Ilmirak Seongsu Review: Pork and Makguksu Near Ttukseom

I visited a well-known barbecue restaurant in Seongsu-dong. It is known for aged meat and is said to have been visited by many celebrities.

There was a parking space right in front of the restaurant, so I parked there, but walking may be easier. The source notes that there did not seem to be a separate parking lot. Hours were 12:00 to 23:00 with last order at 22:00. Sunday hours were 12:00 to 22:00 with last order at 21:00.

Inside, the restaurant was spacious and looked good for company dinners. The side dishes came out neatly. The fresh kimchi was good, and the pickled sides were seasoned well.

We ordered whole pork belly, whole pork neck, water makguksu, and Ilmi Ale.

I first planned to order whole pork belly with fermented pork neck, but fermented meat and fresh meat use different grills, so we had to choose one type. We ordered whole pork belly and whole pork neck, and I will try the aged meat next time.

Writing a review seemed to offer OB draft beer or house-made green tangerine ade as a service. I tried Ilmi Ale, the signature beer. It had a familiar ale aroma and went well with the meat.

The meat came out nicely with vegetables and mushrooms. Since it was thick, I thought it might be hard to grill, but the staff grilled everything for us.

I think the stew was served without a separate order. Since the staff grilled the meat to the end, all we had to do was eat.

They grilled it to a golden color. The meat was tender and delicious, thick with a crispy outside and moist inside.

We ordered water makguksu to eat with the meat. The broth was very cool and tasty, and it paired better with meat than naengmyeon for me.

The meat was nicely browned and very good, and I liked the variety of vegetables. I did not feel it was especially cost-effective, but it is Seongsu-dong. I would still visit again. The makguksu was good, and the source also notes that the restaurant seems to feature dishes using gangsigi as a main side.