Black pork restaurant in Osong, Cheongju: Berkshire K cuts at Risan

I went to Risan, a new pork belly restaurant in Osong. Lots of good restaurants have been popping up in Osong lately, but Risan is special because it specializes in Berkshire K black pork, which you don't often see around here.

Where is Risan in Osong, and what are the hours and parking?

📌 Hours: Daily 17:00–23:00 (break time: 22:30) Baby chair O, apron O, Cheongju Pay O

Risan is located in the Paragon 3rd Complex. It's on a main street so it's easy to find! (Parking is available behind the building, and validation is possible)

Before you even step inside, there's a menu board set up outside the entrance, so you can check the menu before going in.

Inside Risan: a black pork restaurant with a warm, low-lit mood

The first thing I noticed the moment I walked in was how clean the atmosphere felt. The Risan sign itself had a stylish feel, and the interior was a bit different from your typical Korean BBQ place, with pin lighting *.*

In particular, the big open picture window was left wide open, letting in outside air, so there was no stuffy feeling at all, and the smoke naturally dissipated, making for a pleasant meal.

The plating dishes on the table were pretty.

The open kitchen at Risan

Running an open kitchen isn't easy for a BBQ restaurant — it kind of shows confidence in how well they keep things managed. Everything felt neat and well-maintained overall. Even though it's a BBQ restaurant, the atmosphere made it feel like a decent spot for a date or a gathering too.

Aprons are kept near the front of the restaurant, and there's space by the seats to store your coat or bag. On the way out, there's even Febreze ready to use.

What we ordered at Risan: special pork belly, neck cut and jowl

What we ordered was special pork belly, neck meat, and pork jowl (the neck meat is called dwitdeolmi-sal). We wanted to try the jowl so we ordered by individual cut, but if you like pork shoulder, I'd recommend the combo platter.

Side dishes at Risan, including dried radish salad

The basics were scallion salad, scallion kimchi, acorn jelly muchim (seasoned salad), pickled chili, and wrap radish.

The dried radish muchim (seasoned dried radish) was especially good. It wasn't the usual thick-cut dried radish — it was sliced thin, giving it a nice texture, and the seasoning had really soaked in. I ended up refilling once more 😝

They bring out mushrooms, water dropwort, potatoes, and onions to grill alongside your lettuce wraps, and the grilled potatoes in particular were delicious.

The free doenjang jjigae at Risan

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes free of charge. Unlike a typical version, it has a slight hint of salted seafood aroma and a spicy kick, which paired well with the meat.

Even the dipping condiments weren't just plain salt — they had Guérande salt and Mokpo-style salted seafood ssamjang, combinations that went really well with the meat.

What is Berkshire K black pork?

Risan's pork is Berkshire K, a breed said to combine the traits of Korea's native heritage pigs with the British Berkshire line.

The meat is tender with great flavor, known for a nuttier taste and chewier texture than regular pork. Once you taste it, the texture of the meat itself is clearly different.

Grilling black pork belly on Risan's soapstone plate

Risan's black pork is grilled on a soapstone plate. Once the stone plate is properly heated and the meat is placed on it, it sizzles away, and the heat spreads evenly, making it easy to slowly grill the meat to perfection.

The texture was really impressive 😛 Number one chewiest pork belly texture I've had recently.

The outside grills up nutty, and the more you chew, the more you get the meaty aroma and springy texture, letting you really experience the appeal of black pork.

The variety of dipping sauces made it great to eat alongside the meat.

The pork jowl's signature crunchy texture is its charm as always. Each cut has a different texture, but overall the meat was wonderfully chewy.

Who should eat at Risan in Osong?

Being the only black pork specialty restaurant in Osong made it special, and being able to enjoy chewy-textured pork belly along with a variety of cuts was satisfying.

• When you want something special to eat in Osong
• When you want to enjoy black pork instead of regular pork
• When you're looking for a BBQ restaurant with good atmosphere
• When you need a place for a company dinner in Osong
• When you want to check out a newly opened Osong restaurant
• When you're searching for a good pork belly restaurant in Osong

If you're craving proper black pork belly in Osong, I recommend Risan 😊