Incheon Korean BBQ with whole mushrooms on pork belly: Heukdwaeji

Today I want to share a Ruwon City restaurant I visited on a day when I was craving really good meat. I love meat in general, and sometimes I just get a hankering for properly grilled pork belly or pork neck. Especially as evening rolls around, there are days when all I want is good meat with a bowl of rice.

This time I went looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant around Ruwon City in Incheon and ended up at Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul Gajeong Ruwon City Main Branch (흑돼지형제들 가정루원시티본점). It's a place where you can enjoy Jirisan black pork grilled over charcoal, so it was perfect for a day when meat was calling my name. Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul has a solid reputation as a meat spot in Ruwon City.

Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul

Parking and how to find Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul near Gajeong Station

I drove over, and parking was very easy since Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul Gajeong Ruwon City Main Branch has basement parking in the building. The entrance to the parking lot was wide and there was plenty of space. It's also close to Gajeong Station, so it's fine to reach by public transit too, and with restaurants clustered nearby, it's a good spot to consider when looking for a place for an evening get-together.

Inside the restaurant: group seating for families

Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul has regular tables as well as space set up for larger groups. Since Korean BBQ places often see groups of people dining together, I always notice table spacing and seating arrangement. Having a space that works well for family meals or gatherings with friends was reeeally nice. I also saw a lot of families dining together.

Pork belly, pork neck and the side menu

The Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul menu has pork belly (ogyeopsal) and pork neck (mokssal), each orderable on its own, and there's also a combo set to have both together.

There's a good variety of side dishes too — the naengmyeon (cold noodles) is tasty, but I was told the gochujang jjigae (spicy pepper paste stew) is especially good.

If you take part in the review event, you get a free naengmyeon on top of everything. Order rice and gochujang jjigae as sides, then finish with naengmyeon from the review event — perfect!

Charcoal grilling at the table and the banchan spread

Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul Gajeong Ruwon City Main Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Ruwon City where you can enjoy Jirisan black pork grilled over charcoal. One of its features is the tableside grilling service, along with a range of black pork menu items. The owner grills the meat with real care — just watching him grill, you could tell it couldn't possibly taste bad.

When you order, steamed egg (gyeranjjim) and mukjeon (acorn jelly salad) come out as complimentary sides.

Look at the size of that steamed egg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pork neck grilled like a steak

One thing that stands out about Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul is this pork neck (mokssal), which you can eat almost like beef steak. Unlike the pork neck at typical Korean BBQ restaurants, it's grilled steak-style, giving it an even richer, nuttier flavor.

Part of the fun of pork is how the texture and flavor change depending on which cut you eat. Pork neck is great for its light yet thick, satisfying texture.

Pork belly with chewy, well-rendered fat

Pork belly (ogyeopsal) is the cut where fat and lean meat come together for that rich, nutty flavor you look forward to, and we decided to go with pork belly that had nice chewy fat.

Pork belly is one of my regular favorites because the lean meat and fat combine for such a rich flavor. Watching it turn golden brown on the grill made me want to eat a piece right away.

Picking up a perfectly grilled piece of pork belly, the rich flavor spread through my mouth and I thought, yep, I was right to come here for meat. It's great wrapped in lettuce, and just as good enjoyed on its own for the pure flavor of the meat — satisfying the whole way through.

Whole mushrooms grilled alongside the black pork

Something I personally loved was that at Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul, you can grill whole mushrooms right along with the meat. I already like grilling mushrooms at BBQ restaurants, but grilling them whole felt extra special. When a mushroom is grilled whole, it keeps its moisture inside, so you get that particular soft texture and flavor.

Grilling whole mushrooms right on the same plate as the meat as it cooked gave a different kind of appeal from eating just the meat. Pairing the well-grilled mushrooms with the meat worked really well too. If you're someone who normally likes mushrooms, you'll probably enjoy the fun of grilling them together with the meat.

Is Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul in Ruwon City worth a visit?

Heukdwaeji Hyeongjedeul Gajeong Ruwon City Main Branch is close to Gajeong Station and has parking in the building, so it's worth noting for accessibility. Another standout is the tableside grilling service along with the range of black pork menu items. If you're setting up an evening get-together or looking for a place for a family meal in Ruwon City and meat comes to mind, this is worth considering. On a day when meat is especially calling you, like it did for me, enjoying delicious black pork with a hearty meal is a small kind of happiness.