Late-night Korean BBQ in Cheonan with milk thistle: Cham Dwaejitgan

I recently visited the newly opened Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch. I didn’t know this, but they had a 2-for-1 pork belly event right when they opened in August!!

When I visited in early September, the event had already ended, so I couldn’t take part—but I was curious, so I decided to give it a try anyway. There are hardly any Korean barbecue places open late, and even when there are, it’s not easy to find one that gets the flavor right too. Since this place had just opened, I went in thinking, why not give it a shot?

A corkage-free offer that stood out, even on a weekday night

I arrived a little after 11 p.m. on a weekday, and surprisingly, there were still people there. Then the corkage event immediately caught my eye!

Before visiting, I debated whether to buy a bottle of wine to bring because they said corkage was free. But since it was my first time trying the meat, I held back and just went in. Still, free corkage really was such an appealing perk.

A clean, orderly interior

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how clean and well organized everything was. It had that fresh, comfortable atmosphere of a newly opened place. Even among Korean barbecue restaurants in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan, it feels rare to find one maintained this neatly.

Every table was nicely arranged, and when I was leaving, I noticed they had toothpicks, hair ties, fabric freshener, phone chargers, mouthwash, candy, and even yogurt available. I was so touched I wondered whether the owner was making any profit at all...

Ordering cheongyeopsal, black pork neck, and pork jowl

We started with one serving each of cheongyeopsal and black pork neck, then ordered an extra serving of pork jowl after finishing them—because they were so good!

Ordering was easy on the order pad, and for a Korean barbecue restaurant in Dujeong-dong, Cheonan, the menu selection was really solid too.

The sign said they use charcoal and Korean rice husks, giving the meat exceptional juices and flavor. Honestly, regular people usually can’t tell whether rice husks are involved or not, right? But after one bite, I really could tell. Ah, so this is the charcoal-and-rice-husk collaboration... (Learning something new like this.)

Staff-grilled pork and a milk thistle service

To give you the conclusion first: it was genuinely excellent. The service, friendliness, and meat quality were all so good that I came home with more than 40 photos, haha.

One touching detail: when you order alcohol, they give you milk thistle, a liver supplement, alongside it. It was my first time seeing a Korean barbecue restaurant look after you with milk thistle. I was drinking alone, so I only received one bottle’s worth, but even that made such an impression.

When they first put the meat on the grill, they set up kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, sliced potatoes, mushrooms, minari (water celery), pa-muchim (seasoned scallion salad), and chili peppers all together. They grilled everything themselves from start to finish, so I could eat very comfortably.

Maybe it was thanks to the charcoal and Korean rice husks, but the juiciness and flavor really were on another level.

Personally, it was ridiculously delicious. Maybe the amazing service had already moved me, so it tasted even better.

A self-serve bar where you can freely grab even perilla leaves

The self-serve bar had all the side dishes too, with ssamjang (savory dipping paste), spicy sauce, salt, wasabi, mushroom wasabi, garlic, kimchi, lettuce, perilla leaves, and more. At most Korean barbecue places, vegetables aren’t at the self-serve bar and you have to call someone for them. As a huge perilla-leaf fan, I always feel bad calling and end up eating less, so I loved that I could eat them here without worrying about it.

I enjoyed it so much that I debated whether to order sides, but I was already full, so we just left ㅠㅠ Apparently, if you join an event, you may be able to receive a soft drink or fried rice as a free service!

Something funny happened when it was time to pay. I hadn’t topped up my Cheonan Love Card, so I paid by regular card—and then found out they even accept Onnuri gift certificates?! I received some last year but hadn’t used them because I couldn’t find a suitable place, so I never expected to use them here.

The owner and staff were all incredibly kind. I was so impressed by the outstanding service and meat quality that I think I’ll become a regular here.