Geomdan pork belly with cat serving robot and tap highballs: Taedon

I went looking for a good samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) spot near Geomdan Sageori and ended up at Taedon Geomdan Sageori Branch — and honestly, what got me first was the sheer amount of free side dishes. The meat was great too, but the whole experience here was just really good. Let me break it down.

What Taedon Geomdan Sageori Branch looks like inside and out

The exterior has a big sign reading 'Hanwoo-free Pork Belly Specialist Taedon,' with menu boards set up on both sides of the entrance so you can check before going in.

The interior was way bigger than I expected. Tables are spaced comfortably apart, and the black-toned interior gives it a sleek feel even though it's a barbecue place. Natural light comes in nicely by the windows, so it's bright and pleasant if you visit during the day.

There's also an espresso machine and a tea vending machine set up in one corner, so you can grab a self-serve coffee after your meal — a nice little bonus.

The cat-shaped serving robot that brings your food

At Taedon Geomdan Sageori Branch, a cute cat-faced serving robot moves between tables delivering food. Kids would especially love it, and even adults can't help but smile the first time they see it.

The staff also took care of everything right away, so I had a really easy time eating. They checked in on their own before I even had to ask, so I could just focus on the meat without any hassle.

Taedon's pork menu and tap highball lineup

Taedon's pork menu breaks down into three main choices. You can order premium hanwoo-free pork belly or premium kkodeulsal (chewy pork) on their own, or if you want both, pick the premium assorted hanwoo pork platter in 400g or 600g. If you want something lighter for one or two people, there's also cold pork belly.

There's plenty of variety in the finishing menu too. There are two ways to get kimchi fried rice — self-fried or staff-prepared — plus a pork-loaded master's recipe kimchi jjigae (stew), cold noodles, spicy mixed noodles, pajae jjolmyeon (scallion noodles), tofu cheonggukjang (fermented bean stew), and steamed egg.

For drinks, this place sells highballs instead of soju. Taedon Mojito Highball, Lemon Ginger Highball (their best-seller), and Pink Grapefruit Highball are all poured straight from the tap.

Free sides at Taedon: Dubai ssamjang, mushrooms, steamed egg and flat dumplings

If you're looking for a good samgyeopsal restaurant near Geomdan Sageori, the free side dish spread here is honestly one of the best I've seen at any pork belly place.

When you order the meat, Dubai chewy ssamjang, five kinds of farm-fresh mushrooms, steamed egg, and flat dumplings from Daegu Seomun Market all come out for free.

And that's all complimentary. The moment it's set on the table, it already looks like a full spread.

The flat dumplings come with jjolmyeon (chewy cold noodles), and this combo is genuinely special. Once you put a dumpling on top of a bite of jjolmyeon, it's hard to stop.

Eating meat, then this, then more meat — the whole rhythm feels completely natural.

The steamed egg comes in a pot, puffed up thick, and it's also free. It's savory and soft, perfect as a palate cleanser between bites of meat.

What we ate: assorted Handon 400g and three servings of antibiotic-free pork belly

We started with the 400g assorted hanwoo pork platter, then ordered 3 additional servings of antibiotic-free pork belly.

The assorted hanwoo pork comes with both pork belly and kkodeulsal (chewy pork) — the belly was juicy and savory, and the kkodeulsal had that signature chewy texture, so both were great.

We ordered the antibiotic-free pork belly as an add-on, but honestly it could be the base order for anyone. Wrapping the grilled belly in lettuce with rice was exactly what I wanted, and it paired even better with the Dubai chewy ssamjang.

Cold buckwheat noodles and self-fried cheese kimchi fried rice

To finish, we ordered two bowls of cold noodles — perfect for a refreshing palate cleanser after all that meat. Adding a piece of meat into the cold noodle broth actually worked really well too.

We also got the self-fried kimchi rice. You fry it yourself on the leftover grill, and adding cheese turned it into a completely different dish. The part where the melted cheese crisps up at the edge of the grill was especially good. I'd absolutely recommend adding cheese.

The finishing ice cream came as part of a review event freebie — vanilla ice cream topped with Oreo cookies, a sweet way to end the meal.

How to get to Taedon Geomdan Sageori Branch and where to park

The address is 139 Wanjeong-ro, B-dong 1st floor, Geomdan-gu, Incheon, South Korea. It's walkable from Geomdan Sageori Station, and also convenient from Majeon-dong, Dangha-dong, Wondang-dong, and Geomdan New Town.

If you're driving, there's a free dedicated Taedon parking lot behind the building. For group reservations, contact the restaurant directly.

If you're looking for a good samgyeopsal restaurant near Geomdan Sageori, it's rare to find a place with this level of meat quality and side dish spread combined. There's a real reason to come back after your first visit.