Dongtan Korean BBQ: ₩73,000 pork belly, jowl and ramyeon, Gogigaondang

Let me introduce Gogigaondang (고기가온당), a real find for pork belly in Dongtan. Wow, the meat is fresh, with a springy bite and bursting juices, and it has a meaty aroma without any gamey smell at all. It was a BBQ place unlike any I'd tried before.

What are the hours and parking at Gogigaondang Dongtan Branch?

Gogigaondang Dongtan Branch is open Mon–Fri 16:00–22:00 and Sat–Sun 12:00–22:00, with a break time of 15:00–17:00 on weekends. Parking is available for 4 cars in front of the restaurant.

Gogigaondang specializes in pot-lid pork belly from grade-1 female pigs! It uses herb hanDon (Korean domestic pork), so it was really delicious! All the side dishes are handmade, made from Korean ingredients at Ondang Farm (온당농원)!

What is the inside of Gogigaondang like?

The inside was spacious and split into two areas, so it felt tidy rather than chaotic. The interior was clean and hygienic too, and the floor and tables weren't sticky!

What we ordered: pork belly and jowl set and prices

The total for what I ordered at Gogigaondang that day was ₩73,000. I had reserved, so the table was already set, and you can refill side dishes at the self-serve bar! The scallion kimchi wasn't at the self-serve bar, so I asked for it separately.

• Antibiotic-free raw pork belly, 2 servings: ₩38,000
• Antibiotic-free raw pork jowl, 1 serving: ₩19,000
• Chadol doenjang stew (beef brisket soybean paste stew): ₩8,000
• Pot ramyeon: ₩5,000
• Steamed rice: ₩1,000
• Chilsung Cider Zero: ₩2,000
• Total: ₩73,000

The basic side dishes were scallion salad, kimchi, scallion kimchi (pa-kimchi), green onion kimchi, stir-fried bean sprouts, seasoned bracken, salted cutlassfish guts, anchovy sauce, fresh wasabi and tofu!

Best side dish: Ondang Farm scallion kimchi and green onion kimchi

My number one side dish at Gogigaondang was the scallion kimchi and the green onion kimchi. The scallion kimchi tasted like the kind made at home, so I asked for another plate! It went that well with the meat. When I wondered why it was so good, the owner told me at checkout that it's all made by hand, with grandma's touch, at the licensed, fully equipped Ondang Farm facility! No wonder every side dish was so fresh and clean! If they sold it, I'd buy it right away, sob.

How does the herb hanDon raw pork belly taste?

The antibiotic-free raw pork belly I ordered first came with king oyster mushrooms and onions! Ta-da! Wow... just look at the color of that meat. Maybe because it uses herb hanDon, the Nonghyup (agricultural cooperative) hanDon pork brand, it was the best pork I've had recently. How can the texture be so springy yet tender? It even has that good meaty aroma, not a gamey one! I could feel how good the meat was, so I ordered pork jowl as an extra!

Staff grill it for you on the pot-lid grill

At Gogigaondang the staff do all the grilling, so all I had to do was eat! They first grease the cauldron-lid-style grill with a piece of fat, then lay the meat down, and they even flip it for you. Maybe because they grill it so well, it tasted even better!

Meat has to be thick to be good, and Gogigaondang's pork belly nails the thickness first. It's thick, bright pinkish-red, and obviously fresh at a glance. Two servings was a generous amount and delicious.

The grilled pork belly was truly crispy outside and moist inside. Thick, fresh meat means plenty of juice, and with pieces this big it can't be bad! Maybe it's because it's Nonghyup herb hanDon pork, but it was really delicious! The best pork belly I've ever had!

On the pot lid I also grilled green onion, tofu, kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts and seasoned bracken! Browned in the meat fat, they have great flavor and a crunchy texture, so they're even better! Grilled kimchi, need I say more? You know, right?

What about the extra order of raw pork jowl?

The extra antibiotic-free raw pork jowl, 1 serving (₩19,000), is worth trying at Gogigaondang. Wow, I'd never seen pork with marbling like this. This jowl is the real deal. It was so springy with a great texture, and chewy, which surprised me! I was startled when I ate it. I think even one serving of jowl is worth trying!

Chadol doenjang stew and wild garlic leaf wraps

Gogigaondang's chadol doenjang stew (₩8,000) isn't spicy, and the broth isn't too thin but rich and thick, so it goes well with meat and is nice to spoon up midway through. It even has beef brisket in it, so it was a premium doenjang stew.

Wrapping it in lettuce is good too, but I thought pork goes so well with myeongi namul (wild garlic leaf pickle) that I kept eating that! Its distinctive fragrant flavor and mild saltiness bring out the savory taste of the meat, so they're great together!

Tips for tastier pot ramyeon

Gogigaondang's pot ramyeon (₩5,000) is good with scallion salad added! If you like your noodles firm, ask for them firm, and ask them to reduce the water a bit for an even better bowl! I only thought of it after the ramyeon arrived, sob.

All the meat and side dish ingredients are Korean-grown!

Is Gogigaondang expensive?

Every ingredient at Gogigaondang is Korean-grown. The meat is great, the side dishes taste like home cooking, and even the chili powder is domestic, so honestly at this level the price isn't expensive!

Gogigaondang, where the meat is delicious because every ingredient is Korean-grown

What I liked

• Not just the meat but the side dishes are all Korean-grown
• Staff grill the meat for you, so it's easy
• It was some of the best pork I've had recently
• You can also buy Shine Muscat grapes they grow themselves