Free corkage and 5 side dishes at a Namyangju BBQ restaurant: Udontan

A friend who really knows good food recommended this Dasan Station BBQ spot so hard, so off I went — Udontan Dasan Main Branch !! I figured usdaegalbi (thick-cut prime galbi) could never really be bad, but I ended up completely won over by how perfectly the side dishes matched the meat, way beyond what I expected. The aged galbi came out tender and juicy from the grill, and it even had that charcoal-smoked barbecue vibe 👍 It had been a while since I left a BBQ place feeling this genuinely happy!

Location and hours at Udontan Dasan Main Branch

• Address: 7-26 Dasanjungang-ro 123beon-gil, Unit 109, Namyangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea (6-minute walk from Dasan Station Exit 1)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 16:00–24:00 / Sat, Sun 12:00–24:00
• Parking: 2 hours free at Hangang Plaza underground parking (look for the 'Dasan Sinsi Branch Parking' sign above the entrance; alternative nearby parking such as officetel lots guided if full)
• Reservation: Available via Naver Reservation (ordering a set after booking a Naver Reservation gets you a free portion of pork neck)
• Other: Free corkage, pet-friendly, baby chairs available, group reservations for 20+ possible on weekdays

Coming out of Dasan Station Exit 1, walk about 250m toward the shopping street and you'll find it. Parking is available too, so it'd be great to stop by for dinner after a drive around Namyangju! 🚗

You can park at the Hangang Plaza underground parking inside the building. Above the entrance it says 'Dasan Sinsi Branch Parking' in big letters, and you get 2 hours free after your meal. Even if it's full, they say they'll guide you to alternative parking nearby, so no need to stress about parking.

We had a reservation for 3:30pm — was there a wait?

The two of us made a Naver reservation and showed up around 3:30pm, a nice quiet time slot. Honestly, last time we came on a Saturday evening there were about 4 groups waiting and we couldn't get in 🥹, so this time I made absolutely sure to reserve! Of course it wasn't crowded at this in-between hour haha, but there were still about two other tables 🤔

Since ordering a set menu after a Naver reservation gets you a free portion of pork neck, I really felt like reserving ahead is a must before visiting!

Interior atmosphere and ventilation

The inside isn't huge, more on the cozy side, but the tables are separated into their own spaces, giving it a private feel, and each table has a well-maintained ventilation system, so our clothes didn't end up smelling too much like meat.

With a menu this good and such a cozy atmosphere, I felt this would be a great spot for a date or a gathering of about four people.

Menu lineup and free corkage

This Dasan Station favorite is all about premium aged meats seared over charcoal first — beyond the usdaegalbi, I hear the pork belly and pork neck (mokssal) are also delicious. Pork neck really has been on point these days 😆

The aged usdaegalbi goes through 120 hours of special aging plus a charcoal sear before it's served, the clean Jeju pork belly looked delicious too, and the flower-cut pork neck gets 48 hours of special aging, so it seemed like it'd be nice and tender.

What I especially loved was that corkage is completely free, so you can bring whatever alcohol you like. Next time I'm telling everyone to bring whiskey haha.

5 handmade side dishes & 5 sauces

There are 5 handmade side dishes made in-house, like kale jangajji (pickled kale) and kimchi geotjeori (fresh mixed kimchi), plus 5 sauces: special pollack roe sauce, handmade ssamjang, handmade soy sauce sauce, fresh wasabi, and Maldon salt. Among the sides, the seasoned lettuce salad went so well with the meat that I wanted to learn the recipe haha. I hadn't tried a seasoning quite like it before, which made it taste even better 👍

The aged usdaegalbi set — grilled start to finish by staff

The usdaegalbi, aged for 120 hours with a special process, had that charcoal aroma. A skilled staff member grilled the meat from start to finish to just the right doneness, so we could just relax and eat! Meat really does taste different depending on how it's grilled, huh 😆

Dipping the perfectly grilled meat into Maldon salt — usdaegalbi is almost never a letdown, but Udontan, this Dasan favorite, was still exceptionally good. It practically melted in my mouth! It confirmed once again that usdaegalbi is a cut that never fails, and the chemistry with the side dishes was so good that everything came together harmoniously, living up to its reputation as a top usdaegalbi spot in Dasan-dong.

There's a full grilling service where staff cook everything from start to finish!

How's the beef short rib doenjang jjigae?

I didn't manage to get a photo of the stew, sorry 😭 But the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) had that rich, deep, savory broth flavor too. It was so savory that I asked the owner, and they said they mix cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste) with doenjang to make it even more savory. The kind of stew flavor that'd be perfect for doenjang-fried rice 👍

💰 Price / value

Considering the generous portion of high-quality usdaegalbi, the rich and savory doenjang jjigae, and the substantial handmade side dish spread, it was a satisfying value overall.

Would I go back: Yes

This Dasan Station BBQ restaurant nailed both the tenderness of the 120-hour aged usdaegalbi and the deep flavor of the handmade side dishes. Comparing it to other BBQ places I've been to, the care put into the side dishes and the tenderness of the raw meat really stood out, so I'm definitely planning to come back.

Just like my friend recommended, this is a great place for anyone who wants to properly enjoy Dasan Station samgyeopsal or juicy Dasan-dong usdaegalbi. Next time I visit, I'm planning to bring a nice bottle of wine to make use of the free corkage service and pair it with the clean Jeju pork belly or the flower-cut pork neck!