Mapo Station Korean BBQ, grilled kimchi & cheese ramyeon: Gui Madang

I've been visiting lots of interior construction sites lately, so I've been breathing in a ton of dust ㅠ The dust needs to be washed down with pork fat, so I headed to Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch (마포구이마당 용강직영점) near Mapo Station, famous as one of the country's top 3 green onion kimchi spots. Honest review, let's goooo~~

Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch: hours, location and parking

Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch is open daily from 16:00 to 22:30, with last order at 22:00. It's 534m from Mapo Station Exit 1, about a 9-minute walk, and you can park 2-3 cars on the road in front.

• ⏰ Daily 16:00-22:30 (last order 22:00)
• 📍 534m from Mapo Station Exit 1 (9-minute walk)
• 🅿️ Roadside parking in front (about 2-3 cars)

Mapo Gui Madang exterior and interior

Mapo Gui Madang sits right on a four-lane road! You can park along the road in front, but the space isn't big, so probably only 2-3 cars ㅠ (If parallel parking isn't your thing, practice before you visit haha)

The moment you walk in, the interior gives off a vibe of 'Ah.. this is a place where you could put away crates of soju with your pork belly...' haha There are about 10-12 tables inside, so groups are no problem~

Mapo Gui Madang menu and prices

The signature flash-frozen pork belly (200g) is ₩9,900, while fresh whole pork belly, fresh whole pork neck, whole makchang (pork intestine) and fire octopus are ₩13,900 per 200g. Sides start at ₩3,000 for doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), and cheese ramyeon, fried rice and jjagyechi (black bean noodles with egg and cheese) are ₩5,000.

🥩 Main BBQ menu

• Flash-frozen pork belly (200g) - ₩9,900
• Fresh whole pork belly (200g) - ₩13,900
• Fresh whole pork neck (200g) - ₩13,900
• Signature whole makchang (pork intestine, 200g) - ₩13,900
• Recommended fire octopus (200g) - ₩13,900
• Beef brisket (180g) - ₩15,000

🍚 Sides and extras

• Chewy spicy noodles (chal bibim myeon) - ₩5,000
• Pork skin - ₩9,000
• Spicy cold noodles (bibim naengmyeon) - ₩9,000
• Fried rice - ₩5,000
• Jjagyechi (black bean noodles with egg and cheese) - ₩5,000
• Green onion cold noodles - ₩9,000
• Cheese ramyeon - ₩5,000
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) - ₩3,000
• Minari (water dropwort) - ₩3,000
• Gosari (fernbrake) - ₩3,000
• Cheese topping - ₩3,000

🍻 Drinks

• Soju - ₩5,000
• Beer - ₩5,000
• Soft drinks - ₩2,000

One of Korea's top 3 green onion kimchi spots: what side dishes come free?

The basic sides are three kinds of kimchi (napa cabbage, green onion and white kimchi), lettuce wraps, garlic, makjang (soybean paste, with soybean powder) and ssamjang.

Since this is one of the country's top 3 green onion kimchi spots, let's look at the kimchi trio up close one more time! The kimchi is good on its own, but even better grilled with the meat! Green onion kimchi is also a perfect match for jjagyechi, but I forgot to order it this time ㅠㅠ

Fresh whole pork belly and pork neck instead of frozen: is the meat pre-grilled?

Mapo Gui Madang is very famous for its frozen pork belly, but Jjunping and Haenping ordered 2 servings of fresh whole pork belly and 1 serving of fresh whole pork neck! (I was the kind of kid who didn't listen to my parents much haha) A staff member pre-grills the meat in a separate area near the entrance and brings it over, so we didn't have to wait long, which made me super happy haha

They move the pre-grilled meat onto the table grill~ and the cut pork belly just needs a little more grilling, lined up neatly in rows!!

Grilling the pork with kimchi and whole garlic

They also put the green onion kimchi and napa cabbage kimchi on the grill~ Meat plus grilled kimchi, everyone in Korea knows that combo, right?? The meat quality made me think 'Huh? This good at this price?'!! The whole garlic from the side dishes goes right into the meat fat too~

They even give you whole peppercorns for the pepper lovers, such a nice touch~

Does Mapo Gui Madang's cheese ramyeon go with pork belly?

The cheese ramyeon (₩5,000) was a perfect carb finish to cut the richness of the pork belly. You can't eat meat without carbs.. so today I went with cheese ramyeon! Spicy ramyeon plus nutty cheese, with the water level just right, so tasty! The ramyeon broth cut the greasiness so well that I almost ordered more meat haha

Holding back on drinks with food this good is a crime.. and Haenping couldn't commit a crime, so I left the driving to Jjunping and had a glass of beer, cheers~

Is Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch worth it for Korean BBQ near Mapo Station?

Mapo Gui Madang Yonggang Direct Branch is a BBQ restaurant near Mapo Station that works for dinner with family or friends, or even a big group outing. With kind prices rarely seen in this high-cost era and high-quality meat at one of the top 3 green onion kimchi spots, I gently recommend it~