Pork belly BBQ near Mangpo Station: first grilled cheese, Olheun Gogi

I was craving meat lately, so I went to Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch (옳은고기 수원본점), near Mangpo Station in Suwon, for some good pork. Korean pork, hanwoo yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and all kinds of side dishes in one place, and it really is a hit! The staff grilling the meat for you was especially great.

Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch: hours, parking and location

Hours are listed as Mon–Thu and Sat 12:00–03:00, Fri and Sun 12:00–22:00, and you can park in the underground parking lot. No break time was listed.

It's close enough to walk from Mangpo Station, which I liked. And you always want a drink at a BBQ place, right? It's great for company dinners, and with underground parking, people who drive can come without worry.

Atmosphere and group seating at Olheun Gogi

The restaurant was bigger and cleaner than I expected! The tables were nicely spaced, and since staff do the grilling instead of you doing it yourself like at a typical BBQ place, everyone seemed to be eating comfortably.

There's also a space at the back for groups, so it seems good for family meals or company dinners. It's easy to reach by public transport too.

Olheun Dwaeji Hansang Set: price and what we ordered

• Olheun Dwaeji set (옳은돼지 한상세트) ₩118,000
• 1 steamed rice ₩1,000
• Total ₩119,000

Side dishes: tangy-sweet geotjeori kimchi and braised tuna with radish

The side dishes were all generous and fresh! The geotjeori (fresh-tossed kimchi) was especially good. You need kimchi to eat lots of meat at a BBQ place, and this one was tangy, sweet and tasty. Unusually, there was also braised radish with tuna, which was perfect as a drinking snack before the main dishes arrived. Honestly, I think the sides alone could carry a bottle of soju.

Hanwoo yukhoe (beef tartare) included in the pork set

It was also quite unusual that hanwoo yukhoe comes with a pork set, and the quality didn't drop at all. Usually when you order pork at a BBQ place you mostly eat grilled dishes, so having yukhoe too makes the set feel much fuller. It wasn't frozen yukhoe, which made it even better, and it had a nice beefy aroma, a satisfying starter.

Pork belly, pork neck and loin cap platter

The pork in the Olheun Dwaeji set is an assortment of pork belly, pork neck and deungsim deotsal (sirloin add-on cut). Eating just one cut can get boring quickly, so I liked being able to compare the texture and flavor of each! Staff cut and grill the meat into bite-size pieces, so it's easy even for people who can't grill, or who want to focus on the conversation.

Cheese for grilling included in the set

And the grill-it cheese, which you can't skip in this set! You get cheese to grill alongside the meat, and enjoying pork and cheese together felt fresh. Eating only meat can get a bit tiring, so having grilled cheese in the set is wonderful. Honestly, it was my first time eating grilled cheese, and it was so good.

Doenjang stew with crab and beef brisket

Another highlight was the doenjang (soybean paste) stew. The broth was rich and deeply savory. I wondered why it was so refreshing and tasty, and then I saw a big crab in it, plus brisket too! It's a total winner that clears away the greasy feeling.

What is it like having staff grill your meat?

The staff at Olheun Gogi grill the meat so well. How do they line it up in perfect rows and grill it so perfectly? There's nothing to worry about, it comes out perfectly delicious, so even if you go with someone who can't grill, I never had to grill anything myself, which was great.

Pork belly cut to just the right thickness

Watching the meat turn golden on the grill, the savory smell made me want to dig in right away. Pork belly first, of course, what's there to say, it's the best seller! It's the cut you think of first, with a rich pork aroma, and the thickness was just right, so it was really easy to eat.

Pork belly dipped in meljeot (anchovy sauce)

Dipping the pork belly in meljeot (salted fermented anchovy sauce) is really good. It's a total best combo. Meljeot is polarizing, but once you get hooked, you'll eat everything dipped in it! Please try dipping in it at least once.

What does grilled cheese wrapped in pork belly taste like?

This is the ultimate combo: wrapping grilled cheese in pork belly was so good. I thought rich plus rich would be bad, but it wasn't greasy at all, the savoriness doubled and the flavor felt even fuller. You absolutely have to eat the grill-it cheese.

Deungsim-deotsal (pork loin cap), the special cut I was curious about

Lastly, the deungsim deotsal I'd personally been curious about! It's one of the special pork cuts, where lean meat and fat come together for a soft texture and savory flavor. It has a different charm from regular pork belly, so it was fun to taste them together!

Alternating between three cuts, pork belly, pork neck and sirloin add-on cut, the best part was comparing the different taste of each, and I also liked that the staff grill it so you can eat it comfortably at the perfectly cooked moment.

Receipt review event: get 1 bottle of soju, 1 bottle of beer, a draft beer (Terra) or 2 cans of soft drink

What I liked about Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch

A Mangpo Station restaurant where you can enjoy fresh, tasty Korean pork and beef all in one go

• A varied set from Korean pork to hanwoo yukhoe
• Staff grill the meat for you
• A set that includes grill-it cheese and a hearty doenjang stew
• A spacious, pleasant restaurant with space for groups