Apgujeong Rodeo Korean BBQ, Maillard 100-point pork belly: Chobeoljip

Hi everyone! Today I want to introduce Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch, where I had some really tasty pork belly in Apgujeong Rodeo 😊 I was debating what to eat for dinner around the area, and honestly — I can never resist meat! — so I decided to visit haha. The name itself literally means 'pre-seared house,' so I was curious how the meat would turn out, and after trying it, the pre-searing gave it a golden crust while keeping all the juices locked in — absolutely delicious 🔥 So let's take a look at what this place is like~? 😆

Where is Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch, and what are its hours?

Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch is at 1F, 4 Apgujeong-ro 54-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, close enough to Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 6 that it was an easy walk. It's open daily from 11:00 to 3:00 the next morning with no break time, and both paid parking and valet are available.

Since it stays open so late, it's not just great for dinner but also for whenever you're craving meat late at night around Apgujeong haha.

Amenities and services at Chobeoljip

• Group seating available
• Takeout
• Reservations
• Wifi
• Separate men's/women's restrooms

A tile-roofed facade with outdoor tables

Even from a distance, the exterior of Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch caught my eye — it felt a bit different from a typical Korean BBQ restaurant~

With its tile-roofed exterior and outdoor tables set up in front, it seemed perfect for eating meat in an al fresco vibe during this cool autumn weather haha. Being able to eat samgyeopsal (pork belly) in this kind of atmosphere right in the middle of Apgujeong Rodeo is the best!

Inside Chobeoljip: a hall roomy enough for group dinners

The inside of Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch was bigger than I expected, with plenty of space between tables, so it looked great for eating with friends or hosting a bigger group!

Besides the indoor tables, there are outdoor tables too, so you get to choose your seat depending on the mood that day haha. Korean BBQ places are often visited by groups, and since there's plenty of space here, anyone looking for a good BBQ spot in Apgujeong Rodeo should be able to dine comfortably 😊

Menu and prices: Maillard 100-point pre-seared pork belly, 18,000 won

True to its name, Chobeoljip has a variety of pork-focused dishes~ The signature items include pre-seared bone-in pork belly, the original pre-seared pork mahawk, and the Maillard 100-point pre-seared pork belly, along with side dishes like hanwoo beef brisket and stews!

What I ordered — the Maillard 100-point pre-seared pork belly — was ₩18,000 per serving! With a name like 'Maillard 100-point,' I got really curious just how golden-brown it would turn out haha. That day, I ordered it without a second thought 😆

The side dishes, including angelica-root pickles

Before the meat arrived, I checked out the basic side dishes! There was kimchi, lettuce wraps, and bean sprouts that go well with meat, plus fragrant angelica pickles that pair especially well with pork belly, so it was fun mixing and matching combinations haha.

With pork belly, the side dish combos matter just as much as the meat itself haha. I was already happily agonizing over how to wrap it up 😋

What the pre-seared pork belly looks like when it arrives

After a short wait, the Maillard 100-point pre-seared pork belly finally arrived! First, a shot of the whole spread — click! With the pre-seared pork belly, kimchi, lettuce wraps and all the side dishes filling the table, it looked exactly like what you'd want from a good BBQ place haha. Since the pork belly had already gone through the pre-searing process, its surface already had a mouthwatering color!

True to its name, the surface of the pork belly was pre-seared to a golden brown, so the look alone was already impressive haha. The lean meat and fat layers were nicely balanced, and the thick cut made each piece look really appetizing! Unlike raw pork belly, having that mouthwatering color already on the surface from the pre-searing built up my anticipation the moment I saw it~! This is exactly the kind of look you'd want from a good samgyeopsal spot in Apgujeong Rodeo haha.

Staff grill the pork belly for you, so the wait is short

The pre-seared pork belly got grilled once more, deliciously, on the griddle! The staff member cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and grilled it for me, so all I had to do was wait comfortably haha. Best of all, since it was already pre-seared, the wait was much shorter than starting from raw meat!

As the pork belly sizzled on the griddle and the surface got more and more golden... that's when the smell of the meat became truly hard to resist haha. They grilled kimchi and mushrooms alongside it too, completing the picture perfectly!

How did the pork belly taste? Nutty outside, juicy inside

Finally, I tried a piece of the well-grilled pork belly! The outside was golden and had a nutty, savory flavor, while the inside wasn't overcooked at all, staying moist with the juices intact!

Eating the lean and fatty parts together gave a texture that was both soft and chewy — totally my style haha. Going through the pre-searing and then getting grilled again properly on the griddle let me enjoy the savory crust and moist interior at the same time. One bite in, and my chopsticks were already reaching for the next piece haha.

Mixing kimchi, wrap greens and pickles with each bite

This time I tried the pork belly with a nicely grilled perilla leaf! As the kimchi sizzled in the fat rendering off the pork belly, it turned way more savory than eating it plain haha. Putting the kimchi on top of the golden-grilled pork belly and taking a bite... the best combination haha. The savory juices of the meat combined with the tangy kimchi cut right through the richness — absolutely delicious! 😆

Wrapping the pork belly in lettuce is a must too! Adding a piece of meat with ssamjang (dipping sauce) and toppings to your taste and taking a big wrapped bite gave a totally different flavor haha. Pairing it especially with the fragrant pickles cut through the greasiness of the meat while adding extra aroma — it worked surprisingly well!

Just eating the meat plain, then with kimchi, then wrapped in lettuce... switching up the combos as I went made it absolutely delicious haha. Being able to eat like this is a charm only possible at Chobeoljip, a well-known spot in Apgujeong Rodeo~ 👍