Seomyeon Korean BBQ: three-kimchi pork belly platter at 189 Cheolsune

I was craving kimchi pork belly, went hunting for a good samgyeopsal (pork belly) place in Seomyeon, and found 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal (189철수네맛김치삼겹살). I got a proper kimchi pork belly platter, and while I was at it I discovered a spot with the best-value soju and beer around! Drinks are a whopping ₩1,890, so cheap!

How do you get to 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal from Seomyeon Station?

Come out of Seomyeon Station Exit 2 and go straight, then turn into the alley on the left before you pass Samjeong Tower. Go three blocks, turn left, and you'll see it.

Is there parking at 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal?

There's no private parking lot or parking support, so you use a nearby paid lot. There's one right next to the restaurant, so parking is easy!

What's the interior like, and is it good for a Seomyeon group dinner?

There are lots of tables, and you can even rent the whole place for 4 hours on weekdays, so it's ideal for group gatherings and company dinners in Seomyeon. It looked big from outside, but it's much roomier once you step in.

It seems to have opened recently, so the place was super clean and comfortable! There's a meat fridge in the middle of the restaurant, so you can see the quality of the meat with your own eyes~

What's at the self-serve corner?

There's a self-serve corner near the entrance. The staff only bring the basic side dishes, so anything else you want, you fetch yourself. There's a variety of vegetables for grilling, like mushrooms, potatoes and ginkgo nuts, which go great grilled alongside the meat, so the meal feels even more generous.

There are small plates in different types too.

What's on the menu at 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal?

The star is the matgimchi samgyeopsal (kimchi pork belly)! Besides pork belly there's also pork neck, hangjeongsal and gabrisal, so you can get an assorted platter and enjoy different cuts. Kimchi and meat can be ordered separately too, and when you order more, it seemed they bring it out fully grilled.

There's a lunch special too, so lunch here is even better value!

• Kimchi pork belly 450g, serves 2–3
• Soooju (soju)

What does the kimchi pork belly platter look like?

The kimchi pork belly comes on one platter with pork belly, three kinds of kimchi (matgimchi, gat kimchi with mustard greens, and green onion kimchi), bean sprouts, mushrooms and rice cakes. Along with the basic side dishes, I grabbed the sides I wanted from the self-serve corner, and they're all the kind that go well with meat.

The meat comes about half grilled, and the staff grill the rest at our table. All we had to do was comfortably eat the juicy, freshly grilled pork belly! I thought the kimchi would be grilled separately, but they cook it all together, almost like stir-frying.

And here's the finished kimchi pork belly platter!

The grill is shaped like a cauldron lid, so even after the heat is turned off, the food stays warm. Grill the assorted vegetables in the meat fat gathered in the middle too! That's one of the little pleasures of grilling pork belly >_<

How was the kimchi?

They say they only use kimchi made by one of Korea's top 10 kimchi masters, so the quality is top notch. It's tangy yet a little sweet and delicious, and eaten with the pork belly, the savory depth is insane!

What are the dipping sauces for the meat?

There's salt, fresh wasabi and saeujeot (salted shrimp), plenty of dips so you can enjoy different flavors. Go basic with a dab of salt! Salt on fatty pork belly is a flavor explosion every time. Want something clean? Fresh wasabi! And there's umami-packed salted shrimp too.

Throw in kimchi, bean sprouts and pajeori (seasoned scallion salad), wrap it all up, and your mouth is totally satisfied.

Ginkgo nuts as part of the basic spread? So happyyy. With chewy wheat rice cakes too, there's so much to grill, and I love 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal for it!

The best combo: pork belly on kkaennip-ji

The best combination I had here was pork belly on kkaennip-ji (pickled perilla leaves). The seasoning on the perilla leaves is so good, it's a perfect match with the pork belly!!

Is ₩1,890 soju and beer in Seomyeon really that cheap?

Soju is ₩1,890 here. I was almost done with the meat when I suddenly wanted a drink, so I ordered a bottle, haha. Soju for ₩1,890, how could I not order it? It felt like I'd be losing out if I didn't. Next time I have a drinking get-together in Seomyeon, I'm definitely coming here. For people who love a drink, a place with the best-value soju and beer is true love, right?

How do you make the self-serve fried rice taste great?

We ordered 2 self-serve fried rice. You fry it yourself, and they give you a spatula, so it's easy to stir-fry.

They took away the grill we'd been using and gave us a new one, so all the meat fat was gone 🥺 In that case, use the sesame oil at the self-serve bar.. I recommend adding more scallion salad and bean sprouts and frying them together! The fried rice they give you is mildly seasoned, so you can customize it with whatever ingredients you like.

I made it super delicious to my own taste. So proud ★

They even set out snacks and candy to freshen your mouth at 189 Cheolsune Matgimchi Samgyeopsal! If you're looking for a kimchi pork belly spot in Seomyeon, go go~ The drink value especially is the best ^.^