Gangnam Station BBQ house with doenjang jjigae for two: Giun

The tender meat around the bone and the savory fat I enjoyed together at Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch

I went to Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch for dinner with a friend. This time we tried galbi samgyeopsal, a cut a bit different from ordinary pork belly. Because the bone is still attached, you get to taste not just the meat and fat but also the chewy bits around the bone. I'd been looking for a good galbi samgyeopsal spot near Gangnam Station and found it — with so many sides and pairings, we left completely full.

Where is Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch, and what is the restaurant like?

Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch is a short walk from Exit 4 of Gangnam Station, and it's not hard to reach from the Sinbundang Line either. The dark signage and warm lighting made it easy to spot even in the evening. The floor-to-ceiling glass front let us see inside right away, so we found the entrance easily on our first visit.

• Address: 25 Dogok-ro 7-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 16:00–23:00 / Sat–Sun 12:00–22:00
• Last order: Weekdays 22:00 / Weekends 21:00
• Parking: No parking at the restaurant

Inside, the space was done in dark wood tones, with dividers at each table keeping neighboring seats reasonably separated. Every table had its own grill and individual hood. There were also seats for larger groups, so it looked like a solid option not just for a meal with a friend but also as a gathering spot near Gangnam Station.

What we ordered and what it cost: 3 servings of galbi samgyeopsal for two

• Galbi samgyeopsal, 3 servings — ₩54,000
• Doenjang jjigae, 1 order — ₩8,000
• Rice, 2 bowls — ₩4,000
• Total — ₩66,000

We started with 2 servings of galbi samgyeopsal, doenjang jjigae, and two bowls of rice. As we kept eating and it kept tasting good, we ended up adding 1 more serving of galbi samgyeopsal — 3 servings in total by the end.

What side dishes come with the meat at Giun?

The basic banchan at Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch were neatly laid out: green onion kimchi, chive salad, mountain garlic leaves, pickles, and baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi). Salt, wasabi, and ssamjang (dipping sauce) came on the side too, which made it easy to try a different combination with almost every bite. It wasn't a spread where you just kept reaching for one thing — there was plenty to mix and match depending on your taste.

What is galbi samgyeopsal, the bone-in pork belly cut?

The galbi samgyeopsal arrived thick-cut, with a good balance of bright red meat and fat, along with a generous portion of scallions to grill alongside.

With the bone still attached, it looked a little different from regular samgyeopsal.

A staff member put the meat and scallions on the hot grill and browned the surface first.

They also grilled baek-kimchi on one side of the grill along with the meat, then cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and browned every side evenly.

Instead of grilling everything crisp all at once, they cooked at the pace we were eating, so it stayed warm and juicy the whole time. The nicely browned galbi samgyeopsal had a savory crust with juices still locked in underneath. The lean meat wasn't dry, and the fatty part melted softly, so the two textures blended naturally. The meat right around the bone was a bit chewier and had a deeper flavor — a real point of difference from regular samgyeopsal.

Salt, wasabi or grilled white kimchi: which pairing worked best?

We started by dipping the meat lightly in just salt to taste it on its own.

A little wasabi cut through the richness cleanly, and topping the meat with grilled baek-kimchi added a nice tang and crunch.

The scallions, browned on the grill, came served dipped in a house special sauce with a sweetness that paired really well with the galbi samgyeopsal.

We also tried wrapping the meat in mountain garlic leaves, and topping it with green onion kimchi or chive salad. With so many pairings available, even the same cut of meat never got boring all the way through. Personally, topping the galbi samgyeopsal with wasabi and grilled baek-kimchi was my favorite combination.

Are the doenjang jjigae and rice worth adding?

Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch's doenjang jjigae is ₩8,000, served bubbling in a stone pot.

It was packed with tofu, meat and chives, and the broth was savory with a slight kick. Taking a spoonful between bites of galbi samgyeopsal refreshed the palate, and it also went great with the rice.

Piling the doenjang jjigae's contents onto the rice, along with some squid jeotgal (fermented squid) and green onion kimchi, made for a really filling bite. I was glad we ordered the doenjang jjigae and rice instead of just sticking to meat.

We started with 2 servings, but as we kept eating bite after bite, it tasted so good we ended up ordering 1 more serving. The added portion was grilled just right too, so we got to eat it warm all the way to the end.

From the chewy meat around the bone to the savory belly section, Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch let us enjoy it all in one sitting. With so many banchan, grilled scallions and baek-kimchi to pair it with, we really got the full appeal of galbi samgyeopsal. This is a place I'll think of again the next time I'm looking for a galbi samgyeopsal spot near Gangnam Station.