If you're looking for real barbecue in Myeongdong that locals go to, not a touristy restaurant, Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch is the answer!
Leejungwon is already well known for its meat flavor, and the brand itself inspires a high level of trust.
This place pays a lot of attention to meat trimming and quality, especially the samgyeopsal that’s been scored more than 3,000 times and aged.
The side dishes and overall menu are well balanced, so the menu is centered around the quality of the meat.
From now on, I'll give you a detailed look at the menu lineup and my firsthand visit review of Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch!
👇 Click below to see more for detailed business hours, how to make a reservation, refund policy, and important notes! 👇
[Spot] Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch | 3,000 Incisions Aged samgyeopsal
Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch | Why We Recommend It
- 'Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch' focuses on aged and prepared Hanwoo and samgyeopsal, offering a calm place to enjoy Korean-style grilled meat. If you want to properly experience Korea's meat, it's worth a visit.
- The menu centers on Hanwoo and samgyeopsal, making it a great match for those who want a full meat dining experience. In particular, the samgyeopsal goes through aging and 3,000 precise knife cuts, giving it a crispy exterior and tender interior.
- This popular restaurant has been featured on well-known broadcasts like Channel A Gogi Manna and SBS Saengbangsong Today, so its taste and quality have already been verified on multiple shows, making it a reliable choice.
- Because it uses staff-grilled service, you don't need to worry about the grilling process and can focus on your meal. That's a plus, especially for first-time visitors.
- Side dishes are really varied, filling the table with kimchi, green onion salad, gejang, and salad. The gejang side dish, grilled on the pan together, offers a different combination to enjoy with the meat.
- Located near Myeongdong and Euljiro 1-ga Station, it's convenient for a meal while shopping or sightseeing. It's a perfect spot to add to your travel route.
Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch | Our Visit
Today I visited Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch, located near Myeongdong Station.
Myeongdong is located in the heart of the district, so it was easy to find, and since it’s right in the middle of Myeongdong, it was convenient to stop by naturally during our schedule.
They’ve appeared on TV, which made them feel trustworthy, and it seemed like a place already proven by many people.
So my excitement for Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch grew even more, and I found myself looking forward to the upcoming meal even more!
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There’s a storage space under the chair, which is great for putting jackets or bags away.
You can enjoy your meal comfortably without worrying about meat odors sticking to your clothes.
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It was convenient to view menu photos and place orders right away using the tablet installed at each table.
Menus are available in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese, so it’s easy for foreigners to choose, and seat numbers are displayed automatically so you can order without calling a staff member.
As shown in the photo, the meat options and set menus are laid out on the screen so you can easily choose even on your first visit.
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There are water cups and small plates on the shelf next to the table, so you can freely take and use them whenever you need.
It was convenient because you could use it yourself without making a separate request.
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All of these are part of the standard table setup! Even as basics, the lineup is really substantial.
The pork kimchi stew loaded with meat, scallion salad, seasoned marinated crab, kimchi pancake, and bracken, the basic side dishes alone come in a really wide variety!
Various sauces and several types of kimchi are provided here.
Even though it was the basic table setting, the portions were generous, so it was easy to sample a few different dishes.
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The salt was mixed with sesame seeds, giving it a nuttier flavor, and it was fun to grind it yourself!
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Leejungwon felt different from the start, even in the design of the grill.
A ventilation system is built into the grill, so smoke barely rises while grilling and the area around the table stayed relatively comfortable.
Even after the meal, my clothes didn't pick up much smell, which was convenient.
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Our editor ordered the 3000 Kkot-kkot Set.
Includes kkotdeungsim (flower ribeye), kkotansim (flower tenderloin), kkot samgyeopsal, specialty cuts, and a dip-and-dunk cheese fondue, this set lets you enjoy beef and pork together in one meal.
You can enjoy both types of meat at one table, giving you more choices, and the lineup is great for trying a variety of cuts.
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Just looking at the meat laid out on the cutting board, you could tell they cared about quality.
kkotdeungsim (flower ribeye) and kkotansim (flower tenderloin) had even grain and well-distributed marbling, so the meat looked to be in excellent condition.
kkot samgyeopsal had a well-balanced ratio of fat and lean meat, and was prepared in large, thick cuts so you could really enjoy the chew.
Seeing the dense knife cuts on the side of the kkot samgyeopsal made me want to grill it right away and taste it.
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Garnishes to grill and eat with the meat were also prepared.
It was arranged with a variety of garnishes like shiitake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, sweet potato, lotus root, and cherry tomatoes, and they naturally enhanced the flavor when eaten with the meat.
You can tell they paid attention not just to the meat, but to the overall setup as well.
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The meat was grilled by the staff for us.
Thanks to that, we didn't have to worry about doneness or timing, and even someone grilling meat for the first time could enjoy it without any pressure.
They cooked each cut just right, so we could focus more on the meat’s natural texture and flavor.
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The staff sliced the meat at just the right time and placed each piece on the grill one by one.
The outside was evenly seared and the inside stayed juicy, you could see the meat’s juices naturally intact in the cross-section.
The staff cut each piece into bite-sized portions, so it was easy to pick up and focus on the flavor right away.
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We'll also tell you how to enjoy beef deliciously.
Try a small dab of wasabi or a sprinkle of salt, it brings out the meat's natural flavor.
Paired with onions it feels lighter in the mouth, so you can keep enjoying the meat.
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Our editor especially loved this combination. The owner personally recommended it!
Dip it once in Leejungwon's special sauce, then coat it in breadcrumbs before eating.
The breadcrumbs include garlic flakes, which added a subtle, tasty touch.
It paired well with the meat and was a fun, different way to enjoy it.
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Putting a piece of meat on rice and eating them together also went well, and when I added the bracken side dish on top it tasted even better.
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The thing I remember most was the cheese fondue included in the set.
It’s part of the set, so you don’t need to order it separately, and you can dip the grilled meat right away.
Dipping well-grilled beef into the cheese added a nutty richness to the meat’s flavor, making it a perfect pairing to enjoy together.
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The garnish was grilled until golden, which made it look even more appetizing.
A light smoky aroma enhanced the natural flavor of the vegetables, and they were great to have between bites of meat, leaving a clean, refreshed feeling in the mouth.
Our editor also grilled scallops and ate them together, the grilled scallops tasted nutty with a subtle sweetness.
The texture was really tender, making them great to enjoy between bites of meat, and they paired especially well with a light dip in salt.
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The much-anticipated kkot samgyeopsal.
This is aged samgyeopsal with about 3,000 knife cuts on the side, which lets the fat naturally render while grilling, keeping the inside juicy.
Thanks to the knife cuts, the texture was tender and the meat's own flavor really stood out.
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Our editor says it was one of the most tender samgyeopsal they've ever eaten.
From the first bite I could immediately tell the texture was different, and the difference from other samgyeopsal places made it clear why Leejungwon's samgyeopsal is so famous.
I heard Korea's famous celebrity Kang Ho-dong ate 10 servings and left laughing, and after trying it once, I understood why.
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You can’t skip ssam with lettuce at a Korean BBQ restaurant!
Ssambap is a Korean-style eating custom where you wrap meat, rice, vegetables, and side dishes in a single leaf of greens and eat it in one bite.
Place rice on a lettuce leaf, add bracken, shredded green onions, and meat, then eat it in one bite to enjoy a variety of textures and flavors all at once!
The gosari fernbrake and shredded green onions are really delicious, so I recommend wrapping them in lettuce and eating them together!
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Next, I'll introduce one side dish that goes well with the meat.
“Leejungwon” is famous for a unique dish where marinated crab is grilled on the pan.
As it’s lightly grilled, the crab’s sweetness comes alive, and the sauce picks up a subtle smoky flavor, giving a unique twist on Korean-style barbecue.
Especially as it cooks on the grill and the marinade slightly caramelizes, the subtle smoky flame-grilled aroma that forms at that moment is the highlight!
It paired well with rice, and it was my first time grilling gejang, but I was surprised how much tastier it was than I expected!
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They also have a chicken feet menu, so we grilled and tried them together!
Even though these are chicken feet with bones, the meat separated remarkably well, so there was almost no difficulty eating them.
Grilling it on the hot plate added a subtle smoky flavor, and the meat became much more tender!
You can enjoy these unique side dishes at a samgyeopsal restaurant, so it’s great for anyone who wants to try a variety of Korean dishes in one meal.
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The side dish that went well with the meat was 'aehobak eolkeuni' (spicy zucchini stew).
The broth, full of zucchini, green onions, and seasonings, isn’t overpowering but has a sharp kick, so it was perfect to scoop up and eat between bites of meat.
It went really well even when I mixed a little rice into it!
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Besides the spicy zucchini stew, there were a few other stews that go well with meat, like 'Hwasim Meat Soft Tofu' and 'Flower Crab Doenjang Stew.'
The meat and the blue crab are really generously included!
Every time we scooped out the stew, more chunks kept coming out, and it definitely felt different from stews that are mostly just broth.
With the ingredients so plentiful, it was enough to enjoy alongside the meat between bites.
A menu item you can’t miss at a Korean barbecue restaurant is naengmyeon!
Koreans always eat naengmyeon when they go to a barbecue place.
You can choose between the cold mul-naengmyeon, which is refreshing, or the seasoned bibim-naengmyeon, and both pair well with the meat.
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Next is ramyeon!
It's not just a plain ramen, it's a seafood jjambbong ramen with a whole blue crab inside.
The broth was spicy and rich, and from the first sip I could immediately taste the crab and all the seafood packed into it.
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One of Leejungwon's unique menu items is the dolpan cheese fried rice.
Because the rice and cheese are placed on a hot heated stone plate and mixed right away, the cheese melts naturally and the rice becomes nuttier.
When you stir it up and take a spoonful, the texture from the stone plate combined with the cheese really comes alive!
The kimchi pancake was cooked crispy on the outside, and the kimchi's distinctive flavor came through cleanly.
The basic table setting is a bit small, so it might be a good idea to order an extra side right from the start.
The kimchi pancake had a light layer of melted cheese on top, adding a savory richness.
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The bomb-style steamed egg really puffed up big, just like its name, and it had a strong presence from the moment it was placed on the table.
The soft, fluffy egg texture is enhanced by cheese for extra savoriness, and the flying fish roe on top adds a fun popping sensation with every spoonful.
After visiting Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch today, our editor finally understood why this place keeps coming up when people talk about great meat.
Focusing on samgyeopsal that’s been carefully aged and prepared, the staff grills the meat for you so you can concentrate on the flavor the whole meal, and the sides like marinated crab, stews, and naengmyeon made for a truly satisfying meal.
If you’re in Myeongdong and looking for an authentic Korean barbecue spot rather than a touristy restaurant, you have to visit Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch.
Leejungwon Myeongdong Branch | How to Get There
Exit through Euljiro 1(il)-ga Exit 5.
Go straight ahead.
Keep going straight.
Turn right.
Go straight.
Turn right at the intersection.
2F Leejungwon arrived!
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