Aged pork Korean BBQ in Hapjeong with squid jeotgal: Jeongyukdo

Do you love slowly grilling thick cuts of meat over charcoal? At Jeongyukdo (정육도), a restaurant I visited near Hapjeong Station, it felt like grilling at a campsite.

You wait for the meat to cook over gentle charcoal, then eat it one piece at a time! The aroma of the aged pork was so good that I was happy the whole meal 🥩 I chose the pork assortment with doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), and added king oyster mushrooms and bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) to make it hearty. I'll also tell you about the squid jeotgal (salted squid) and pickled chili that went so well with the meat, haha.

Where is Jeongyukdo in Hapjeong, and what's the atmosphere like?

Jeongyukdo is a 2-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 5, at 14 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Turn into the alley next to Compose Coffee and you'll find it.

The outdoor patio at Jeongyukdo

Jeongyukdo has an outdoor patio in its yard. I saw a photo of the operating notice, and the parasols and tables under string lights looked lovely. If you like outdoor seating, check availability before you go. Grilling meat on the patio in a cool breeze... one sizzling piece and the day's tiredness melts away.

Indoors with brick walls and wood floors

The interior of Jeongyukdo had a warm feel, with red brick walls and wood floors. Black metal chairs and framed pictures of meat cuts added a comfortable touch. There are window seats, and every table has an exhaust hood.

The signatures packed onto one wall caught my eye too. Wow, that many autographs? I came for meat and ended up sightseeing the wall. The store notice also mentioned that its pork belly was featured on SBS's Live Today (Saengbangsong Today).

How many people fit in Jeongyukdo's rooms and group seating?

Jeongyukdo's rooms and group seating are listed for 6 to 20 people. I liked the meat quality, so I thought it would suit a gathering or company dinner with fellow meat lovers.

Jeongyukdo menu and lunch specials

Here is the Jeongyukdo menu.

There's also a lunch special menu.

What I ordered at Jeongyukdo and the prices

Here's what I ordered this day:

• Pork assortment ₩49,000 — doenjang stew chosen
• Extra king oyster mushrooms ₩2,000
• Soju ₩5,000
• Beer ₩3,200 × 2 glasses
• Bibim naengmyeon ₩6,000

What does the Jeongyukdo pork assortment look like?

At Jeongyukdo you can enjoy aged 1++ Korean beef and domestic Korean pork (hanbon). This day I picked the pork assortment, and the meat came out thickly sliced, so my eyes lit up the moment I saw it.

The pork assortment was served on a bed of straw, and the king oyster mushroom in the middle was stamped with "Jeongyukdo". Even the mushroom came with a name tag! 🍄

Do you grill the meat yourself at Jeongyukdo?

Jeongyukdo has no grilling service, so you grill it yourself.

Staff bring the charcoal, and then you pick up the tongs and put the meat on. The charcoal is gentle, so the meat took a little while to cook. It was more about chatting and enjoying it slowly than grilling fast. After the wait, the meat cooked up tender.

The aroma of the aged meat was great and mixed with the charcoal smell, and I thought, wow, this piece is delicious! Watching the grill and sharing one piece at a time felt just like grilling at a campsite.

Jeongyukdo side dishes: individual wooden trays, squid jeotgal and pickled chili

The side dish selection isn't huge, but I liked that it's served on individual wooden trays. With pickled chili, seasoned radish strips and squid jeotgal neatly lined up, it was easy to eat.

Onions and pa-jeolli (seasoned scallion salad) came out too.

The squid jeotgal and pickled chili especially went so well with the pork. A little squid jeotgal on the meat adds savory depth, and eating it with the pickled chili was great too. Just swapping one side dish gives you a whole different bite! No wonder my chopsticks kept moving, haha.

The table also had wasabi, mustard and salt. I enjoyed the meat with salt first, then topped it with a bit of wasabi, then added onion or scallion salad, changing the combination as I went.

If you want aged pork grilled over charcoal at a Hapjeong restaurant, this is worth a look.

The doenjang stew I chose with the pork assortment

When ordering the Jeongyukdo pork assortment, I chose doenjang stew as the stew.

The doenjang stew came in an earthenware pot with tofu and vegetables, and it had a deep flavor like homemade doenjang. Eating a piece of meat and then sipping the special broth in between made for a solid meal. Heh.

Extra king oyster mushrooms and Hanmac draft beer

I added king oyster mushrooms for ₩2,000. I like grilling mushrooms along with the meat, so this was a welcome add-on. Slowly cooking meat and mushrooms together on the grill added to the camping mood, hehe.

I ordered soju and beer too. Jeongyukdo's draft beer is Hanmac at ₩3,200 a glass; I ordered two, and mixed soju into the foamy beer to drink it ice-cold.

Finishing with bibim naengmyeon

To finish, I picked Jeongyukdo's bibim naengmyeon (₩6,000). Adding a noodle dish at a BBQ place makes you feel you've wrapped up the meal properly, right? This day I covered it all: a plate of meat, doenjang stew, king oyster mushrooms and bibim naengmyeon.

What stuck with me most about Jeongyukdo

What stayed with me most from this visit was the quality of the meat itself. I liked the good aroma of the aged pork, its tender texture, and the combination with squid jeotgal and pickled chili.

You have to tend the grill since it's self-grilling, but I could relax and chat while enjoying it. For anyone looking for a gathering or company dinner centered on tasty meat, this Hapjeong restaurant is worth considering 🤎

Jeongyukdo info

• Name: Jeongyukdo
• Address: 14 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Transit: 3 minutes from Hapjeong Station Exit 5 per Naver Place
• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:30–23:00 / Sun 11:30–22:00
• Last order: Mon–Sat 21:30 / Sun 20:30
• Naver reservations available
• Groups: rooms and group seating for 6–20
• Wi-Fi, separate men's and women's restrooms, waiting area, high chairs
• Corkage (paid): ₩5,000 per person
• Parking: none on site; use nearby paid lots

There's also a coupon for one free highball when you book through Naver. It can be used when ordering with other menu items, limited to one use in total and not combinable with other coupons, so please check the coupon details before visiting.

※ Prices are as of the visit; hours, facilities and coupon information follow the attached store notice.

[This post was written after receiving part of the meal cost from the business.]