Korean BBQ with kids in Mangpo: child cutlery & Chung-ha, Olheun Gogi

Why we chose a grill-for-you Korean BBQ near Mangpo Station with kids

Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch (옳은고기 수원본점) is a BBQ restaurant near Mangpo Station with a good local reputation, where staff grill the meat for you. When you take kids to a BBQ place, you go for the tasty meat, but the parents often end up flipping meat and looking after the children in a blur and barely eating. So this time we looked for a place that grills for you, and that's how we ended up at Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch.

Parking and atmosphere at Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch

You can park right in front of the restaurant, which made it easy with two kids, and the inside was much bigger than it looks from the outside. It's open late, so it seems good for anything from dinner to a late get-together. Customers kept coming in while we were there, but the space is large, so it never felt crowded and we could eat in peace.

There are lots of tables, plus an area at the back that feels like a separate room, so it looks fine for company dinners and group gatherings as well as family meals. The tables aren't cramped either, so we sat comfortably with the kids.

On the wall was a notice about Olheun Gogi and CJ Feed&Care's premium pork. It said the restaurant is supplied with Meat Master Hanwoo-grade Korean pork (HanDon) that has passed certification at each production and distribution stage. It caught my eye again while ordering, since it's nice to see some information about the pork they use.

A kid-friendly order: what's in the Olheun Dwaeji Hansang Set?

Every table has a tablet, so we could browse the menu and order easily. We ordered the Olheun Dwaeji Hansang Set (옳은돼지 한상세트), which comes with an assortment of HanDon pork belly, pork neck and loin cap, plus Hanwoo yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), grilled cheese and bomb steamed egg.

Instead of ordering meat alone, you get yukhoe, cheese and steamed egg all at once, which suits eating with kids. You don't have to puzzle over lots of separate dishes, so it was an easy family-meal choice, and the portion was generous.

Side dishes and braised fish

The side dishes were things that go well with meat: aged kimchi (mukeunji), chives, cucumber pickles, kimchi and seasoned vegetables. Dipping sauce, garlic and salt were there too, so you can eat to your taste, and the seasoned greens were fresh and went nicely with the meat. The braised fish that came with braised radish was slightly spicy and tasty too!

Kids' spoons and forks arrive first

Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch also set out child-size spoons and forks for us. At many places you end up feeding kids with adult cutlery or have to ask for kid's ones, so I liked that they brought them first.

How does staff grilling change the meal for parents?

Above all, it was really comfortable that the staff grilled the meat for us. They put the thick cuts on the grill, cut them into good bite-size pieces and cooked them just right while watching the meat. The staff were friendly too, so we felt at ease the whole meal.

When you go to a BBQ place with kids, you keep checking that the meat isn't burning, then cut it up and set it in front of the children, so parents can hardly eat, right? This time the staff did the grilling, so we could just look after the kids and eat slowly, which felt much more relaxed.

Hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare) while the meat cooks

The set also came with Hanwoo yukhoe. It was piled generously on top of Asian pear, with an egg yolk and nuts, and it was nice to eat before the meat was cooked. I popped the yolk and mixed it through, and it was soft and nutty.

Thick pork belly and neck, grilled vegetables and meljeot (anchovy sauce)

The pork belly and pork neck were thick and chewy, golden outside and juicy inside. Along with the meat, they grill onion, sweet pumpkin, mushrooms and green onion, and the vegetables cooked in the pork fat were a treat of their own. It's good just dipped lightly in salt, and also with the meljeot (salted anchovy sauce) placed in the middle, which adds a savory depth. With seasoned vegetables or aged kimchi on the side, I kept eating without it feeling greasy.

The kids' favorite: grilled cheese

What the kids especially loved at Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch was the grilled cheese. They had fun watching it turn golden on the grill and asking when they could eat it.

The warm grilled cheese was lightly golden outside and chewy inside, good on its own and good with the meat. It's not something you often see at the BBQ places we usually go to, so the kids enjoyed it even more.

Bomb steamed egg and a glass of Chung-ha

At a BBQ place, bomb steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) is a must. Our oldest loves steamed egg, so as soon as it came out she pulled it in front of herself and ate it happily. It's hot and soft, easy for kids, and just right between bites of meat.

Normally my husband would be busy grilling too, but this day the staff at Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch did it, so we ate at leisure with a glass of Chung-ha (a Korean rice-based sake). The kids enjoyed the cheese and steamed egg, and the adults got well-grilled pork belly and neck with a drink. It was a really nice meal out.

Who is Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch for?

With parking in front, a spacious dining room and staff who grill the meat, Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch was really easy to visit with kids. I'd recommend it especially to families eating out with young children, anyone who wants a meal without the hassle of grilling, and people looking for a place for a company dinner or gathering.