Late-night pork jowl and Jeju milmyeon at Dongnaejeong, Yeongdeungpo

Thursday evening, on my way home from work, I was craving samsso (grilled meat and soju) so badly! I checked the time and it was already almost 9pm, but I couldn't give up on meat, so I headed to Dongnaejeong, a Korean BBQ spot near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station. Even at that late hour, the place was nearly packed — clearly a local favorite.

Location, hours, and parking at Dongnaejeong Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Main Branch

Dongnaejeong Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Main Branch / 1F, 5 Dangsan-ro 30an-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul / Daily 15:00–23:00 / Last order 22:30

For parking, there's a Dangsan outdoor public parking lot a 5-minute walk away. Parking is ₩400 per 5 minutes, or ₩4,800 per hour.

Nearly full even at 9pm

The vibe at Dongnaejeong is exactly that lively, high-energy Korean BBQ energy! Everyone was having a Thursday-night drink with meat. As soon as I sat down, I got straight to business and ordered 4 servings of jeong-gabrisal (pork jowl).

Homemade sesame oil on every table

After ordering the jeong-gabrisal, the side dishes that pair perfectly with meat arrived first. And then, finally, the whole pork jowl appeared! Every table at Dongnaejeong has 100% homemade sesame oil sitting on it — as someone who absolutely loves sesame oil, this was a huge point in its favor!!

The side dishes at Dongnaejeong were so good I had to try them with a drink first!!!

Jeong-gabrisal, with shishito peppers and whole garlic

Alongside the thick cuts of meat came shishito peppers. Once they hit the grill, the visual alone made my mouth water. And they even let you grill whole garlic cloves — my favorite — which was a huge plus.

At Dongnaejeong, staff grill the meat for you, so even thick-cut gabrisal comes out juicy and full of flavor — another big plus. It makes this place great for group dinners, casual gatherings, or date night.

The finished jeong-gabrisal had insane texture!!! The ratio of fat to lean meat was just right, so it was savory without being greasy. And that thick, bouncy texture — so good~

The signature touch: Jeju-style anchovy stew

The real kick at Dongnaejeong is the Jeju-style anchovy stew (myeolchi-jorim)!!! It's delicious dipping the well-grilled jeong-gabrisal generously into the anchovy stew, and just as good mixed into a bowl of rice with the homemade sesame oil — the savory flavor is out of control.

The white kimchi grilled alongside the meat, and the mushrooms browned nicely on the grill, were also the perfect pairing.

Adding a serving of chadolbagi

After the jeong-gabrisal, I ordered one serving of chadolbagi (beef brisket). The texture and flavor of gabrisal and chadolbagi are completely different, so enjoying them together never gets boring — a genuinely great combo course.

At Dongnaejeong, the staff time the grilling carefully and keep the side dishes refilled!! Both the owner and staff were kind, making this a Korean BBQ spot that's great not just for the food, but the service too.

Jeju sanbang milmyeon, both mul and bibim style

A must-try at Dongnaejeong!! Jeju sanbang milmyeon (wheat noodles). Both the mul (cold broth) and bibim (spicy mixed) versions of sanbang milmyeon are delicious with different appeal, so you have to try both~ The mul milmyeon is cool and clean, refreshing the palate after meat, while the bibim milmyeon's spicy-tangy sauce makes for a fun pairing with the grilled meat!!

Especially good: wrapping a piece of chadolbagi with the bibim milmyeon noodles — this combo is a real delicacy!!! Even if you're full, you have to try it.

Why it's still full so late

The biggest thing I noticed while eating at Dongnaejeong was that it's not just about the quality of the meat — the tableside grilling service, the attentive side dish refills, and how kind the owner and staff were all made the whole meal a genuinely good experience. There's a reason it's still nearly full late into the evening!!

The jeong-gabrisal had a thick, bouncy texture and rich juiciness that I loved, and the combo of rice with Jeju-style anchovy stew and sesame oil was incredibly good. With great chadolbagi and bibim milmyeon too, I highly recommend Dongnaejeong!!!!