Private annex dining and yeolmu noodles at Matdongsam Beomeo, Suseong

A retro pork belly restaurant down an alley in Beomeo-dong, Daegu

With the weather turning cool, I used it as an excuse to go looking for an old-school-style pork belly restaurant where the meat isn't cut too thick, and found Matdongsam — a new spot everyone in Daegu was talking about. It was tucked deeper into the alley than I expected, and retro vibes hit from the entrance.

The name Matdongsam means "delicious neighborhood samgyeopsal" — such a cute little detail.

Interior and seating

Walking inside, the place greets you with a house-like retro feel. There's also a nice waiting area right by the entrance.

The staff were incredibly friendly, and the space was bigger with more seats than expected. The wallpaper was cute and detailed, and the tables ranged from 4-seaters to 6-seaters (great for both family dinners and group gatherings). There's also a private, room-like space further inside.

It's a pork belly restaurant, but the whole space was pleasant and impeccably clean.

Quiet, just the two of us, in the annex

This is the annex, connected to the main building. I was curious about it and peeked in, and the staff quickly checked and told us we could use it. They also cranked the AC right away. It was quieter than I expected, and it was nice to dine with just the two of us.

How to order and the menu lineup

You order through a tablet at each table, and the Naver review event is really generous, so make sure to participate (doenjang jjigae, ramyeon, drinks, etc.).

They serve ogyeopsal, gabrisal, and jjondeuksal, plus a fairly wide range of side dishes. Beyond the Naver review event, there are more coupons on Naver Place for things like invitation gatherings and birthdays.

There were aprons hanging in the corner for self-service use, but when I stood up, a staff member noticed and brought one over first. The chairs also had that nostalgic old dining-table-chair feel, and the seats even flip open, so you can store your belongings without worrying about smells.

Side dishes and sauces

Once you order, the side dishes are set out quickly. True to a hot new pork belly restaurant in Beomeo-dong, Daegu, there's a wide variety of dipping sauces for the meat (herring roe, salt, barley doenjang, garlic sauce, etc.), and the side dishes pair well with the meat and are served neatly.

The garlic sauce is meant to be simmered on the grill plate, and since the plate tilts nicely, the fat drains off really well.

Teuk-ogyeopsal, 120g for ₩11,000, ordered three servings

* Teuk-ogyeopsal (120g/₩11,000), three servings. True to a hot new pork belly restaurant in Beomeo-dong, Daegu, it's prepared with premium-grade selected pork, and the quality was excellent (we kept saying the fat-to-meat ratio was basically perfect). The thickness was also just right — not too thick, not too thin.

Along with the meat, they also serve potatoes and mushrooms to grill, plus pre-cooked ripened kimchi to add on top.

The heat is really strong, and since ogyeopsal is fatty, it's good to control the flame carefully and add small batches at a time to keep the oil from splattering too much. Since the meat isn't too thick, it cooks quickly, and the clear, fresh fat drips down beautifully, giving the pork belly this gorgeous glossy color.

After grilling it carefully and taking a bite, it lives up to being a top pork belly restaurant in Beomeo-dong, Daegu — ogyeopsal is chewier and more savory than regular samgyeopsal, and chewing brings out both meaty aroma and juices. Absolutely no gamy smell whatsoever.

The garlic sauce and barley doenjang combo

Another special touch unique to Matdongsam is this garlic sauce. Spicy and pungent, it pairs so well with the meat.

I mixed and matched the side dishes and sauces however I liked and kept eating happily. Besides the garlic sauce, the barley doenjang was also nutty and delicious.

A tower of ogyeopsal just makes me happy... haha

And the mushrooms and potatoes they serve alongside, gently cooked in the pork belly fat, were so good too. The thickness of those potatoes was totally satisfying.

Tips worth knowing before you order

Here's a tip: on the tablet, you can ask staff to add extra side dishes — beyond what's already served, you can also request lettuce wraps, wasabi, and more, so don't forget! And the potatoes are so good, but they're not charged extra — they're just included, so definitely get a refill... haha

Before we knew it, we'd polished off three servings, so we ordered one more serving of ogyeopsal.

Yeolmu mul-bibim guksu for ₩6,000, the perfect palate cleanser for fatty pork belly

* Yeolmu mul-bibim guksu (₩6,000). A chilled, sweet-and-tangy radish green noodle dish with slushy ice floating on top, packed with refreshing tang — the perfect side to cut through the greasiness of the pork belly and cleanse your palate.

Even with all that slushy ice, the thin noodles inside weren't frozen or stiff — they were cooked really well, and the portion was genuinely generous. The crisp, cool yeolmu (young radish greens) and cucumber you bite into here and there are the highlight. Wrapping it around a nicely grilled piece of pork belly is the ultimate combo.

A complimentary grilled cheese we got as a treat

Then a staff member quietly came over and, noticing we were deciding on an add-on menu, gave us the grilled cheese on the house — I gratefully accepted and started grilling it.

But honestly, this grilled cheese was so good, I really hope it becomes an official add-on menu item. It goes great with the meat, but also pairs beautifully with the potatoes and mushrooms — if it ever gets added as a regular menu item, I'd recommend ordering it.

Honest final review

The space is spacious and pleasant, the retro interior is charming, and the staff were incredibly kind. And you get to enjoy great meat at a reasonable price — the taste, the thickness, all of it satisfying, with that chewy texture and nutty flavor being outstanding. I was completely satisfied, and this is definitely a place I'll think of whenever I crave old-school samgyeopsal or ogyeopsal — an instant go-back spot. If you're looking for a hot new pork belly restaurant in Daegu, a top spot in Beomeo-dong, or a great samgyeopsal/ogyeopsal restaurant in Suseong-gu, Beomeo-dong, this one comes highly recommended.