Gapyeong butcher shop, car camping pork gabrisal & jowl: Ari Chuksan

Why buy car-camping meat at Ari Chuksan in Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong?

Before heading out for car camping in Gapyeong, I spent ages debating where to buy the grilling meat. I figured I could just grab something at a mart near the accommodation, but a friend mentioned a particular butcher shop in Gapyeong that had quite the reputation, so I looked it up. That's how I found Ari Chuksan — even the name inspired confidence somehow haha. It's apparently well known among people searching for a Cheongpyeong butcher shop or a butcher near their pension, so I headed over half expecting great things, half just excited. Imagining stopping by on the way to camp and grabbing fresh meat already had my mouth watering.

Where is Ari Chuksan, and is there parking?

Ari Chuksan was easy to find, probably because there's a Hanaro Mart nearby. Following the navigation, it sat just off the main road down a small alley. Since it's right along the route to car-camping spots, access was really convenient, and there was plenty of parking so parking the car was no hassle. If you're passing through Gapyeong or Cheongpyeong, it's a spot you can stop at without much of a detour. Maybe because of the nearby Hanaro Mart, it felt like quite a lot of people gather there on weekends — when we arrived there were already several other customers, so I could tell it's popular.

What the Ari Chuksan shop and meat counter look like

The moment I walked in, the scale felt way bigger than I'd pictured. I expected a small neighborhood butcher, but it genuinely had the vibe of a professional meat market. Outside there was a poster for holiday gift sets, and a note saying they'd throw in enoki mushrooms for free with a meat purchase.

The display cases had every cut neatly sorted, and the lighting was bright enough that the meat's color really showed clearly.

On one side they had lettuce leaves for wraps, sauces, and even charcoal supplies for camping all set up together, which meant I didn't have to make a separate trip to a mart — genuinely convenient. The staff were quick and skilled at trimming, so the wait never felt boring. The whole place felt spotlessly clean and there was no smell at all. Since a lot of customers were clearly there for camping-grill meat, the packaging was well done too!

Which cuts of Korean pork we bought at Ari Chuksan

This time we chose three cuts: pork belly, pork gabrisal, and pork jowl. The belly (ogyeopsal) was ₩3,150 per 100g, which felt like a genuinely kind price for handon (Korean pork). Gabrisal was ₩3,750 per 100g, and jowl was ₩6,980 per 100g, priced appropriately as the premium cut it is.

• Pork belly (ogyeopsal) — ₩3,150 per 100g
• Pork gabrisal — ₩3,750 per 100g
• Pork jowl (hangjeongsal) — ₩6,980 per 100g

I'd heard they have unusually strict standards for sourcing raw meat, and looking at the texture, the marbling between fat and lean meat really was fine-grained. The color had a vivid pink hue that made the freshness obvious at a glance. I watched the staff member trim it and they cleanly removed unnecessary fat, which built trust. The packaging was solid too, so the meat's condition never shifted on the drive to the camping spot.

Grilling Ari Chuksan's pork belly (ogyeopsal) at the campsite

Once we got to the campsite and heated up the grill, the first thing we laid on it was of course the Ari Chuksan pork belly (ogyeopsal). The moment it hit the pan, the sizzle of fat rendering out instantly lifted the whole camping mood. Watching the surface turn golden brown and then deep brown had me drooling just looking at it. The second I took a bite, I could feel exactly that crisp outside, juicy inside texture. The more I chewed, the more juice came through with zero off-flavor, just a rich savory taste filling my mouth. It hit me from the first bite that this was genuinely fresh meat — completely different from frozen meat. Dipped lightly in salt, the natural flavor of the ingredient came through even more and I couldn't stop reaching for more. Wrapped in a lettuce leaf with crunchy vegetables, it went down clean without any greasiness.

How the gabrisal and pork jowl (hangjeongsal) tasted

After the belly, we grilled the gabrisal, and the way the fat was mixed in like marbling was striking. As the smell drifted up while it cooked, our expectations kept rising. That first bite had a chewy yet tender texture that showed a different charm from the belly. The more I chewed, the more savory juice came out, with no off-flavor at all, so the freshness came through directly. The jowl had that distinctive bumpy texture while still feeling tender and springy. Even as it cooled slightly, the flavor barely changed, which surprised me — the juiciness held up really well. My wife took one bite of the jowl and her eyes widened, saying this place's meat is genuinely different. Thinking about quality versus price, it really felt like a satisfying choice all over again.

Ari Chuksan's freebies, weekly events and delivery

Something I learned during this visit: Ari Chuksan is apparently also known for generously throwing in salt and sauce with a meat purchase. I also found out that visiting through a Naver Reservation gets you extra items like lettuce, shredded scallions, salt, and sauce. They also have a range of house-made marinated meats, so next time I want to try the gochujang pork or beef bulgogi. Apparently they run different events by day of the week — Tuesday has pork offcuts, and Thursday has beef-related freebies — worth keeping in mind. On orders over ₩70,000, delivery is free too, which makes it a great option to reorder even for people who live far away. All these thoughtful touches made it feel less like just a place selling meat and more like a butcher shop that genuinely looks after its customers.

They kindly gave us Korean beef tendon to add to ramyeon and enoki mushrooms to grill alongside!

Ari Chuksan — where the scent of fresh meat still fills the air, satisfying travelers' hunger today too.

Is Ari Chuksan worth it? An honest verdict

This visit to Ari Chuksan was written after receiving sponsorship, but I want to say honestly that it was a genuinely satisfying experience. It really surprised me that you could get this level of freshness and flavor at an affordable handon (Korean pork) price point. Weighing quality against price, I came away convinced this is a genuinely great-value butcher shop. My wife even said that next time we go car camping in Gapyeong, we're definitely shopping here first. Next time I want to buy even more jowl and grill it up, and I really want to try the house-made marinated meats too. If you're looking for a Cheongpyeong butcher shop or a Gapyeong butcher shop, I think you can visit this one with confidence.