Black pork BBQ in Gangdong, Seoul: soy crab & bibim guksu, Kkamchon

What kind of BBQ restaurant is Kkamchon near Gangdong-gu Office Station?

Kkamchon (깜촌) is a black pork BBQ restaurant at 14 Seongnae-ro 6-gil, 1st floor, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, near Gangdong-gu Office Station. It is open 11:00-22:00, and I went not long ago with my husband. I really love pork in general, but this time I specifically wanted proper black pork.

When we visited, a group was having a company dinner there. A BBQ place only gets picked for team dinners if it's really good, so Kkamchon seems to be a go-to spot for group dinners around Gangdong-gu Office!

We got a window seat, and I liked that when we walked in, even the windows were spotless. The whole place felt clean and well kept.

What did we order at Kkamchon?

The black pork platter Kkamchon Set looked so good that we ordered one set!

The meat quality was good and the mood was relaxed, so it's a place I'd like to come back to with my family. The side dishes even included ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab), which was a nice surprise, so I ordered an extra bowl of rice too.

Kkamchon's soy-marinated crab side dish, mixed into rice

Kkamchon is a meat place near Gangdong-gu Office Station, but even the soy-marinated crab was delicious. Whoever makes the side dishes must have a great touch.

With ganjang gejang the marinade is everything, and this one was so good that I mixed it into my rice.

At a BBQ restaurant, it's not enough for just the meat to be good, right? Kkamchon's basic side dishes also came out neat and tidy, which made me even happier~

Do staff grill the black pork at Kkamchon?

Kkamchon's black pork is grilled over charcoal, and when the meat arrives, a staff member grills it for you at first. Since it's charcoal-grilled meat, I figured it would taste even better.

The black pork assortment lets you taste several cuts at once, so I really recommend it to anyone who loves meat.

A generous spread of cuts like pork neck and pork belly came out, and my expectations shot up the moment I saw it!

As you'd expect from a top BBQ spot near Gangdong-gu Office Station, even the color of the meat stood out~ It had a vivid color and a nice layer of fat, so it just had to be delicious.

Grilling is usually a chore at BBQ places, but at Kkamchon the staff checked on the meat from time to time and helped it cook nicely, so I could enjoy the pork belly without any stress~

Finally, time to taste the almost-done black pork belly~ Doneness matters with black pork: overcook it and it's dry, undercook it and the texture suffers. They helped us grill it just right, so I could really enjoy the true flavor of black pork!

What sauces go with Kkamchon's black pork belly?

I first dipped the black pork belly in the seasoned sauce, and it was really good~ It reminded me of chimichurri with a steak, a special sauce I kept reaching for~

And even just dipped in salt, the black pork was so rich and tasty that we went quiet and just focused on eating.

The pine mushrooms, grilled crisp and dipped in salt, burst with mushroom juice and were honestly as good as the meat.

Kkamchon side dishes that go well with the meat

Kkamchon's side dishes were great alongside the meat, and the onion and lettuce salad in particular was my favorite, even better than making lettuce wraps.

The sauce with a meljeot (salted fermented fish) flavor is unique, and I think they added something extra to it. I don't like strong meljeot, but this one was so good that I kept eating it~

How was Kkamchon's black pork neck?

Kkamchon's black pork neck had a thick layer of fat and grilled up rich and nutty. We had the heat up too high and it almost burned, but the staff helped and saved it haha

When I tasted it, the outside was golden and the inside was moist, and the more I chewed, the more savory juices spread, with a deep flavor clearly different from ordinary pork~ The right amount of fat added richness and the chewy texture was still there, so I kept reaching for more~

This pork neck doesn't look like what you'd see at an ordinary pork belly restaurant. It's a real black pork spot in Gangdong!

It had a little fat mixed in, so I got a variety of textures, and it was good just dipped in salt and also good with vegetables. However you ate it, it was a sure win~

Is Kkamchon's bibim guksu worth ordering after the meat?

I'd tell you to definitely order the bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles) at Kkamchon. We ordered it at the end because we weren't ready to be done. I never expect much from bibim guksu at a BBQ place, but the noodles here were really good!

I mixed it up well and dug in. The noodles were refreshingly cool yet spicy, perfect for finishing the meal. The portion isn't big, but the quality is high, and I was really glad we ordered it.

The noodles were especially good. They weren't ready-made naengmyeon (cold noodle) noodles but felt like a more upscale buckwheat noodle, and they were delicious.

Is Kkamchon near Gangdong-gu Office Station worth going back to?

Seeing dessert come out at this quality, I understood why Kkamchon is a top team dinner spot near Gangdong-gu Office. The nutty richness of the black pork and the side dishes worked so well together that I enjoyed it down to the last bite without getting tired of it. Honestly, I enjoyed it so much that I'd like to come back with my family next time. It's a great black pork belly place in Gangdong.