Weekday evening pork belly and soju in Jongno, Seoul: Cham Dwaejitgan

My friend and I were wandering around the gold shops in Jongno looking at accessories when we got hungry and started searching for something to eat — that's how we ended up at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch. I'd heard it was a pretty famous Korean BBQ spot in Jongno, so we went for it, and sure enough there was a wait. We waited about 15 minutes before getting a table. Spoiler: the wait was absolutely worth it!!!

Where Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is and what the room feels like

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is close to Jongno3-ga Station exits 2 and 2-1, and it's on the 1st floor of the Piccadilly CGV, so it was easy to find. We went in the evening, and the sign lights were so bright they caught my eye from a distance.

It's also a great spot to stop for food after browsing the gold shops in Jongno, so I think I'll remember it next time I'm in the area.

As soon as we stepped inside, there was raw meat displayed in a showcase. The color was vivid and the grain looked fresh and tight, so it felt fresh just looking at it.

Even though it was a weekday evening, the place was almost full. The restaurant is fairly spacious, so seeing this many customers made me think everyone in Jongno comes here when they're looking for a Korean BBQ spot. It seemed like a popular choice for a Jongno company dinner, too.

The origin labeling was also clearly posted. Both the pork and the black pork were marked as domestic, so I could eat with confidence.

What we ordered at Cham Dwaejitgan and what it costs

Here's what we ordered at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch.

• Black pork ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) ₩19,000 × 1
• Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal (pork belly) ₩16,000 × 1
• Fried rice ₩3,000 × 2
• Doenjang jjigae (dessert course) ₩6,000
• Drinks

We ordered one portion of black pork ogyeopsal and one portion of Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal. And to round it off after the meat, we ordered fried rice and doenjang jjigae too!

Unlimited vegetable side bar and the free milk thistle with soju

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch has a solid self-serve bar. The vegetable side dishes are all unlimited refills except for minari, so if you run low, you just help yourself.

There's a generous variety — perilla leaves, peppers, shredded scallion, bean sprouts, garlic, cabbage, kimchi, pickled vegetables. There was always something to cleanse the palate between bites, so we never got tired of it. The basic side dishes that come out are bean sprouts, kimchi, minari, shishito peppers, mushrooms, and sliced potato. Just note that minari, sliced potato, and king oyster mushroom need to be ordered separately as side menu items.

And when you order soju, they give you a milk thistle supplement as a free service. It's a thoughtful little touch that really stood out to me — and maybe thanks to it, I made it to work the next day without a hangover.

The owner grills the pork belly for you, table-side

The meat finally arrived! What I really liked here was that the owner grills it for you personally.

For the ogyeopsal, he stood the skin side up against the grill. Shishito peppers, minari, kimchi, and bean sprouts got grilled alongside it.

We seriously just got to sit back and eat! At a lot of Korean BBQ places, the conversation gets interrupted while someone grills the meat, but here he grilled it from start to finish, so it was so comfortable.

He cut it into bite-sized pieces and laid them neatly on the grill, keeping an eye on how it was cooking the whole time. He flipped it at exactly the right moment so it came out perfectly cooked. Watching it, I just wanted to eat it already...

He kept watching over the whole grilling process, so we never had to worry about the meat.

Black pork ogyeopsal or Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal: which was better?

We tried the black pork ogyeopsal first — no gamey smell at all, and the skin part was crispy, which gave it great texture. The skin was crispy while the meat itself was tender, so the contrast was clear when eaten together. The Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal had a totally different vibe. The meat was really tender, and the juices spread out moist with each bite — personally, I loved this one too. Both were delicious, so it's less about which is better and more about preference: if you like tender pork belly, go for the Boseong nokdon; if you want the crispy skin too, the ogyeopsal will suit you more. (But honestly, I recommend trying both. They're both amazing.)

The sliced potatoes also get grilled right on the pan, soaking up the meat's fat and turning golden brown — this was also a real treat. (I think it'd be great to wrap the meat in the potato slices too.)

We wrapped it all up in perilla leaves with minari, garlic, kimchi, and wasabi. The sharp garlic and fragrant minari cut through the richness of the meat perfectly. Combining the side dishes into one wrap seems like the real way to enjoy this place.

Finishing with fried rice and doenjang jjigae

It felt like a waste to stop after just the meat, so we ordered fried rice too. It came piled high with sesame seeds and seaweed, looking delicious right from the start. The owner made this one himself too, cracking two eggs into it midway through.

The yolks sat prettily in place. Frying it together with the eggs brought out a really nutty aroma,

and the meat fat, seaweed, and sesame all came together for perfect seasoning. It was the ideal carb finish after all that meat.

And finally, the doenjang jjigae! This was seriously delicious. It wasn't too salty or too bland — just right — and I think it would've been even better with rice. (Sadly, we were too full for rice.) The stew was so good that we ended up ordering one more bottle of soju — not so secretly.

Is Cham Dwaejitgan worth a Jongno dinner? Final verdict

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch had delicious meat on its own, but what I really liked was the owner grilling everything for us — that made it stand out as a Jongno Korean BBQ spot. The black pork ogyeopsal had a great mix of crispy skin and tender meat, while the Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal was juicy and soft — both were satisfying. Since the owner takes care of the grilling for you, it's easy to sit back and chat while eating, which makes it a solid option for a Jongno company dinner, whether it's a group gathering near Jongno3-ga or Jonggak.

I found this place while looking for pork belly restaurants around Jongno3-ga and Jongno3-ga Station, and next time I'm in the area browsing the gold shops, I want to build it right into the route. Between the fried rice and the doenjang jjigae, I left really full and satisfied. I'll definitely stop by again next time I'm in Jongno!