Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ lunch for 3, then Ikseon-dong: Cham Dwaejitgan

I went for meat with my friends at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch (참돼짓간 종로본점) in Jongno 3-ga 🐷 There are so many BBQ places in Jongno 3-ga that I agonize over where to go every time, haha. This time the three of us went for lunch!

The staff grilled the meat for us, so nobody had to hold the tongs and we could just eat comfortably. The pork belly and pork jowl were both delicious ෆ It's close to the station and the restaurant is fairly big, so it also works for friend meetups or company dinners. Okay, let's get started ദ്ദി・ᴗ・)✧

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch and what are the hours?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is at 1 Donhwamun-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the first floor of the Picadilly CGV building (Unit 1-89), and it's open daily 12:00–23:00. It's about 54 m from Exit 2-1 of Jongno 3-ga Station, so you get there almost as soon as you come out of the station.

It's on the outer side of the first floor of the Picadilly CGV building, so it wasn't hard to find :) Jongno 3-ga Station is on Lines 1, 3 and 5, so it's easy to meet even if your friends are coming from different parts of the city. Ikseon-dong is nearby too, so after eating we strolled around Ikseon-dong, haha.

Is Cham Dwaejitgan spacious inside?

The inside is roomier than I expected, with plenty of tables. The three of us sat with lots of space, and it looked fine for bigger groups too.

Cham Dwaejitgan menu and prices

The menu is mainly split between Jirisan black pork and Boseong Nokdon (Boseong green-tea-fed pork). Nokdon pork belly is ₩16,000 and cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl) is ₩19,000.

Jirisan black pork

• Jirisan black pork five-layer pork belly ₩19,000
• Jirisan black pork neck ₩18,000

Boseong Nokdon pork

• Pork belly ₩16,000
• Flower neck (kkot-moksal) ₩16,000
• Cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl) ₩19,000
• Gabeurisal (pork neck-end cut) ₩19,000

Meals and side dishes

• Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) ₩6,000
• Kimchi stew ₩7,000
• Jirisan kudzu cold noodles ₩7,000
• Jirisan kudzu spicy mixed noodles ₩7,000
• Steamed egg ₩5,000
• Fried rice ₩3,000
• Margarine soy-sauce egg rice ₩3,900
• Steamed rice ₩1,000

Banchan and table setting, with dropwort

Before the meat arrives, the basic side dishes are set out, along with dropwort (minari) to eat with the meat. They also put kimchi and bean sprouts on the grill.

What I personally loved was that dropwort comes with it! Having a bit of dropwort between bites of pork belly is fragrant and cuts the greasiness. The nicely browned kimchi was another treat, haha. It was fun mixing and matching things instead of just eating meat!

Extra side dishes were easy to get at the self-bar.

What did three friends order for lunch?

The three of us ordered 2 servings of pork belly, 1 serving of cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl), doenjang stew and steamed rice. Alternating between the two cuts was nice because the textures are different!

Do the staff grill the meat for you?

Yes, the staff grill the meat for you so it's perfectly cooked. At a normal BBQ place, one person ends up holding the tongs and it's hard to focus on the conversation ,, but here we chatted comfortably while we ate ♡

It was perfect for catching up and gossiping with friends I hadn't seen in a while, haha.

How was the cham-samgyeopsal pork belly?

The pork belly was thick and looked appetizing even before grilling, and once browned it was savory outside and chewy and juicy inside 💕 I first tried it with just a little salt, and there was no porky smell at all. My first reaction was "mmm~~" and my younger friends enjoyed it too, haha.

Next I ate it with dropwort and grilled kimchi. Personally, pork belly plus grilled dropwort was my favorite combo ෆ

Doenjang stew and rice for lunch

Since we came for lunch, we also ordered doenjang stew (₩6,000) and steamed rice (₩1,000). You only feel like you've had a proper meal once you've had meat and rice, haha.

Next time I want to try the fried rice. It's only ₩3,000, so I'll have to finish with fried rice on my next visit!

How is cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl) different from pork belly?

If the pork belly was soft and savory, the cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl) charmed me with its chewy bite. Eating the two in turn felt different even though it's all pork, which made it fun, haha.

Pork belly is great, but if you love the springy, chewy texture of pork jowl, give the cheon-gyeopsal a try!

Mouthwash, hair ties and candy on the way out

Cham Dwaejitgan has mouthwash, hair ties and candy ready for after the meal. After eating BBQ, the smell in your hair and breath bothers you more than you'd think, so I loved this small touch of care!

Verdict: is Cham Dwaejitgan good for friend meetups and group dinners in Jongno 3-ga?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is close to Jongno 3-ga Station, and the staff even grill the meat, so we could eat comfortably. I liked the thick, savory pork belly, and the chewy cheon-gyeopsal (pork jowl) was delicious too!

I especially recommend it for days when you want to chat over meat with friends like we did, or if you're looking for a company dinner spot in Jongno 3-ga ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ