Korean BBQ at Gangnam Station after ordering wedding bands: Giun

Giun in Gangnam Station is a charcoal-grill pork place where staff grill the meat for you, and the tenderness of the galbi samgyeop (marinated pork belly) and pork neck was seriously impressive! The variety of vegetables and the tasty combos were perfect, and even the doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) was clean and deeply savory, so the whole meal finished on a high note :) I'm definitely going again!

Giun Gangnam Station, a charcoal-grill pork specialist

8 pm after signing for wedding bands: Korean BBQ at Giun near Gangnam Station

In the middle of wedding prep, I finished signing the wedding band contract and headed to Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch at 8 pm to recharge (giun means energy). Another day of wedding consultations, and the bands are finally done. Wedding planning really is a battle of information plus a test of stamina... By the time I walked out it was already 8 pm, so I went to recharge at Giun.

Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch (기운 강남역 본점): 25 Dogok-ro 7-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1st floor

What is Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch?

Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch is a charcoal-grill pork restaurant in the Gangnam and Yeoksam area. I was surprised how many customers there were even though we came late in the evening.

It's already known for tasty meat, and the fact that they grill it for you is a big plus. Honestly, taste matters, but who does the grilling matters even more, right? haha

What comes in the Giun set menus?

Giun has 3 set menus.

• Galbi samgyeop + mixed vegetables
• Galbi samgyeop + pork neck + skirt meat + mixed vegetables (Dongiun Set)
• Galbi samgyeop + pork jowl + gabrisal (pork shoulder-loin) + mixed vegetables (Sul Giun Set)

We chose the second one, the Dongiun Set. It was so good that we decided to come back for the third, the Sul Giun Set!

The meat can also be ordered à la carte, and there were plenty of sides and drinks too.

The Dongiun Set, grilled at the table by Giun staff

The Dongiun Set at Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch comes with a really generous amount of meat and vegetables.

Water dropwort, bracken and green onions, all great for grilling, so it passed the looks test right away.

And here's Giun's key point: the staff grill it for you~ Over strong charcoal heat they time everything perfectly, and that really is a pro's touch. We just sit and eat, which is so nice :)

What to pair with galbi samgyeop at Giun

Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch prints suggestions for how to eat the meat, so we followed them exactly, from pink salt all the way to lettuce geotjeori (fresh-tossed lettuce salad).

The golden, well-grilled meat was cut into bite-size pieces for us, and the mukbang (eating show) began. The recommended ways to eat it were written out, so we followed them one by one.

Himalayan pink salt

My first bite was dipped in Himalayan pink salt and wow.. it was so good that my friend and I looked at each other and nodded right away. The meat was tender and the juices were alive!

Special soy sauce + grilled green onion

Next was galbi samgyeop with the special soy sauce and grilled green onion, and this one is totally my taste!

Pickled myeongi (wild garlic leaves) + wasabi

Then myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic leaves) + wasabi + galbi samgyeop, one of my favorite combos. It cuts the greasiness of the meat completely!

Gungchae (celtuce stem) pickles + mustard

Next, a bite of golden grilled meat with gungchae jangajji (pickled stem lettuce) + mustard, and the chewy-crunchy contrast was so good!

Fresh lettuce salad + salted squid

Last was a piece of meat with lettuce geotjeori + ojingeo jeotgal (salted squid), and wow, did they gather only people who really know flavor here? Whatever combo you pick, it's all delicious~

Is the pork neck at Giun really that tender?

At Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch the pork neck is grilled right after the galbi samgyeop, and it was so tender and juicy that it broke my prejudice about pork neck.

After the galbi samgyeop, they grilled the pork neck and I was truly shocked!! It was so tender and juicy I wondered if this was really pork neck, and my prejudice was gone instantly!

Giun in Gangnam Station, the meat quality is confirmed!!

Last up: galmaegisal (pork skirt)

The last cut in the Dongiun Set was galmaegisal (pork skirt meat), chewy and nutty, a perfect finish.

Finishing with Giun's doenjang stew and rice

The doenjang stew at Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch has a deep savory flavor with a slight cheonggukjang (fermented soybean) vibe, plenty of meat, and isn't salty.

My friend ordered the doenjang stew and rice at the end, and it's a real hidden treat!

It had a slight cheonggukjang feel, was super savory with lots of meat, and wasn't salty at all, so you keep eating it even without alcohol.

The Gangnam Station Korean BBQ I'll return to after our wedding photo shoot

We went in a sudden rush, and I was completely satisfied. It was the perfect choice for a day worn out by wedding prep haha. Next time, after the wedding photo shoot, I plan to come back to Giun in Gangnam Station to recharge again. If you love meat, definitely give it a try. You won't regret it!