/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/index.md) ## In short Yeontan Gongjang (연탄공장) is a charcoal-grill barbecue restaurant with outdoor tables on Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, a short walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul. The order was pork king galbi (thick-cut pork ribs) with MT jjigae (camping-style stew), kimchi mari guksu (chilled kimchi noodles) and a retro lunchbox, all eaten outdoors while staff swapped the grill plate without being asked. Valet parking costs 5,000 won, so driving to Yeontan Gongjang is easy too. ## Good to know - **Address**: 36-4 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul - **Ordered**: Pork king galbi, MT jjigae stew, kimchi mari guksu, lunchbox - **Seating**: Outdoor tables available - **Valet**: 5,000 won at the time of the visit - **Price reference**: ₩5,000 ≈ $3.7 (2026-09-15) *as written by the visitor on Sep 6, 2026* ## Charcoal grilling outdoors in the middle of Apgujeong Rodeo Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang is a charcoal-grill restaurant with outdoor seating on Apgujeong-ro 48-gil. The evening weather has been so good lately 🍃 and it felt like a waste to stay indoors, so I went looking for somewhere to grill meat outdoors and ended up at 🍀Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang🍀. ![View of the outdoor seating at Yeontan Gongjang in Apgujeong Rodeo](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-01-1bflm-1200.webp) You'd think Apgujeong Rodeo would be all hip, polished places, but the moment you step in here the vibe totally shifts. Charcoal glowing, the smell of meat grilling drifting around — add the outdoor-seating mood on top and it's hard to just walk past 🔥 ![An outdoor table at Yeontan Gongjang with the charcoal fired up](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-02-1oqxk-900.webp) Especially on days like now, not too hot or cold, the outdoor tables are basically prime real estate. ## The owner at Yeontan Gongjang had us laughing before the meat arrived If you go to Yeontan Gongjang, I really hope you get to meet the owner. He's so much fun that even on a first visit it felt like I was already a regular 🙌🏻 Turns out he used to be an actor. That alone was surprising enough, but then I heard he was college classmates with actress Lee Mi-sook 👀 No wonder every single thing he said had a certain flair. And then there's Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang's own unconventional table disinfection method 🔥 — the owner actually torches the tables with fire for sanitizing, and since I'd never seen that before, my eyes went wide. Flames shooting up right in front of you, and somehow it fit the charcoal-grill mood perfectly. ## Pork king galbi: the cut to order first The main event that day at Yeontan Gongjang was pork king galbi (marinated pork rib). ![A full table of ordered marinated pork king galbi](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-03-1fpi9-900.webp) The marinated galbi sizzling away on the charcoal grill was unfair from the smell alone 🤤 ![Pork king galbi grilling over charcoal](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-04-e2eoj-900.webp) ![Pork king galbi browned nicely with marinade caramelizing](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-05-lowb6-900.webp) The parts where it browned nicely and the marinade caramelized slightly were especially good — one bite and you get that sweet-savory marinade flavor with a hint of charcoal smoke lingering underneath 🔥 The marinade isn't too strong, so my chopsticks kept going back for more. Eating it outdoors added to the atmosphere too, and it somehow tasted even better than the pork galbi I usually have. ![Charcoal-grilled pork king galbi wrapped in lettuce](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-06-kvjm0-900.webp) Wrapped it up neatly in lettuce, grilled another piece, full-on meat mukbang mode that day 🙋🏻‍♀️ ## What is MT jjigae, the camping-style stew? I ordered Yeontan Gongjang's MT jjigae (stew) purely because the name made me curious. You need a hot soup next to the meat, after all. ![MT jjigae, a gochujang-based stew](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-07-ob7i3-900.webp) I was expecting something super special, but it turned out to be a familiar, comforting gochujang-based stew. Spicy and rich broth, exactly the flavor you crave while eating meat, so my spoon kept going back 🥄 Eating it, I sort of got why it's called 'MT stew' (MT = student group trip). That vibe of going on a trip with friends and everyone digging into one big pot together 🏕️ — a spoonful of broth between bites of pork king galbi cut right through the richness. Glad we ordered both together. ## Staff swap the grill plate without being asked At Yeontan Gongjang, staff watch the timing and swap the grill plate right away without you needing to say anything. With marinated galbi, the plate burns fast and it's always a bit of a worry. Thanks to that, I got to grill the pork king galbi all the way through without any burnt marinade to worry about 🥩🔥 Little details like this made it clear the staff were paying close attention to the table, which I appreciated even more 🫶🏻 ## Kimchi mari guksu tastes best alongside the pork And then there's the Yeontan Gongjang kimchi mari guksu (cold noodles in kimchi broth) that I loved so much. ![A bowl of cool kimchi mari guksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-08-1isqp-900.webp) Eating meat in front of the hot charcoal and then having a cool bite of kimchi mari guksu — genuinely perfect 🧊💕 ![Close-up of a bowl of kimchi mari guksu](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-09-1stgi-900.webp) ![Noodles from the kimchi mari guksu lifted with chopsticks](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-10-1y6b5-900.webp) The tangy, cold broth resets your palate completely, and having a piece of pork king galbi alongside it makes for a great combo. It's good as dessert after all the meat is gone, but I'd recommend eating it together while there's still meat left 🙌🏻 The sweet-savory galbi and cool kimchi mari guksu combo works way better than you'd expect. ## The retro lunchbox you shake and eat I also ordered the lunchbox as a side, and it suited Yeontan Gongjang's charcoal-grill restaurant mood really well. ![The nostalgic lunchbox ordered as a side](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-11-1h8xp-900.webp) ![A spoonful scooped from the mixed lunchbox](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-12-1mnhb-900.webp) Coming to a place like this, you feel like you have to shake up a nostalgic lunchbox 😎 Mixed it all together, had a spoonful, then topped it with a piece of meat — carb refill complete. Between the pork king galbi, MT stew, kimchi mari guksu and the lunchbox, honestly nothing I ordered that day was a miss 👏🏻 ## Nearly walked home without my wallet Finished eating, walked out feeling good — and that's when something happened. I'd left my wallet behind 🥹 I didn't even realize it myself, but a staff member found it and personally called me. If they hadn't, I would've found out way later and totally panicked 😭 The staff were kind from start to finish, and having my wallet taken care of on top of that made me twice as grateful. There are plenty of good restaurants, but the ones you remember because of the people are the ones you want to go back to 🫶🏻 ## Valet parking in Apgujeong for 5,000 won Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang offers valet parking, which made driving there easy 🚘 The valet fee at the time of my visit was ₩5,000. Parking is always the annoying part of bringing a car to Apgujeong Rodeo. ![The valet parking sign at Yeontan Gongjang](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-13-1orsw-900.webp) *Pull over briefly on the side shown in the right photo, then look for the sign on the left!!!* ![The alley in front of Yeontan Gongjang for briefly parking the car](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-14-m4rci-900.webp) (Pull over briefly on the side shown in the right photo, then look for the sign on the left!!!) No need to circle the block looking for a spot — just hand off the car and walk straight in, which was another plus. ## Sit outdoors at Yeontan Gongjang when the weather is good Good food aside, Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang feels like a place you really need to visit in weather like this to appreciate fully. ![The evening outdoor seating atmosphere at Yeontan Gongjang](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-15-lkynu-900.webp) ![A full spread of meat set out at the outdoor table](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-16-1wfdk-900.webp) ![Grilling meat in front of the charcoal fire](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-17-1ugdo-900.webp) ![Galbi and stew set together on the outdoor table](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-18-1ftku-900.webp) ![Nighttime atmosphere of the outdoor seating at Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-19-g46ck-900.webp) Sitting outdoors in a cool breeze, grilling pork king galbi over charcoal, taking a bite of hot MT stew, then finishing with cool kimchi mari guksu 💕 It's the middle of Apgujeong but somehow felt like grilling meat on a trip somewhere else — the atmosphere was so relaxed I wanted to sit there for hours. More than anything, what I loved was the human warmth — from the fun owner to the kind staff. This seems like a great spot for couples looking for an Apgujeong Rodeo date over meat, for anyone wanting a relaxed drink, or for groups looking for an Apgujeong Rodeo pork galbi spot for a team dinner 🩵 If you're after an outdoor charcoal grill restaurant, I recommend Apgujeong Yeontan Gongjang 🔥 ![The outdoor table after the meal was finished](https://img.superchart.com/images/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox-20-uq1gr-900.webp) Make sure to enjoy charcoal-grilled meat outdoors before this weather passes. Next time I go, I'm planning to have the pork king galbi and kimchi mari guksu combo again 🫶🏻 ## Where it is - Yeontan Gongjang (연탄공장) - 36-4 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 강남구 압구정로48길 36-4 - 37.5261588, 127.0365163 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%97%B0%ED%83%84%EA%B3%B5%EC%9E%A5/@37.5261588,127.0365163,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/apgujeong-yeontan-factory-mt-stew-lunchbox/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt