Sangbong Korean BBQ with kimchi stew: Super Naengsam

After finishing my Costco Sangbong shopping last weekend, I visited Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch, famous as a great-value frozen pork belly spot. One portion of frozen pork belly is only ₩9,900—seriously inexpensive. It is a clean, good-value frozen pork belly restaurant in the Sangbong Station food street.

Let’s begin with a photo of the frozen pork belly. The slices were surprisingly thick and filled the plate. Mushrooms and frozen pork belly are such a great combination, but what made me like Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch even more was the generous minari (water parsley). It is truly delicious when you put lightly grilled minari on the pork. Here’s a useful tip: you can refill the minari at the self-service bar.

Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch: location and hours

Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch specializes in frozen pork belly. At the dramatic price of ₩9,900 per portion, it was busy on the weekend. It is near Sangbong Station, making it a convenient place for a gathering or meet-up.

It is at Units 103 and 104 on the first floor, 17 Bongujae-ro 37-gil, Jungnang-gu, Seoul, and 265m from Sangbong Station Exit 3. Hours are 14:30–23:00, and it is regularly closed every Wednesday.

150g frozen pork belly for ₩9,900

The frozen pork belly is really inexpensive. Your first order must be at least three portions, but two people can absolutely manage three portions.. haha. I feel like three portions is the unwritten rule for frozen pork belly even when two people go. I ordered four portions. One great thing about frozen pork belly is that it cooks so quickly and easily. Thick pork belly is delicious, but it takes quite a bit of effort to cook, you know. Frozen pork belly is tasty and easy to grill, which I love. Since my household eats out for meat-centered meals every week, I like frozen pork belly that cooks easily and fast.

Super Naengsam menu

• Frozen pork belly ₩9,900
• Hangang ramen ₩3,900
• Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) ₩5,000
• Kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew) ₩5,000
• Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) ₩5,000
• Self-service fried rice ₩3,000
• Draft beer 300ml ₩2,900 / draft beer 500ml ₩4,900
• Beer and soju ₩5,000

One appealing thing about this frozen pork belly place is that it sells 300ml draft beer. A small, refreshing draft beer that is just the right size to have with the pork costs in the ₩2,000 range, another lovely point here. They also have Hangang ramen, the ramen you eat by the Han River, on the menu. Frozen pork belly with ramen is just... a combination that cannot possibly be bad. When I checked the Hangang ramen station, I was pleased to see as many as 10 varieties of ramen.

The self-service bar and a comfortable dining room

Inside, there were generously spaced tables, and the restaurant felt pleasant, perhaps because it is newly opened. I was also impressed by the obongsang, a five-compartment tray of side dishes that arrives as soon as you order.

As you can see, minari comes with the meal. I am someone who thinks frozen pork belly absolutely needs minari, so I loved that you can refill it at the self-service side-dish bar. Some places charge extra for additional minari. But at Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch, you can bring yourself more from the side-dish bar at no extra cost.

The self-service side-dish bar was also kept very clean, and you can even take as many enoki mushrooms as you want to grill. There were various scallion sides, including spicy scallion salad and basic shredded scallions, while the lettuce and perilla leaves were fresh too.

At the Hangang ramen station, there were so many options: regular ramen, jjamppong ramen, stir-fried ramen, and more. Ordering frozen pork belly and a meal dish works well, but I think it is also nice to choose ramen to your taste and have it alongside. At around ₩3,000, the price feels easy enough too.

Another good point at Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch is the individually hygienically wrapped utensils. I know the utensils in communal containers are surely sanitized, but I worry that customers may touch them as they open the container and take one out. When they are individually wrapped like this, it especially inspires confidence in the cleanliness.

Three portions of frozen pork belly, quickly grilled with minari

I first ordered the standard three portions and added more later. A generous amount of mushrooms came with the frozen pork belly. Once the griddle is thoroughly hot, put on the pork and turn it a few times—it is ready in no time.

The pork belly had just the right amount of marbling. It tastes even better when you grill bean sprouts and kimchi along with it. And if you are grilling minari, it is best to cook it quickly, as though you are only giving it a light kiss of smoky flavor. If you cook it too long, the vegetables shrink and minari’s characteristic texture disappears.

For the first round, I started on a clean griddle with mushrooms, frozen pork belly, and minari. I was so happy to have minari. Anyone who has not tried grilled minari with frozen pork belly! Please make sure to have them together at Super Naengsam. When minari’s fragrant aroma and flavor meet rich, fatty pork belly, it cuts the greasiness and tastes absolutely amazing.

I refilled the minari once more. I grilled the meat quickly first, then gave the minari a quick swoosh-swoosh-swoosh on the grill too. Frozen pork belly, minari, and grilled garlic were also incredibly delicious together.

I piled the meat right on. Because it is thinly sliced, it cooks so quickly and conveniently. When you are grilling meat as you eat, you get so busy flipping it that you hardly know whether the meat is going into your mouth or your nose, right? With frozen pork belly, you only need to flip it lightly a few times, so it is so much easier.

A frozen pork belly meal with kimchi stew

There were plenty of perilla leaves at the self-service bar too, so I mostly ate the frozen pork belly wrapped in perilla leaves. Since the pork is ₩9,900, it is easy to add another portion without feeling burdened. As I considered a meal dish, I ordered kimchi stew.

Because the frozen pork belly is inexpensive, you need to order stew separately. The doenjang-jjigae, kimchi-jjigae, and sundubu-jjigae are all ₩5,000, but the portions are quite large, so they are good for two people to share.

The kimchi stew arrived bubbling away. It was truly a big portion. It was packed with kimchi and tofu, and personally I liked that there were plenty of large-cut pieces of tofu—the kind of tofu I love.

We thoroughly grilled the mushrooms too. I added more pork belly and diligently kept grilling. When I go to a barbecue restaurant, I want to fill up on meat instead of rice, but pork belly prices are terrifying these days, right? At Super Naengsam, though, one portion is ₩9,900, so if the amount feels a little lacking, it is easy to add one more portion without hesitation.

The meat was tasty and inexpensive, the included side dishes were fresh, and the self-service bar was well set up—a great-value frozen pork belly restaurant. I recommend Super Naengsam Sangbong Main Branch for frozen pork belly near Sangbong Station.