Basil-wrapped pork jowl and chimichurri at Gwangalli BBQ: Gwangan-mok

Today I went back to Gwangan-mok, a pork restaurant I really love. The side dishes, the meat quality, and the grilling service are all so good that it's become one of my regular haunts. This time I visited the Gwangan main branch.

Alright, let's get into the honest review.

Where is Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch, and how close is it to Gwangalli Beach?

Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch is right near that busy intersection crosswalk in Gwangalli.

It's also just a 2-minute walk from the beach, so accessibility is great. Eat a ton of meat, then go take a walk around Gwangalli Beach.

Inside Gwangan-mok: is there room for groups?

Overall Gwangan-mok has a lot of seating in various layouts. It seemed like it could cover everyone from couples to large groups. There was also a separate spot where staff grill your meat for you.

There's a designated waiting area too.

The bathroom had all kinds of hygiene products. Having mouthwash there was such a nice touch!

They also sell merch like keyrings.

Gwangan-mok menu: what to order on a first visit

Gwangan-mok is a restaurant built around pork neck as its signature. Normally when I visit I just order the pork neck. But today I ordered the 'Only Gwangalli' set instead.

Pork belly + pork neck + pork jowl (₩49,000). The discount rate was good and the composition looked solid, so I gave it a try. If it's your first visit, though, I'd recommend just going with the pork neck.

Naver reservation perk: a free serving of pork neck

Since I reserved ahead, they had the table set up and ready when I arrived. You should all make sure to reserve through Naver too. Waiting is basically mandatory at Gwangan-mok, and since a Naver reservation gets you a free serving of pork neck, it's an absolute steal.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar: chimichurri sauce and anchovy salt

Gwangan-mok's side dish lineup is solid too. The sauces especially! The chimichurri and the anchovy salt were both delicious.

The minari (water dropwort) seasoned salad was also a nice surprise.

If anything's missing, you can just grab it from the self-serve bar. There are wrap vegetables there too, which aren't part of the basic side dishes, so grab some if you need them.

Grilling service: staff cook all 500g of meat for you

About 500g of meat came out. Gwangan-mok pre-sears the meat before serving it.

There's a staff member with an actual certified grilling qualification, so you can fully trust them with your meat. They plate everything just right, effortlessly.

You could basically eat it right away once it arrives, but you can also grill it further if you like. They grill it for you from start to finish!

Butter-grilled vegetables come out alongside it too — corn, potato, garlic scapes, garlic, and cherry tomatoes.

I ate a piece of the pork neck. Delicious as always.

The chimichurri sauce was really good? It's originally a South American sauce, but here it's reinterpreted in Gwangan-mok's own style with a perilla leaf and angelica base.

Best bite of the day: pork jowl in a basil wrap

For me, the pork jowl was the best part of the day. ⭐️⭐️ Especially wrapped in basil — it was so good I almost cried.

The fragrant basil wrap cuts through what could otherwise get a little heavy with pork, and lets you eat from start to finish with no gaminess, just that fresh aroma. It was seriously delicious.

In the end I ordered extra basil for wraps. They gave me a huge bundle, so I could have one basil leaf per piece of meat — a perfect balance, and I loved it.

I also kept eating my way through the grilled vegetables in between. Those were a nice treat too.

Dessert at Gwangan-mok: dongchimi cold noodles, ₩7,000

For dessert I ordered the dongchimi (radish water kimchi) cold noodles (₩7,000).

One sip of the broth and it was so refreshing and tangy, it just washed everything down. Genuinely great.

It's a medium-thick noodle style, boiled just right so it was springy and delicious. Really good as a dessert course.

There were also 2 pieces of cold boiled pork on top, which I wrapped up with the noodles. A perfect finish.

Is Gwangan-mok in Gwangalli worth a return visit?

If you're looking for a great pork neck restaurant in Gwangalli, I recommend Gwangan-mok. It's popular enough that waiting is basically a given, but if you use a Naver reservation, you can skip the wait entirely.

From the tableside grilling service to the meat quality, everything was satisfying overall, and above all, the staff's thoughtful, friendly service really stood out. If you want to enjoy great pork neck along with great service in Gwangalli, I recommend giving Gwangan-mok a visit.