Beef BBQ in Toegye-dong, Chuncheon: five cuts for two at Hanmaeum

I was in Toegye-dong, Chuncheon recently and suddenly craved beef, so I went looking for a BBQ place. I found Hanmaeum Jeongyuk (한마음정육식당), a fresh-meat restaurant where they butcher the meat themselves, and I want to tell you about it~

• Meat aged 144 hours at 2°C
• Juicy pork and beef set menus
• Kids' zone playroom
• Group seating, great for company dinners and gatherings
• Refillable self-bar corner
• Free doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew)

Where is Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Chuncheon Toegye, and where can you park?

Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Chuncheon Toegye is a 10-minute drive from Namchuncheon Station, right in front of Toegye-dong Jungang Heights Ville Complex 1, so it's easy to get to. Walk down the downhill road behind the restaurant and the parking area is right there.

A Toegye-dong BBQ restaurant with group seating, a playroom and a self-serve bar

The inside is really spacious, with lots of different kinds of seating. There's group seating that holds a lot of people, so it works well for company dinners or gatherings.

There's also a kids' zone playroom, so parents who bring their babies can eat in peace.

The self-bar lets you refill a variety of sauces and vegetables, so you can eat as much as you like without feeling awkward (the best part!). There's a microwave too, which you can use on your own.

Aged meat butchered in-house: what's on the Hanmaeum menu?

The butchering area is open to view, which made me trust the meat even more. They say the beef is aged 144 hours at 2°C, so the freshness and tenderness are on a different level from ordinary BBQ places.

There are single-cut meats as well as pork and beef set menus, which made choosing easy, and the big plus was getting to try a variety of cuts at once at a reasonable price.

Half-cow beef platter (300g) for two: which cuts do you get?

The two of us ordered the half-cow platter (소 반마리, 300g), which is just right for two people. At Hanmaeum Jeongyuk it consists of jin-galbi-sal (prime rib finger meat), galbi-sal (rib meat), bone-in short rib, top blade (buchaesal) and beef belly (usamgyeop).

Included sides: chilled acorn jelly soup and free doenjang-jjigae

The basic table setting came with tidy side dishes, vegetable wraps and a stew, all pairing nicely with the meat.

The mukbap-style cold acorn jelly soup (muk-sabal) cut through the richness of the meat nicely, and the slushy ice in it was seriously refreshing.

Doenjang-jjigae is practically a must at a BBQ place, so I loved that Hanmaeum Jeongyuk serves it by default from the start. The rich, savory soybean broth was the best!

Usamgyeop and top blade first: how juicy is the aged beef?

We grilled the beef belly and top blade together first, and maybe because the meat is aged, juices came running out the moment it hit the grill.

I tried the beef belly first since it cooks fastest. It was incredibly nutty and rich and melted right in my mouth.

Dipped in salty salt, the beefy aroma of the belly doubled and it tasted so much better.

See how juicy that top blade is? It was so tender it melted the second it went in my mouth.

Beef is great on its own, but wrapped in a perilla leaf with spring onion salad, raw garlic and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), it was honestly heaven...

Round two: rib finger meat and bone-in short rib

Round two: time to grill the jin-galbi-sal, galbi-sal and bone-in short rib. Let's gooo!

My boyfriend and I both love cuts with bone, and the bone-in short rib here had a crisp-chewy bite when I sank my teeth in, and the nutty flavor made it the best meat of the meal.

The rice cakes we grilled alongside were chewy, and the mushrooms were full of juice~ and smelled great too.

Is Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Toegye worth it for beef BBQ in Chuncheon?

Hanmaeum Jeongyuk Toegye sticks to the basics, and with the butcher's pride added on top, it felt like tasting really fresh meat. If you're looking for a beef place in Chuncheon, give it a visit.