Hongdae Korean BBQ for frozen pork belly: Mapo Gui Madang

The day I went looking for frozen pork belly in Hongdae

I visited Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch, a great Hongdae spot for those days when pork belly is calling.

I found Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch while looking for a good pork belly restaurant and had to visit. Their old-style pork belly is flash-frozen, which they say gives it a softer texture than regular frozen pork belly. Known as one of the country’s top three places for green onion kimchi, it serves both frozen pork belly and thick-cut pork belly. The quiet atmosphere also made it nice for pork belly with a drink.

Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is by the GS25 convenience store at the small intersection you reach after walking straight down the road to the right, with the LINE FRIENDS building beside you, from Exit 1 of Hongik University Station. It is closed for the Chuseok holiday from September 24 to 26, so check ahead if you are planning to visit during the holiday.

What are the exterior and interior like?

It was easy to find beside GS. Banners reading “one of the country’s top three green onion kimchi restaurants,” “frozen and thick-cut pork belly specialist,” and “spicy webfoot octopus” hung together under the yellow light, so they stood out right at the entrance to the alley. Photos from various TV appearances were posted by the entrance too, making it clear at a glance that this pork belly restaurant has been featured on television many times.

Inside, each round table is set with a stone grill. The high ceiling and open layout kept it from feeling cramped. The wood furnishings gave it a calm atmosphere too.

The tables are generously spaced, so it works for a quiet date for two and also feels comfortable for a larger drinking get-together.

Menu and table setting

The stone grill cooks the meat quickly and evenly. What stood out here was that the Jeolla-style green onion kimchi and assorted side dishes are refillable. Because the pork belly is flash-frozen, it retains more juice than ordinary frozen pork belly. I was also impressed that the owner, rather than a staff member, personally fries the rice right in front of the grill.

• Frozen pork belly, 200g — ₩9,900
• Thick-cut pork belly, pork neck, pork intestine, spicy webfoot octopus, 200g — ₩13,900 each
• Fried rice, stew, bracken fern — ₩3,000 each
• Jjagyechi — ₩5,000
• Green onion naengmyeon (cold noodles), spicy naengmyeon — ₩8,000 each
• Soju, beer — ₩5,000 each
• Soft drinks — ₩2,000

Kimchi, Jeolla-style green onion kimchi, white kimchi, garlic, a house special sauce, and pepper come with the meal.

They top the ssamjang (Korean dipping paste) with Cheongyang chili peppers and soybean powder, and dipping the meat in it is one of this place’s highlights.

Four steps for enjoying frozen pork belly

First: build up the fat with half the frozen pork belly

I ordered 200g of frozen pork belly, or old-style pork belly. The first step is to grill only half of it first, to build up some fat.

Because it is thinly sliced, the outside turns crisp while the inside stays juicy, letting you taste the meat’s clean, natural flavor first.

Second: grill garlic and kimchi in pork fat

For the second step, grill whole garlic cloves, green onion kimchi, and napa cabbage kimchi together in the collected fat.

The whole garlic cloves cook almost like they are deep-fried in the fat, becoming crisp outside and fluffy inside, with a potato-like texture.

The pungent aroma and savory salted-seafood richness of the Jeolla-style green onion kimchi and napa cabbage kimchi soak up the pork fat—an impossibly good combination.

Third: make the frozen pork belly crisp in garlic oil

The third step is to grill the remaining frozen pork belly again in oil infused with garlic, making it crispy.

Wrap the almost deep-fried-crisp frozen pork belly in lettuce with the potato-textured garlic, grilled green onion kimchi, and the special sauce, and you get crispness and that salty-sweet balance in one bite.

Last: stone-plate fried rice

Last comes the stone-plate fried rice. It is fried in the concentrated fat flavored with pork belly, garlic, and green onion kimchi.

The crisp nurungji (scorched rice) stuck to the bottom of the grill and the spicy tang of the green onion kimchi completely reset the richness in your mouth. Follow these four steps in order and one plate of pork belly gives you four totally different textures: rendering fat, grilling garlic and kimchi, crispy frozen pork belly, and fried rice.

Things to check before visiting

The stone grill takes time to heat up, so wait a little at the start before putting the meat on; it will cook evenly. Green onion kimchi and the basic vegetables including garlic are unlimited refills, so do not hold back—ask for plenty and grill away.

There is group seating, making it a good atmosphere for small gatherings and company dinners, but it is safest to reserve ahead for a large group. The spicy webfoot octopus is currently discounted from its original ₩16,000 to ₩13,900.

My visit thoughts

The stone grill made the frozen pork belly cook quickly and evenly, which was convenient, and everyone’s service, including the owner’s, was so kind that I left feeling happy and well fed.

After trying it myself, I could see why it is called one of the country’s top three green onion kimchi restaurants. It is an easy place to drop by when pork belly is calling and also a great fit for a date in Hongdae. Next time, I think I will return to Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch to make sure I try the spicy webfoot octopus I missed this time.