Hapjeong Korean BBQ soft enough to chew with braces: Ijjok, Seoul
In short
Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the basement floor a 7-minute walk from Hapjeong Station in Mapo, Seoul. The 2-3 person set costs 55,000 won and brings two servings of fresh pork belly, one whole pork jowl, steamed egg and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), with cold naengmyeon noodles at 7,000 won and rice at 1,000 won added on, all grilled at the table by staff. The pork was tender enough to chew on the very day the writer's braces were tightened, and with lightly seasoned side dishes and generous refills, Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is worth a return visit.
Good to know
- Location
- Basement floor, 20 Dokmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul — 7-minute walk from Hapjeong Station
- 2-3 person set
- 55,000 won (2 servings fresh pork belly, 1 whole pork jowl, steamed egg, doenjang jjigae)
- Extra orders
- Cold naengmyeon noodles 7,000 won, rice 1,000 won
- Grilling
- Staff grill the meat for you, with potato and mushrooms on the grill too
- Events
- Evening review event: bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles); lunch drink event (per the listing)
- Restroom
- Shared
- Price reference
- ₩55,000 ≈ $39.5 · ₩7,000 ≈ $5 · ₩1,000 ≈ $0.7 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
I'd been craving pork so much lately, so I went with my boyfriend for a date! For BBQ dates, it's so much easier to talk while eating if the staff grills the meat for you, right? I found this place near Hapjeong ^0^
Where is Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal, and what is the basement space like?
Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is about a 7-minute walk from Hapjeong Station. It's slightly semi-basement, so I worried it might feel stuffy at first, but once inside it was actually well-ventilated and didn't feel cramped at all.
The tables weren't packed too close together, so I could chat comfortably without worrying about the next table over. Overall it felt like a good spot for grabbing meat with friends or having a work dinner. It's fine for a date too, but since you're grilling meat, your clothes will inevitably pick up the smell — just something to keep in mind. Still, having staff grill for you definitely meant less to worry about while eating!!!!!
What comes with the 55,000 won 2-3 person set?
We ordered the 2-3 person set menu. It comes with 2 servings of pork belly, 1 serving of whole pork jowl, steamed egg, and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), for ₩55,000. We also added naengmyeon (cold noodles) for ₩7,000 and rice for ₩1,000. Naengmyeon fans, gather round.
They started grilling the pork belly first. It looked great from the moment it came out, and I was already excited — plus having staff grill it meant I didn't have to worry about timing, which made eating so much easier.
And while grilling the meat, they also laid down thinly sliced potatoes.
The potatoes get almost fried in the fat rendering off the meat, and seeing them turn golden brown just warms your heart — and they were delicious~ On the right are the mushrooms 🍄
Was the fresh pork belly soft enough to chew with newly tightened braces?
I'd had my braces tightened that very day, so my teeth were more sore than usual. I was really, really, really worried about eating meat, but it turned out to be so much softer than expected that it was easy enough to chew. It was savory with zero gamey smell, which I loved, and since it had been a while since I'd had pork, it tasted even better.
How were the side dishes and refills at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal?
The side dishes that came out were all mild in seasoning overall. I tend to get sick of meals quickly if the sides or sauces are too intense, but there was none of that here, which I loved. You know how meat with wasabi is delicious, right? The wasabi itself seemed to be good quality too, which was a nice touch.
And when they refilled the sides, they didn't give small portions — they brought back roughly the same amount as the first serving. So I never had to call the owner over multiple times when I ran low, which was convenient.
The steamed egg was silky smooth. And you know pork absolutely needs doenjang jjigae — it tasted a bit like homemade soybean paste.
Naengmyeon is a must with meat! The kimchi wasn't sour or spicy — a bit sweet, actually! I hate overly salty food, and this place gets a perfect score as a BBQ restaurant!!!
Review event freebies and the shared restroom
In the evening there's a review event with bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles), and apparently there's a lunch drink event too.
The restroom is shared, but it was quite clean when I used it, which was also a plus. If you're craving pork around Hapjeong, or looking for a spot for a small group dinner or friend gathering, or just searching for a good BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station — this one's worth checking out.
What was good and what fell short at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal
- Pro: Staff grilled the meat, so eating was easy and stress-free
- Pro: The meat was soft, savory, and had no gamey smell
- Pro: The side dish seasoning was mild, so it stayed enjoyable to the last bite
- Pro: Refills of side dishes were generous
- Pro: Ventilation was good despite being semi-basement, so it didn't feel stuffy
- Pro: The restroom was shared but clean
- Con: No particular drawbacks
I'd definitely go back.
Where it is
20 Dokmak-ro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (basement floor)서울특별시 마포구 독막로3길 20 지하 1층
