Korean BBQ near Jeonpo Café Street, Busan: what to order at Busitdol

Jeonpo-dong in Busan is full of cozy cafés and great restaurants, so it always feels lively no matter when you visit. Today I'm introducing Busitdol (부싯돌), a place where you can really enjoy the Jeonpo outdoor-table vibe🤗

Where is Busitdol, and what are its hours?

Busitdol is at 16 Dongseong-ro 87beon-gil, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan. It is open daily from 16:00 to 24:00, with last order at 23:00. It's close to Jeonpo Café Street, so it's easy to stop by a café or take a walk before or after your meal.

In the evening, the outdoor tables at Busitdol fill up one by one, and you really feel that special Jeonpo mood.

What's the atmosphere at Busitdol like?

Busitdol blends vintage concrete walls with wood-toned tables, and it was a space that really captured the Jeonpo feel. The harmony caught my eye the moment I walked in.

The window seats get lots of sunlight, so the mood is great even in the daytime, and many guests were eating at the outdoor tables, which made the atmosphere even livelier. The tables are fairly well spaced, so it never felt cramped. It's an easy pick for a get-together with friends or a date in Jeonpo-dong.

What should you order on your first visit to Busitdol?

If it's your first time at Busitdol, I recommend the combo of old-style pork belly + maekjeok-gui + pot-lid kimchi stew + rice. It's a hearty lineup from the meat all the way to the meal, so you'll be satisfied to the very end.

Busitdol's side dishes

The side dishes came in nice variety: lettuce, chili peppers and garlic, plus spring onion salad, seasoned bean sprouts and pickles. I looked over each one before the meat arrived, and the sweet-and-sour spring onion salad and crunchy bean sprouts stood out.

There were also salt, ssamjang (dipping paste) and a special sauce, so you can enjoy the meat in lots of different ways to suit your taste.

What Gomnyangi ordered

• Old-style pork belly, 2 servings
• Maekjeok-gui (marinated grilled pork), 1 serving
• Pot-lid kimchi stew
• Rice, 2 bowls

Busitdol's old-style pork belly, grilled on a pot lid with aged kimchi

The first dish out at Busitdol was 2 servings of old-style pork belly. They grill the pork belly on a wide pot-lid griddle together with aged kimchi, mushrooms, garlic, chili peppers and sausage, and it made my mouth water just looking at it.

As the meat rendered its fat, the kimchi and garlic cooked in it, and a savory aroma filled the restaurant. My anticipation built before I even took a bite. The old-style pork belly was a good thickness, crispy outside and juicy inside. Eaten with the well-cooked aged kimchi, the savory depth doubled, and with spring onion salad on top it never felt greasy, so I enjoyed it to the end.

What does Busitdol's maekjeok-gui taste like?

The 1 serving of maekjeok-gui at Busitdol was seasoned with a sweet marinade that wasn't overpowering, giving it a charm different from pork belly. It kept the natural flavor of the meat while adding a subtle savory depth.

If ordering only pork belly feels like a shame, I recommend trying the maekjeok-gui too.

Finishing with pot-lid kimchi stew and rice

The meal at Busitdol ended with the pot-lid kimchi stew. A staff member pours in the broth for you, and with kimchi, tofu and green onion in the savory broth, it looked delicious just sitting there.

The broth was spicy with a deep savory flavor, and it only got better as the tofu and kimchi simmered down. With a broth like this, rice isn't optional, it's a must. I put hot rice into the kimchi stew broth, and the spicy-savory flavor filled my mouth. I happily cleared it to the very last spoonful.

Gomnyangi's overall review

If you're looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant in Jeonpo, Busitdol is a satisfying choice. Besides the outdoor-table atmosphere, there wasn't a single disappointing dish: fresh old-style pork belly, maekjeok-gui with its subtle marinade, and a pot-lid kimchi stew that finished the meal perfectly.

The combination of pork belly grilled together with aged kimchi on the pot lid was especially savory and rich, and with the stew following it, the meal was truly filling. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a Jeonpo-dong outdoor-table restaurant, a pork belly place with a great atmosphere in Jeonpo, or anyone who wants to taste properly good pork.