Korean BBQ near Hongik Univ. Station for team dinners: Gogi Salon

These days, the most important thing when going for Korean BBQ is who does the grilling, right? Here's a place where you don't have to worry about that: Gogi Salon (고기살롱), a great spot for a team dinner near Hongik Univ. Station, where the staff grill everything carefully for you.

What is the atmosphere like at Gogi Salon?

Gogi Salon is a grill-for-you BBQ restaurant on the ground floor of a clean-looking building in the restaurant alley near Hongik Univ. Station. Walking along that alley, you can spot the building from far away, and on its first floor is this BBQ place that's great for team dinners.

The interior is modern and neatly organized. The tables are spaced out comfortably, so even for a group gathering or team dinner, it seems easy to get seats as long as you reserve.

Especially for a BBQ restaurant, the ventilation seemed to be good: the room wasn't filled with smoke or meat smell.

How is the Gogi Salon menu organized?

The menu is divided into lunch specials, à la carte items and set menus. I liked that there were so many ways to order.

There were all kinds of cuts: marinated beef short ribs, flower pork neck (kkotsal), fresh pork neck, fresh pork belly, gabrisal and more. Nice atmosphere and the prices are pretty good too, right?

Gogi Salon meat set: from side dishes to the meat

After I ordered the meat set, the banchan (side dishes) were laid out quickly as soon as we sat down. Seasoned lettuce (geotjeori), salad and seasoned raw crab (yangnyeom gejang) came as standard.

The banchan were set up right as we sat down. From the fresh seasoned lettuce to the salad and the spicy-sweet seasoned crab, they were all great for whetting your appetite before the meat is cooked.

The moment the main event, the meat, showed up, it looked like a jaw-dropper -

The bright red color and dense marbling looked fresh at a glance.

The thick cuts made my mouth water even before they were grilled.

How do Gogi Salon staff grill the meat?

At Gogi Salon, once the grill is hot, a staff member puts the meat on and cooks it over strong heat. Because they grill for you, families or colleagues at a team dinner can chat comfortably.

With weak heat the meat wouldn't taste good, but here the strong fire sears the surface fast, so you get the textbook crispy-outside, juicy-inside result.

The meat cooking away nicely. They say meat that smells nutty while grilling is good quality, and it smelled great from the start.

How does the pork neck taste at Gogi Salon?

Even with just a light dip in salt, the meat was chewy outside with juices inside. I tried one well-cooked piece on its own, no sauce, just a little salt, and it was chewy on the outside with warm juices bursting out from within!

The meat itself is so fresh and good that I couldn't taste any gamey smell at all, and it gets chewier the more you chew :)

The pork neck was thick but not dry at all, melting softly, and it had enough bite to go well with rice too.

The lettuce, wrap veggies and seasoned lettuce were all fresh and nice. Honestly, the meat is so good that it was delicious even eaten plain~!

How was the bibim guksu from the meat set?

The bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles) I picked from the set menu was a stroke of genius. The sauce was spicy-sweet and soaked well into the noodles, mmm.. it's good in the middle of the meal and also as a dessert-style finisher.

It had a crunchy topping like dried radish strips so it never got boring, and it was piled generously with sprouts and fresh veggies, giving it a fresh taste.

Why Gogi Salon works for a team dinner near Hongik Univ. Station

Gogi Salon, a Hongik Univ. Station favorite, was perfect for a team dinner. Since the staff grill the meat just right with professional skill, the juniors never have to nervously grill it themselves. You can focus entirely on conversation and eating, which makes it ideal for a company dinner.

If you want to taste life-changing juicy meat, or you're looking for a team dinner spot that won't fail you, definitely visit!! I plan to come back to this Hongik Univ. Station favorite :)