Hapjeong Seoul Korean BBQ with soy pork ribs: Champpoppo

A pork rib restaurant an easy walk from Hapjeong Station

It is about a five-minute walk from Exit 6 of Hapjeong Station, and I arrived in no time while looking around the neighborhood.

They are open from 17:00 to 24:00 Monday through Thursday, and from 17:00 to 01:00 Friday through Sunday. Groups and reservations are welcome, but parking is unavailable.

It is on the first floor along a main road, so it was not hard to find.

Spacious seating and an easy flow through the room

The space was wider than I expected! What I also liked was that there were no tables in the center aisle, making it easy to move around, and the seats themselves were roomy too.

You can store your belongings inside the chairs, which was convenient without having to worry about bags.

The cutlery and napkins are in the drawer beside the table.

A varied menu from pork ribs to pasta

Starting with their signature soy-sauce and seasoned pork ribs, there were many main dishes including whole skirt meat, boneless charcoal-grilled chicken feet, and pork skin. There were also plenty of sides, such as doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), cream pasta, and ramen. They had not only individual dishes but also set menus at discounted prices. I thought it would be a good option for a date near Hapjeong Station or for anyone looking for a group dinner spot.

• Pasta set ₩51,000
• Seasoned skirt meat ₩12,900
• Grandma's doenjang rice soup ₩8,000
• Soft drinks ₩2,000

We ordered the pasta set, which included two portions of soy-sauce pork ribs and one portion of seasoned pork ribs, then added seasoned skirt meat, Grandma's doenjang rice soup, and drinks. The total was ₩73,900.

The basic spread served while waiting for the pork ribs

First came white kimchi, pickles, salad, and three sauces. All the sauces here were delicious 👍 I do not usually go for sauces, but here I ate them in all kinds of combinations.

Chicken porridge also came as a basic side. Topped with sesame oil, it was nutty and satisfying, and having it before the meal felt like it settled my stomach nicely.

Because the pork ribs arrive pre-grilled, they take around 15 minutes after ordering. In the meantime, corn cheese, pork skin, and potatoes came out to snack on.

The pork skin and corn cheese were 👍 The pork skin was thick and nutty, and with the richness of the cheese and the texture of the corn, my appetite really kicked in, haha. So the wait for the pork ribs did not feel long at all.

How we grilled the soy-sauce pork ribs

We ordered two portions of soy-sauce pork ribs and one portion of seasoned ribs. But there was more than I expected! Usually, pork ribs are half bone, so there is not much to eat once you get into them and I tend to order lots. Here, though, the ribs were large and meaty.

They told us to start by grilling the soy-sauce pork ribs. The staff at Champpoppo Jjokgalbi are incredibly kind too 😊 They explained all the tips for enjoying the food and even asked first whether we needed aprons.

Ready to eat 😆

The bones were really plump, right? The meat had no gamey smell and was so tender. Since they come pre-grilled, grill the bone side for one minute, flip them over for another minute, and they brown up nicely and are ready to eat. The seasoning was not overpowering, so it was not salty and let you taste the meat better. With a slightly spicy sauce in between, or a nutty garlic-mayo-like sauce, I just kept reaching for more.

Sweet seasoned pork ribs and seasoned skirt meat

Once we finished the soy-sauce ribs, we grilled the seasoned pork ribs right away so the flow of the meal would not be interrupted, haha.

The seasoned pork ribs were not as spicy as I expected and had a gentle sweetness, giving them a different appeal from the soy-sauce ones. Personally, the seasoned ribs were delicious too, but the soy-sauce ones suited my taste a little more. Still, you absolutely need to try the pork ribs here, but please also make sure to try the seasoned skirt meat!!

That is one portion, but it is a lot, right?

The whole skirt meat was plump and quite long 😆 They told us it tastes best at about 80% cooked rather than fully cooked.

Doesn't that color look so appetizing? 😆 The seasoning had that sweet-and-salty feel, so I could taste the meat well along with the savory depth, which was exactly my style. Eating the seasoned skirt meat after the pork ribs also brought different textures and flavors, making it fun to eat.

Cream pasta and doenjang rice soup that exceeded expectations

Since the pork ribs were the main event, I honestly did not expect much from the pasta, but its quality was much better than expected.

The cream pasta was thick and rich, with plenty of bacon, so it was delicious even on its own. My husband said the pasta was a little spicy, but by my standards it did not have enough heat, so I think it would be delicious with a bit more spice.

They just seem very generous here. Even the earthenware pot of doenjang rice soup was quite large, haha.

It was not only the pot that was big; it was packed with vegetables too, which I liked. Some places give you more broth than vegetables, but this had plenty of tofu and vegetables, so it looked satisfying just to see. Having it as the final course was filling with the added carbs too 😊 Overall, we had a hearty and delicious meal, from the pork ribs and skirt meat to the pasta and doenjang rice soup 😊 The pork ribs in particular were meaty and tender, so if you are looking for great pork ribs around Hapjeong, I recommend Champpoppo Jjokgalbi 👍