Korean BBQ in Banghwa-dong: gochujang bulgogi at Gamgol Yeontanjip

The savory aroma of meat sizzling golden over red-glowing charcoal, with that faint smoky scent drifting past your nose, is enough to make your mouth water just looking at it hahaha. Today I visited a Banghwa-dong favorite that keeps locals and office workers coming back for its deep charcoal flavor and old-school vibe: Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa!

I stepped into the cozy, tidy interior, took a seat, and ordered the signature grilled dishes. The moment I saw the thick cuts of meat go onto the grill and the neatly arranged side dishes, my excitement was building before I'd even picked up my chopsticks — I'd found a real charcoal-grill sanctuary 🤗

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa location, hours and parking

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa is located at Banghwa-dong 572-4, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and is open from 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM. There's no parking, so use the public parking lot at Banghwa Station; corkage is allowed for one bottle (₩10,000 per additional bottle).

Here's Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa, about a 9-minute walk from Exit 2 of Banghwa Station! Since it's a fairly new opening, the clean atmosphere is obvious even from the outside haha.

What is the atmosphere and seating like at Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa?

The interior of Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa matches the shop's concept — very classic! It reminded me of the 80s-90s haha. It had such a nostalgic, warm feeling, I loved it.

It looked like it could comfortably seat around 50 people ✔️ The restroom is inside too, so it'd be convenient no matter the weather ✔️

I heard the Gamgol brand was started by a mother and son, with the son a graduate of one of the world's top three culinary schools! There was documentation displayed to back it up haha. Apparently the charcoal briquette has 25 holes, so they give 25% off every 25 days 👏

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa menu and prices

The star of Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa's menu is the gochujang charcoal bulgogi, with pork belly, pork neck, and kkodeulsal (chewy pork cartilage cut) options. True to a good restaurant, the menu is simple! There are also side dishes and meal items to round things out or fill in the gaps haha. The origin of the meat is clearly labeled too, so you can eat with peace of mind!

Apparently they also give you a dried filefish snack if you write a Naver review haha.

I ordered the charcoal salt-grilled pork belly (₩15,900) and the gochujang charcoal bulgogi (₩14,900)! I also ordered the royal-tribute white rice to go with the charcoal bulgogi haha.

Hutgae tea, side dishes and the self-serve bar

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa serves hutgae tea (hangover-relief tea) instead of plain water as standard. You all know by now that's a sign of a good restaurant, right haha. They don't just hand you plain water!

You could feel the care put into each of the side dishes made to go with the meat!

The basic side dishes are set neatly, but if you need more, there's a self-serve bar to refill from 👍

How to grill the coal-fired salt pork belly

For the charcoal salt-grilled pork belly, they first coat the grill with the oil provided separately, then start with the unseasoned pork belly and kimchi grilled together. 25 holes! The charcoal fire has entered the chat 😎 The pork belly and the gochujang bulgogi both took their places on the grill~

Just looking at the ratio of lean meat to fat, there was no way this wasn't going to taste good haha.

They grill the green onion kimchi and garlic oil sauce right alongside it too hahaha.

Cream somaek at Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa (3,900 won)

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa has a unique menu item called cream somaek (₩3,900) — you don't need to order beer and soju separately, it comes pre-mixed. Seeing how the meat looked, there was no way I wasn't going to order a drink~ And it was nice that it came already made haha. The staff even made a creamy foam on top, and wow... that was practically a cream somaek in its own right 😋

Wrapping the pork belly with various side ingredients gave a satisfying meaty aroma and chewy texture that put me in a great mood 💯

They also gave a generous, care-filled stew loaded with ingredients! A bowl of rice disappeared in no time... hahaha.

How does the coal-grilled gochujang bulgogi taste?

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa's signature dish, the gochujang charcoal bulgogi, had spicy but pleasantly sweet sauce that was a perfect match for the ideal-thickness bulgogi. They grill it so it doesn't burn!

Once again, the visuals alone made it impossible for this not to taste good!

I wrapped it up with various ingredients into ssam, and it really seemed like the owner puts their heart into the sauce.. it was a flavor that made my chopsticks move faster 👏

Eating so absorbedly, I looked up and only empty plates remained? Hahaha, dishes cleaned again today ✌️

Next to the self-serve bar there were also plum and omija (schisandra berry) slushies ready to go! Such a thoughtful touch to cleanse the palate after all that meat.. 👍

Is Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa worth a return visit?

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa gets ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for return visit intent. Crispy outside, juicy inside, with savory juices bursting in your mouth and the intense charcoal smokiness combining perfectly — every bite made me let out another sigh of admiration! Paired with the care-filled side dishes, I could enjoy it all the way to the last bite without ever feeling greasy haha.

Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa has excellent meat quality, affordable prices, and a warm, comfortable atmosphere that makes it a perfect spot for an after-work team dinner or a cozy meal out with the neighborhood office crowd! If you want to treat your stomach tonight in Banghwa-dong to some quality meat with a deep charcoal smokiness, don't hesitate — I highly recommend heading straight to Gamgol Yeontanjip Banghwa.