Gaeum-dong Changwon BBQ with half-and-half naengmyeon: Hanpanjip

After a tough week, Friday finally arrived!! My friend and I planned a meat feast for dinner, so we visited Hanpanjip Changwon Gaeum Branch, a Changwon BBQ restaurant that had only recently opened.

Hanpanjip Changwon Gaeum Branch: hours and parking

Hanpanjip Changwon Gaeum Branch is open daily from 17:00 to 23:00, and offers 2 hours of free parking at the indoor lot inside Gaeum Market. We parked at the Gaeumjeong Market lot (Gaeum-dong 21-4), which qualifies for the 2-hour free parking.

On your way out after eating, just tell the staff and they'll give you a parking discount voucher.

How long is the Friday evening wait at Hanpanjip?

We arrived just after 6:30pm and the place was already packed. We waited about 20 minutes and got seated at 7pm. Even when we left after our meal, there was still a line waiting. Once I tasted the food, I understood why people wait — it's genuinely a great place, worth the hype.

Inside Hanpanjip and how tablet ordering works

The inside of Hanpanjip Changwon Gaeum Branch was so packed I couldn't get a full shot of it, sorry haha. The tables were a good size for four people, and ordering was easy via the tablet on the table.

The two of us ordered the minari pork platter, spicy doenjang rice, and half-and-half (water/spicy) naengmyeon.

We were so hungry I almost ordered two minari platters, but stuck with one — good thing, too. The portion was bigger than expected, and with the platter plus side dishes we were nearly bursting haha.

If you write a Naver photo review, you get a choice of doenjang stew, cheesy kimchi fried rice, or a bottle of soju — worth checking out if you're interested.

Side dishes and the complimentary steamed egg

Once you order, the staff set up the side dishes and sauces for you.

They give you one complimentary steamed egg (gyeranjjim) topped generously with sesame oil, which made it a bit different from the usual version. The nutty sesame oil aroma gave it a distinctive, soft character that we really enjoyed.

Minari pork platter (small): pork belly and shoulder grilled for you

Finally, the main dish we'd been waiting for — the minari pork platter! Since it comes already fully grilled, it takes a bit of time to arrive, but there's no smoke or oil splatter, and it was nice not having to grill the meat ourselves.

The pork was thick and generously sized, with a hearty portion, plus bean sprouts, minari (water celery), and kimchi piled on top.

Paired with various sauces like peanut and curry, plus bean sprouts, minari, lettuce, and myeongi namul (wild garlic leaves) as sides, the meat disappeared in no time lol.

There was also a layer of pork skin (kkeopdegi) at the bottom, which was chewy with great texture — even though we were full, we ate almost all of it.

What does the half-and-half (water/spicy) naengmyeon look like?

There's a half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodle) option on the menu, so we ordered it since meat alone felt a bit plain — it came split like jjamjjamyeon, half water naengmyeon and half spicy bibim naengmyeon.

Whenever I go to a BBQ restaurant, I always want both water naengmyeon and spicy bibim naengmyeon, so being able to try both at once, without the extra cost, was really appealing. Plus each half came with its own egg for easy sharing, the noodles were chewy, and the cold broth in the water naengmyeon was delicious alongside the meat.

Spicy doenjang rice served in a gomtang bowl

The portion was huge for the price. The spicy doenjang (soybean paste) rice came piled high in a gomtang (beef bone soup) bowl — I gasped as soon as I saw it.

The doenjang flavor wasn't too strong and didn't have a harsh bitterness, so the broth suited my taste perfectly. It was also loaded with mushrooms and zucchini, and I really enjoyed it. If you go, definitely try the doenjang rice~

Plum tea and coffee to finish the meal

Near the entrance, they had plum tea (maesil) and coffee set out to enjoy after the meal. We were so hungry we each had a glass of plum tea while waiting for the pork, and it was delicious haha. After eating, we had one more cup, which was a nice clean way to finish.

Is Hanpanjip a good Changwon BBQ pick for two?

I didn't have high expectations going in, but the meat was so good and even the side dishes were delicious, so both my friend and I left satisfied. We've already decided to come back next time we're craving meat haha. If you're in the mood for pre-grilled pork belly and shoulder, give this Changwon BBQ restaurant a try~