Songjeol-dong Korean BBQ in Cheongju: 530g small mixed platter at

A review after eating pork belly, neck, and the small mixed platter

This is Bbuang Log 💕 Today I went to Baeksan Hwarro for Korean BBQ in Songjeol-dong, Cheongju. Instead of just eating pork belly on its own, I wanted to try a few cuts together, so I ordered the small mixed platter, 530g. The meat was a good thickness, and grilling it with garlic and king oyster mushrooms made for a surprisingly hearty meal haha. At the end I even ordered water bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles in spicy sauce) 🤭

Baeksan Hwarro: hours, location and the basics

📌 Basic info for Baeksan Hwarro. Business hours may change, so it's worth double-checking before you visit.

What Baeksan Hwarro in Songjeol-dong looks like inside and out

🏠 Exterior & interior of Baeksan Hwarro in Songjeol-dong. The big yellow sign spelling out Baeksan Hwarro caught my eye right away. Next to the sign was a line saying it's a specialty-cut restaurant, and in front of the entrance there were photos of dishes like meat and kimchi cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) set up. It was fun to browse the menu even before walking in haha.

Inside, the restaurant was longer and bigger than I expected. Every table had its own ventilation system, and quite a few people were eating when we visited. There were mountain paintings and Chinese character decorations on the walls, so it felt like a mix of a modern BBQ place and an old-school one.

Baeksan Hwarro now lets you grill the meat yourself

🔥 You grill the meat yourself. The table screen had a notice about Baeksan Hwarro's ordering system. It used to be a staff-grilled restaurant, but it's now switched to self-grilling. In exchange, the notice said the amount of pork belly and pork neck had been increased. We didn't mind grilling it ourselves slowly to our preferred doneness.

What we ordered at Baeksan Hwarro and what it cost

📋 What we ordered. Here's what we got at Baeksan Hwarro that day.

• Small mixed platter 530g: ₩43,000
• Egg steamer: ₩2,900
• Water bibim naengmyeon: ₩6,900
• Rice: ₩1,000
• Total: ₩53,800

The small mixed platter was labeled on the order screen as good for 2–3 people, and it also came with scored pork rind. Since we wanted to try several cuts from pork belly to pork neck, we picked the small mixed platter without hesitation 🐷

What side dishes come with the meal?

🥬 A varied spread of side dishes too. Before the meat came out, a full table of side dishes arrived first. Lettuce, perilla leaves, shredded scallions, kimchi, pickled vegetables, garlic, and sauces — all good to eat alongside the meat. The macaroni salad here was seriously delicious.

The shredded scallions especially came out generous, and paired well with the meat. One piece of meat topped with scallions, then a bite of perilla leaf loaded with garlic and ssamjang (dipping sauce) — it's fun to switch up combinations like this while eating meat haha.

What's in the 530g small mixed platter, and how thick are the cuts?

🥩 The small mixed platter, 530g. The meat we'd been waiting for finally arrived! Along with the meat came king oyster mushrooms, peppers, and garlic. Most notably, the meat wasn't sliced thin — even in the photo you can see it had real thickness. At this point I just wanted to start grilling asap lol.

Filling the grill with all three cuts

Once the meat arrived, we put it straight on the grill. We laid down the pork belly and neck, and added king oyster mushrooms, garlic, and peppers alongside. Loading it all up like this made for a great photo too 🤭

Up close, the thickness of the meat is even more obvious. The pork belly had a good balance of lean meat and fat, and the pork neck also came thick enough that it didn't get too thin when grilled.

Tasting the pork belly and pork neck

🥩 The pork belly, grilled golden brown, had a savory fatty part, and the pork neck was a bit leaner, so switching between the two was great. Instead of eating just one cut over and over, going with the mixed platter and trying several cuts together added to the fun.

They also grilled king oyster mushrooms and garlic on the side, and cooking them golden in the meat's oil made a pretty good combo too haha. Topping perilla leaves with meat and garlic, then another round lightly dipped in salt — my eating speed kept picking up faster than the photos suggest lol 🤭

Steamed egg and rice as sides

🍳 One egg steamer too. Eating only meat felt like it needed something more, so we ordered an egg steamer too. Price: ₩2,900. A hot spoonful of egg steamer, then back to the meat — a solid pairing to order as a side.

🍚 Can't skip rice while eating meat. We added a bowl of rice too. Price: ₩1,000. A piece of meat with a little rice, plus kimchi or ssamjang — this combo is always familiar and always delicious haha.

Finishing with water bibim naengmyeon

🍜 After finishing most of the meat, we ordered water bibim naengmyeon for ₩6,900. Coming to eat meat but still can't resist naengmyeon 🤭 Eating it after the meat made for a great closer. You could also save a bit of meat to eat together with the noodles.

The scored pork rind included in the mixed platter

🐽 Last up, chewy pork rind. The small mixed platter also came with pork rind. Grilled golden brown, the chewy texture really came through, and dipping it in soybean powder added a nutty flavor on top — this combo was genuinely delicious haha. A great way to close things out after the pork belly and neck.

Is Baeksan Hwarro in Cheongju worth a visit?

💕 Baeksan Hwarro, visited for Korean BBQ in Songjeol-dong, Cheongju. Ordering the small mixed platter let us try several cuts like pork belly and neck, plus grill king oyster mushrooms and garlic alongside — I liked that. The side dishes were varied too, and with the egg steamer, rice, and finishing water bibim naengmyeon, we left completely full haha.

If you're looking for a good restaurant or Korean BBQ spot in Songjeol-dong, Cheongju, the small mixed platter at Baeksan Hwarro is worth considering 🥩💕