Open-air BBQ pork neck and cold noodles in Apgujeong Rodeo: Yeontan

Today I want to introduce a grill restaurant with an atmosphere that's absolutely perfect for this cool weather. It's Yeontan Gongjang, located on Apgujeong Rodeo street~ Instead of a stuffy indoor space, you get real open-air vibes with a ceiling that's completely open above you, so I strongly recommend it for get-togethers with friends or work dinners~

Where is Yeontan Gongjang in Apgujeong Rodeo, and what are the hours?

Yeontan Gongjang is about a 5-minute walk from Apgujeong Rodeo Station, and in a neighborhood you'd expect to be all polished and sleek, it sits down a worn-looking alley with proper old-school, open-air no포 (old-style eatery) charm — this is the Apgujeong Rodeo pork rib restaurant I recommend for group dinners, Yeontan Gongjang~

• Address - 36-4 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours - Daily 16:00–24:00

Open ceiling and drum-can tables at Yeontan Gongjang

Seating at Yeontan Gongjang is an open-ceiling outdoor-style setup with round drum-can tables. When I first walked in I didn't even realize the ceiling was open — I just thought, wow, it's nice and cool in here~ — but then I looked up and saw the wide-open sky, and it felt so atmospheric and put me in such a good mood, realizing that coolness wasn't from air conditioning but the actual breeze — I could really feel autumn arriving~

The tables are these round drum-can tables, and maybe because it's got that old-school no포 charm, the ordering process and service lean more toward that nostalgic, self-service style rather than convenience or automation haha

Yeontan Gongjang menu and what we ordered

Here's the menu at Yeontan Gongjang, the pork rib restaurant I recommend for a group dinner in Apgujeong Rodeo — basically 6 meat dishes plus a huge range of meal items and alcohol.

• Pork king ribs 21,000 ×2
• Pork neck 19,000 ×2
• Bibim naengmyeon 9,000

Side dishes and the owner's tableside fire show

First they set out simple side dishes — cabbage and green onion salad that go great with ribs, kimchi, and dongchimi (watery radish kimchi) with that cool, funky flavor that was really good~

And then — the appearance of the Yeontan Gongjang owner!!! He said something like "there's never been disinfection like this before" and put on a fire show right at our table — my heart jumped, but I calmly pretended to enjoy the disinfection.

And then he set the charcoal right down and placed the grill plate haha

The meat basically comes pre-grilled, so you just move it to the grill plate and finish it off a little more.

Pork neck, 19,000 won: thick cuts with a good fat ratio

First we grilled and tried the pork neck! Being able to eat meat of this quality in an open-air setting like this haha — it'd make for a great, successful date spot too~

The pork neck was really thick, and the ratio of fat to meat was excellent haha, sliced up nicely for easy eating~~

Grilled to a nice golden brown, one bite gives you just the right amount of savoriness spreading through your mouth along with a soft texture that adds comfort, finishing off with a clean, light meat flavor.

And since eating it plain might get bland or repetitive after a while, wrapping it up with green onion salad, garlic, and ssamjang (thick dipping sauce) like this brings out all kinds of savory flavors that really elevate the meat~

And after enjoying it a few different ways...! I belatedly found some salt and dipped it in — and yeah, good meat definitely pairs so well with just salt~

Bibim naengmyeon, 9,000 won: spicy cold noodles with the meat

The cold noodles that came out partway through were seasoned just spicy enough with great savory depth, and they went perfectly with the meat — I loved it.

The main event: pork king ribs, 21,000 won

And then we finally tried today's main dish, Yeontan Gongjang's pork ribs hahaha. Seeing those huge rib bones with proper score cuts made them look so appetizing~

Eating it on top of the pickled cabbage like this...! Anyone know this sauce...? That old-school sweet-and-mildly-salty sauce they use with pickled onions! It went so well together haha

And taking a bite together with the bibim naengmyeon~ this flavor... T-T this is the unbeatable winning combo!

Why Yeontan Gongjang works for a group dinner in Gangnam

We picked those rib bones clean while having a fun, delicious meal in that great open-air atmosphere~ The moment you walk into Yeontan Gongjang, the red lanterns and open-ceiling outdoor setup give you an almost festival-like feeling, and grilling meat under the wide-open night sky right in the middle of the city feels so freeing and just has great vibes haha. The meat is genuinely delicious, and there were plenty of groups having their own dinners there too, so if you're looking for an Apgujeong Rodeo pork rib restaurant for a group dinner, this is definitely one I recommend — Yeontan Gongjang in Apgujeong Rodeo.