A Slice of Pork Tenderloin (Myeongdong)
Nicoleheitong
2 days ago
It’s actually pretty easy to find,
it’s in the same building as “Taecho Galbi (태초갈비)”, which I’ve mentioned before,
and the 2nd-floor spot “Sura Ganjang Gejang (수라게장)” is also a place I’m planning to try in a few days,
I feel like I can confidently tell you that,
every restaurant in this building is worth trying 😁
When I arrived on the 3rd floor at “Ilpyeon Deungsim (일편등심 명동점)”,
the moment the elevator doors opened, I was immediately drawn to the mirror 🤩
Doesn’t it feel like you’ve seen this wavy mirror somewhere before too?
This neon “wavy mirror” is the one a lot of Korean celebrities use for mirror selfies, and of course, it’s also a popular home decor piece. It’s a design by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass. With its distinctive wavy frame, it’s wider and thicker than a typical mirror frame so it feels really substantial, plus it lights up. In photos, it looks like you’re using a filter, super cute and eye-catching.
But a full-length one costs over USD 10,000 💸 So if you don’t have one at home like me 😅 definitely take a selfie with it when you visit 🙂↕️
That day, I saw three or four groups put their names down for a table,
so if your schedule is tight,
make sure you book ahead!
Common reservation methods for travelers 🔽
💺 Catch Table App: No Korean phone number needed, you can sign up with email, choose your party size and time, and book lots of super popular restaurants. If you join the waitlist on-site, it also shows you how many parties are still ahead of you.
💺 Creatrip platform: A platform I use a lot whenever I’m in Korea. Besides restaurant reservations, they also partner with clothing rentals, indoor studio shoots, travel photo shoots, workshop experiences, aesthetic/dermatology treatments, dental clinics, accommodations, and even day trips and concert tickets, so it’s really convenient to book 😉.
When you walk through the entrance of “Ilpyeon Deungsim (일편등심 명동점)”,
you’ll see a whole wall covered in Polaroid photos they’ve hung up
and then a huge fridge dedicated to the meat 🥩
Just looking at the fridge makes you want to sit down and order right away, doesn’t it?
Same here. Even though I had a reservation,
I still waited about five minutes before a staff member had time to seat me, so you can imagine how packed and busy it was 🥹
📌So yes, you really should book ahead 📌
The seating is mostly booth-style,
and each table has its own private space,
Under the chairs, like many Korean BBQ places,
there are sealed storage boxes for your clothes,
so they won’t soak up the BBQ smell!
I’m not sure if it’s because I brought a uniform jacket with me,
but they placed an adorable little cow 🐮 for me
By the time I got to my seat,
the staff had already set out a variety of banchan to go with the meat and cut the richness.
The sides included several kinds of kimchi, green garlic scapes, kimchi stew, pickled radish, acorn jelly, salad, garlic and lettuce for wraps, plus their signature fresh soy sauce dip.
As for the star of the show, the “meat 🥩”, “Ilpyeon Deungsim (일편등심 명동점)” uses 1++ (BMS Level 9) Korean beef.
I only learned this once I came here 😉
It refers to top-tier quality, the highest grade 1++ (BMS Level 9) Korean beef, comparable to Japan’s A5 wagyu. They focus on selecting the rare top 4% cuts, like tenderloin, ribeye, and shrimp-shaped cuts.
This time, I ordered the staff-recommended “Ilpyeon SET”,
which includes:
Ilpyeon Deungsim (150g) + chuck shoulder (130g) + special cut (100g) + Korean beef doenjang rice
And I added the grilled scallop and the raw beef bibimbap I wanted to try.
Also… every time I eat Korean BBQ, I need a bottle of my Coca Cola 🥹
The staff put another cute little cow 🐮 on the seat across from me.
After ordering, of course you wait for the food,
so I took some photos while I had the time,
and there was also a cute little bear 🐻 among the table decor
This place is honestly… just the decor alone instantly boosted my mood by several levels 🥹
It’s a bit different from other Korean BBQ places I’ve been to,
because at Ilpyeon Deungsim, they wait until you finish one cut,
then grill the next cut for you.
And they grill everything to medium,
(which is exactly my favorite doneness)
Then they place it on a plate warmed by a candle.
The first cut they grilled was the menu’s “Ilpyeon Deungsim (일편등심)”, which is meat from the inner loin area, in other words tenderloin (filet mignon).
Because tenderloin sits close to the backbone and gets the least exercise, it’s very delicate and tender. This restaurant also tops the meat with edible gold leaf for a refined presentation, it really feels like a full-on dining ritual 🥹.
The second cut was “snowflake chuck flap tail (살치살)”. Just to clarify, this wasn’t originally included in my Ilpyeon Set, but one of the set cuts was sold out that day, so the staff upgraded me to “snowflake chuck flap tail (살치살)” instead.
Here’s what I found when I looked it up 🔽
Snowflake chuck flap tail (살치살) is considered a top 1% cut, known for its intense marbling. That’s why it melts in your mouth with rich, savory fat. The marbling is fine and evenly distributed, and it’s most tender when grilled to medium.
The third cut was “neck meat (제비추리)”.
Here’s what I found when I looked it up 🔽
This is a rare cut that connects the inner side of the ribs to the neck area, a slender, lean strip near the 1st to 7th ribs. Even though it’s lean, it has delicate streaks of fat, with a deep red color and a bouncy, juicy bite. It’s rich in flavor, and prized as a premium, hard-to-find cut for its unique balance of tenderness and chew.
After that came the grilled scallop. Along with the raw beef bibimbap, these are two dishes I really love 🥹 If I see them on the menu, they become must-orders for me 😉
Last was the Korean beef doenjang rice from the set, but sadly I really can’t tell you whether it was good or not,
because for someone like me who can’t handle spicy food, it was just way too spicy.
But they were really thoughtful. It was the final dish I ate,
so after it sat for a while, the staff even kindly took it back to heat it up for me.
What I can say is,
even though the menu doesn’t label it as a two-person set,
I think for women, it would be totally fine to share between 2 to 3 people.
If you get the chance, go give it a try!
📌And remember to book ahead 📌
