Makchang restaurant by Euljiro 3-ga Exit 11 with DIY sauce: Baegyeom

I really love grilling and eating makchang, but lately I'd only been having yachae gopchang (gopchang, beef small intestine, grilled with vegetables). I wanted properly grilled makchang for the first time in a while, so I went to the Euljiro makchang restaurant Baegyeom Makchang (백염막창).

Where is Baegyeom Makchang?

Baegyeom Makchang is right there when you come out of Exit 11 of Euljiro 3-ga Station. The address is 48-3 Supyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 1st floor.

The atmosphere at 4:30 pm

The restaurant is mostly round tables and felt neatly kept overall. My work ended early, so I showed up around 4:30 pm, thinking nobody would be there at that hour. But a few tables were already having an early dinner, which surprised me a little.

What we ordered and the prices

I came for the original makchang, so I ordered 2 servings of Daegu makchang, plus kimchi-mal-guksu (chilled kimchi noodle soup) as a side.

• Daegu makchang ₩17,000 × 2 servings
• Kimchi noodle soup ₩9,000
• Saero (soju) ₩5,500
• Beer ₩6,000

Side dishes and the DIY makchang sauce

The side dishes arrive as soon as you order. You get perilla leaves, green onion kimchi, garlic and ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), all great with makchang, so I was already excited.

They also bring the ingredients for making your own makchang sauce. You add scallion, cheongyang chili (a hot Korean chili) and salt to taste, and since I can't handle spice, I put in just 3 slices of chili.

Complimentary bean curd while you wait

While waiting for the makchang, they served bi-ji (soft bean curd) on the house. They said to add sugar to taste, and with just a little, the sweet and nutty flavor went together surprisingly well. The plain soybean taste really came through, so it was perfect for settling the stomach before the meat.

How do you grill the pre-grilled Daegu makchang?

The Daegu makchang at Baegyeom Makchang comes pre-grilled. They also gave us enoki mushrooms and green onions to grill alongside.

Then I put it on the grill in earnest. The moment it landed, there was a sizzle and smoke billowed up, and honestly this vibe is why I eat makchang.

For those of you who can't be bothered to watch a video, I prepared photos and a GIF too. I put the makchang in the middle and grilled the green onions and enoki on the sides.

Maybe because the heat is strong, the makchang cooked faster than I expected. Dipped in the homemade makchang sauce, the scallion aroma brought out much more of the makchang's nutty richness. The salty sauce adds depth too, so I personally really recommend the makchang sauce combo.

Perilla and green onion kimchi wraps, and the right doneness

Wrapping the Daegu makchang in perilla leaf and green onion kimchi was also really good. The perilla scent spreads gently, and the sharp, spicy kick of the green onion kimchi cuts right through any greasiness the makchang might have.

Above all, one bite releases juices and keeps a chewy texture. If you overcook it until crisp, it gets tough and loses flavor, so I recommend eating it as soon as it's just done.

How was the kimchi noodle soup with makchang?

The kimchi noodle soup (₩9,000) at Baegyeom Makchang was generously topped with egg strips, seaweed, cucumber and kimchi. There was even ice in the noodles, so it stayed cold to the end even beside the grill.

I scooped out a bowl right away, and the slightly spicy, refreshing broth went really well with the makchang. It wasn't overly salty or harsh, so after greasy makchang, a bite of it cleaned up my whole mouth.

Final thoughts on Baegyeom Makchang

After eating until I was full, I went to pay and found mouth-freshening items prepared there too. It felt like they care about small details, so I ended up satisfied right to the finish.

Baegyeom Makchang in Euljiro was extra satisfying because it was my first properly grilled makchang in a while, and it's a place I'd like to visit again whenever I crave makchang in Euljiro.