01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Pork sizzles and browns on tabletop iron grills while steaming hot pots simmer alongside. Tucked into Ueno 1-chome, Kiyon Family (キヨンファミリー) is an unpretentious izakaya where diners can enjoy authentic Korean home cooking and barbecue.
For an evening focused on meat, the samgyeopsal or pork galbi sets are dependable choices. Wrapped in sanchu lettuce with grilled kimchi, green onion salad, garlic, and green chili peppers, the juicy pork is balanced by layers of sharp, savoury punch. The à la carte menu offers plenty to accompany drinks as well, including bossam with its tender meat and delicate skin, seafood chijimi packed with squid, and fluffy steamed gyeran-jjim.
The extensive selection of stews and hot pots is another strong draw. Offerings range from slow-simmered, richly flavoured gamjatang to half chicken soup (hangetang) and budae jjigae brimming with savoury ingredients. Groups can book set courses pairing samgyeopsal with a choice of hot pot and seafood chijimi, ideal for lingering over draft makgeolli or Chamisul soju.
Beyond lively evening gatherings, lunch offers simmering sundubu-jjigae and kimchi-jjigae sets, making the restaurant equally practical during the day. With its casual hospitality, it is an easy place to settle in with family or close friends over robust, authentic Korean flavours.
