Seoul Korean BBQ at Guui Station: charcoal pork ribs & belly, Ssamchae

Why I went back to Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal (쌈채솥뚜껑삼겹살) near Guui Station is a BBQ place I came back to because the food was so good last time. I remembered loving the minari spicy kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), so I ordered it again.

It's a samgyeopsal (pork belly) specialist, but that day the pork rib photo on the wall looked so good that I went with the charcoal pork ribs.

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal location, hours and parking

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal is at 55 Jayang-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on the first floor of the shops in Building 102 of the Jayang Haneul Chae Vere Apartments, about 676m from Guui Station Exit 4. It is open daily 12:00–24:00, with last order at 23:00.

• Address: 55 Jayang-ro, Building 102, Unit 103, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: 1st-floor shops, Building 102, Jayang Haneul Chae Vere Apartments
• Transport: about 676m from Guui Station Exit 4
• Hours: daily 12:00–24:00
• Last order: 23:00
• Parking: none at the restaurant; use nearby parking lots
• Facilities: group seating, reservations, Wi-Fi, baby chairs, separate men's and women's restrooms

What we ordered at Ssamchae near Guui Station, and the prices

At Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal we started with 2 servings of charcoal pork ribs, added 1 serving of pork belly, and finished with minari spicy kalguksu. Here is what we ordered and what it cost.

• Charcoal pork ribs (2 servings): ₩34,000
• Rice (2 bowls): ₩2,000
• Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew): ₩5,000
• Cola: ₩2,000
• Minari spicy kalguksu: ₩7,000
• Extra pork belly (1 serving): ₩17,000

How is the wrap greens self-serve bar?

What sets Ssamchae apart among Guui Station BBQ restaurants is that you eat your meat with a wide variety of wrap greens. The restaurant has a self-serve bar where you can help yourself to greens and side dishes.

When you're eating meat, the greens always run out fast, so it's handy to be able to take as much as you need. It's fun picking out different kinds of vegetables, and having them with the meat makes the meal feel even more generous.

The charcoal pork ribs are grilled on a wire grill

First up: the 2 servings of charcoal pork ribs (₩34,000).

The pork ribs here are grilled on a wire grill set over a charcoal brazier.

As the meat cooks, the marinade chars up temptingly and the smoky charcoal aroma kicks in. It really gets the appetite going.

The golden-brown ribs were glossy and cut into bite-size pieces, easy to pick up one at a time.

The marinade soaked in nicely, sweet and a little salty, and the more I chewed, the more nutty flavor I got.

It's good on its own, but a piece of rib on top of warm rice is a great combo too.

Wrap the meat and side dishes in a variety of greens and the crunch of the vegetables makes it even better.

How is the doenjang stew?

The doenjang stew (soybean paste stew, ₩5,000) we ordered alongside was just okay! It's not bad as a side between bites of meat.

Add pork belly and they swap the grill for an iron plate

When we ordered extra pork belly at Ssamchae, the staff replaced the wire grill with an iron plate. After enjoying the pork ribs, I got curious about the pork belly too, and since this is a Guui Station BBQ place that focuses on pork belly, it felt like a shame to skip it, so we added 1 serving (₩17,000).

The plate sits over a charcoal brazier rather than an ordinary gas flame, so the heat is strong and the meat cooks up nicely golden.

The sizzle of pork belly hitting the plate is appetizing all by itself. I also liked that we could cook sweet pumpkin and enoki mushrooms in the rendered fat.

The pork belly was nicely browned outside with its nutty flavor intact, and wrapped with enoki and wrap greens it was even better.

Why I recommend pork ribs first, then extra pork belly

Personally, I recommend the combo we did: eat the pork ribs first, then add pork belly. The ribs go on the wire grill and the pork belly goes on the iron plate, so you get the charm of both styles. Thanks to the strong heat of the charcoal brazier, the pork belly tasted even better.

Finishing with minari spicy kalguksu

After finishing the meat, we closed with Ssamchae's minari spicy kalguksu (₩7,000). The red broth is packed with minari (water dropwort), mushrooms, bean sprouts and more, and it looks appetizing from the first glance.

The broth is spicy yet has a refreshing depth from the vegetables, and the fragrance of minari adds to it. The chewy noodles in the fiery broth keep you reaching for more even after a meat meal.

After greasy meat, finishing with spicy broth leaves your mouth feeling clean. Even if you're full from the meat, the kalguksu is worth ordering.

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal near Guui Station: overall verdict

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal near Guui Station is a place to enjoy charcoal-grilled meat with a wide variety of wrap greens. It was fun to grill pork ribs and pork belly on different surfaces, and with the spicy minari kalguksu the meal felt well rounded.

If you're looking for Guui Station BBQ, I recommend trying both pork ribs and pork belly and finishing with the minari spicy kalguksu. It's a good place to visit when you want charcoal-grilled meat along with a fiery noodle dish.