Munjeong Korean BBQ: aged pork neck, scallion wraps at Insaengdwaeji

When I'm craving thick aged pork neck, the Munjeong BBQ place that comes to mind is Insaengdwaeji Songpa Branch (인생돼지 송파본점). It has been in the same spot since 2017, so there's a reason it has lasted. This Munjeong Station Korean BBQ restaurant grills the meat for you, which makes it easy to enjoy any time.

Where is Insaengdwaeji Songpa Branch and when is it open?

Insaengdwaeji Songpa Branch is on the B1 floor of Songpa Prugio City, 62 Saemal-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 16:00 to 23:00. It's in the basement, but the sign really stands out, so it's easy to find.

The staff grill the meat really well, so this Munjeong-dong BBQ spot keeps coming to mind on late, tiring evenings when I want to eat meat without any effort.

• Hours: daily 16:00-23:00
• Details: reservations, Wi-Fi, group seating, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs, corkage available (paid)
• Parking: available (free, in the restaurant's building)

What does the basic table setting look like?

When you sit down, a round grill sits in the middle and the side dishes are laid out all around it. Getting everything ready for meat like this is secretly exciting.

You get scallion salad, pickled onion, pickled radish (ssambu) and bean sprouts, and a basket piled with perilla leaves, red leaf lettuce and chili peppers. The perilla aroma is strong, and I was already looking forward to wrapping meat in it.

There's also salt, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), garlic and kimchi. The garlic and kimchi come in oil, so grilling them with the meat is a little treat of its own.

Insaengdwaeji menu and thick pork neck portion size

The menu is focused squarely on meat. Since this was a filling dinner, I ordered 2 portions of thick-cut pork neck, kimchi stew with rice, and steamed egg. Done!

The thick pork neck is 180g per portion, which is generous. Plenty of places do something like 130g, so 180g is impressive. A place that's held one spot this long has its reasons.

How do the staff grill the aged thick pork neck?

The thick pork neck is packed with fine marbling, and just looking at the raw meat you can tell it'll be good. They grill it with kimchi and garlic on the side, which is perfect.

The surface turns golden, and because the cut is thick, you can almost feel how moist the inside is. The staff flip it at just the right moment, so there's no worry about burning it or leaving it undercooked.

They cut it into big, easy-to-eat pieces and grill the insides too, and it already looks delicious. Is this the charm of thick pork neck?!

They grill it piece by piece with care, and the gloss on the pork neck is seriously something.

How does it taste? A texture that breaks the dry pork neck stereotype

Pick up a piece and the outside is nicely savory while the inside is moist, and the juices fill your mouth. I had always thought pork neck was dry, but this is definitely different. Maybe because it's aged, it gets softer the more you chew.

Pork neck wrap combos: perilla and pickled onion, then the full scallion salad version

Put a piece of pork neck on a perilla leaf, add a little ssamjang, and eat it with pickled onion: the perilla aroma and the meat juices burst together in your mouth.

The meat itself is so good that any combo works. I also tried the full version: perilla leaf with seasoned scallion salad, garlic and ssamjang. The sharpness of the scallion salad cuts the richness of the meat, and this is the combo I keep thinking about.

Is the steamed egg a must-order?

I'd really like you to try the steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) here. It puffs up fluffy above the earthenware pot, a proper show! With chopped scallions on top, it looks delicious just sitting there.

Scoop in with a spoon and it comes up soft and billowy, then melts in your mouth. The seasoning isn't heavy, so eating it between bites of meat leaves your mouth feeling refreshed.

Finishing after the meat: kimchi stew with rice

The finale at Insaengdwaeji is kimchi stew (kimchi-jjigae) with rice! It arrives in an earthenware pot with red broth bubbling away. Craving a spicy soup after meat is something every Korean will relate to!

One big spoonful brings up well-fermented kimchi, pork, tofu and onion. The broth is spicy with real depth, the kind that makes you want to dump your rice into it.

Insaengdwaeji Songpa Branch: overall verdict

True to its "since 2017 in the same spot" reputation, everything was satisfying, from the aged thick pork neck to the steamed egg and kimchi stew. With 2 portions of pork neck plus a meal and a side, I left full and so happy! If you want aged pork neck in Munjeong-dong, this is a place I'd come back to.