While in Seoul in July 2019, I found myself at walking distance from a BBQ that was particularly highly rated on Google (not that it is a guarantee, but it made me curious). If you are looking for BBQs in Seoul, also check out this other review about two famous chains.
The place is called Yukjeon Sikdang n. 1 (신설동 육전식당) and on the menu they explain the meaning of the name:
I dined in the original location in 16 Nangye-ro 30-gil, but they also have two additional locations within a close distance:
The visit
I went on a weekday at around 6pm and the place was already packed with several customers waiting for their turn on the street or upstairs in a waiting room. I got a ticket from the cashier.
They would call numbers on a speaker in Korean that could be heard in the waiting room. But when the customer was a foreigner they made the effort to use English. I waited one hour for my spot. That is a record for me. I have no idea if the other locations are less busy, for sure the waiting will be shorter after 8pm. I really went during peak time.
Finally I was accommodated in one of the tables.
As usual, side dishes and condiments arrived pretty quickly.
I had an issue ordering because there was a peculiar rule: whatever you order first, you need to order two portions. That really did not work for me since I was alone and I wanted to try at least two types of meat. I insisted for an exception playing the clueless tourist card and they gave me a pass.
My first order was a 150 grams of pork neck called Hang-jung-sal. This was not the regular neck meat (Mok-sal) but a part from the front of the neck. On the menu it was described as “a thousand layers of meat and fat”. It was a very tender and tasty piece of pork meat. The meat was cooked by a staff member and eventually cut in pieces with a pair of scissors. The restaurant apparently is famous for these neck cuts.
But the piece of resistance of the meal was 200 grams of Korean sirloin. I do not know the grade, but it was tender and juicy as some of the best local beef I had in Seoul. They only had this cut on the menu (that overall has four types of meat, this and three pork cuts).
Also of note, I was given a piece of Myeongi-namool that is usually translated into English as ramp. It was just the leaves, that were thin and marinated. I was recommended to roll it around the meat and it indeed gave it a boost.
At the end I had fried rice that was cooked on the grill in front of me mixed with vegetables and spicy sauce. It was also sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It was a nice way to cap the meal and feel completely satisfied. According to house rules, it can only be ordered at the end of the meal after consuming some meat.
The check
Final check was 64,000 WON (53 USD). The big ticket item was the sirloin (42,000 WON for 200 grams), while the pork was 18,000 WON. The fried rice was a mere 4,000 WON.
While I would not repeat the experience of waiting for an hour, this was a solid BBQ experience in Seoul and has my recommendation.
Where in Seoul:
Name in Korean: 신설동 육전식당.
16 Nangye-ro 30-gil, Yongsin-dong, Dongdaemun-gu
Nearest metro station: Sinseol-dong (exit 10).