Jongno Korean BBQ with a 5th-floor group hall: Jonggak-ap Nosang

Always writing honest reviews💛 Recommending a Jonggak BBQ spot for group dinners: Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang. Here's my honest review after stuffing myself on a quality hanwoo and pork set plus generous sides🤪

Where is Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang, and where do you park?

Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang is on the 5th floor at 17 Samil-daero 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, right in the middle of the Street of Youth between Jongno 3-ga and Jonggak stations. It's open daily 12:00–23:00 (last order 22:00).

It's tucked in an alley but easy to find — just look for the Sherlock Holmes sign and head inside🤗 Then take the elevator up to the 5th floor. There's no dedicated free parking, but there's a paid lot nearby, the Boshingak public parking lot, so keep that in mind!

The 5th-floor hall: how big is it for a group dinner?

Up on the 5th floor there's this cute wooden entrance door, and once you step in, the interior is spacious with plenty of tables — really a Jonggak BBQ spot perfect for group dinners or gatherings👏

The restroom is clean and located right inside the restaurant, and there's also a terrace smoking area on the same floor, so you can eat comfortably at Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang👋

What we ordered at Jonggak-ap Nosang and what it cost

Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang lets you enjoy hanwoo (Korean beef) and pork together, so they have lots of set menu combinations. We decided to try both hanwoo and pork🤩 We ordered the recommended set (today's hanwoo + pork neck + pork belly) for ₩99,000, cubed rice for ₩8,000, and half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) for ₩7,000💛

The drinks menu ranges from wine to soju and beer, and corkage is free too, so it's really perfect for a group dinner😊

If you take part in their Naver receipt review event, you get a free doenjang stew with beef brisket, pork kimchi stew, or steamed egg — everyone should join in🥳

As soon as we ordered, they set out the basic side dishes — fresh lettuce wraps, scallion salad, and a nice spread of pickles, sauces, and condiments that go well with the meat👌

Right after, the meat from the recommended set showed up🥰 Today's hanwoo was sirloin. A gorgeous combo of hanwoo sirloin, pork belly, and pork neck, plus mushrooms and corn to grill alongside.

Charcoal grilling by staff, starting with the hanwoo sirloin

Another great thing about Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang! The grilling service🫣 The staff carefully grill all the meat over real charcoal. They started with the beautifully marbled hanwoo sirloin, topping it with mushrooms🙌

Since it's hanwoo, they grilled it delicately to avoid overcooking it, and the charcoal was in such good condition that the sirloin cooked through nicely and quickly😘

Being hanwoo, it just melts in your mouth even eaten plain. Piled high with scallion salad or wrapped in lettuce — no need to say more, right😋

Grilling the pork neck and pork belly: timing and taste

With impressively good timing, the staff started grilling the pork neck and belly right as we were finishing up the sirloin🫶

Good charcoal makes all the difference — the pork sizzled and cooked quickly and deliciously too🤭

Why is this pork so good even after eating all that beef. The pork neck was soft with zero dryness, and the pork belly had that satisfying chewy texture — so good👍

Are the half-and-half naengmyeon and cubed rice worth adding?

When we ordered the meat, we went a bit overboard with the sides, but they showed up right on time as the meat finished cooking😎 I always agonize over whether to get water naengmyeon or bibim (spicy mixed) naengmyeon, but this place has half-and-half naengmyeon — how did they know I have decision paralysis😆

Sweet and tangy naengmyeon topped with a hefty slice of meat, yum👏 Glad I went with half-and-half since both the bibim and the broth versions were delicious, and being 'half' didn't mean a small portion either — it felt like almost two servings.

And you can't skip the carbs — the cubed rice⭐️ It's fried rice loaded with cubed kimchi and meat. Just from the color it looks super spicy, but nope, not at all🫢 Nicely seasoned kimchi fried rice that pairs perfectly with the meat.

Honest verdict on this Jongno Korean BBQ spot

Hanwoo, pork, two kinds of sides, walked out stuffed, and they even had thoughtful air freshener spray on the way out🤗 From the menu to the service, everything showed real thought for the customer, so I left Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang feeling great about the meal. If you're looking for a Jonggak BBQ spot that's comfortable and lets you enjoy beef and pork together, I recommend it😉