Nowon Korean BBQ with pumpkin leaf wraps and anchovy dip: Moksam Hwaro

I finally had Korean BBQ again!! While I was taking herbal medicine I was told to stay away from pork, so I haven't been eating it like I used to (sob). To celebrate finishing the medicine, I went to grease my stomach with pork for the first time in a while!! Hehe

I went to Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch (목삼화로 노원 본점), near my home at Nowon Station. It's famous as a great BBQ spot around Nowon Station!! I hear there's quite a wait on weekend evenings, and locals in Nowon say it's delicious by word of mouth. Here's my honest review.

Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch: hours and location

Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch is open Mon–Thu 17:00–23:00 and Fri–Sun 16:00–23:00. Come out of Exit 1 of Nowon Station and you'll find it quickly.

It's in the middle of a street lined with good restaurants. I used to hang out in Nowon a lot, and it felt like it had changed a lot but also stayed the same, haha. I was walking down memory lane and got there in no time!

They say Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch serves top 1% meat that's gone through both wet aging and dry aging. Why does everything taste better aged, whether it's sashimi or meat?!?!? Hehe

Do you need a reservation at Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch?

I recommend reserving before you go. We did, and if we hadn't we'd have waited a long time. It was really packed!

It seemed like lots of people were there for company dinners, so it looks like a good Nowon Station spot for group meals too. If you're looking for tasty BBQ near Nowon Station, give it a try. Places full of locals never disappoint, haha. Anyway, luckily we got seated at an open table!

Moksam platter price and ordering tips

At Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch we ordered the Moksam platter (목삼 한판), recommended for two people, at ₩49,000. We also added an aged kimchi stew (묵은지 김치찌개)!!

Unusually, they sell wine here. Both bottle and glass prices are good. I think it would go great with the meat, haha. My husband went all in on soju, lol.

The meat comes pre-grilled, so if you want to order more, I recommend ordering about 10 minutes early. You don't want to break the flow while eating, right? ><

Side dishes at Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch: pumpkin leaves?

My favorite thing at Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch is that the wrap vegetable is pumpkin leaf. I first thought it was perilla leaf, but it's pumpkin leaf.

Have you ever wrapped meat in pumpkin leaf (sob)?!?!? It's so chewy and good. This alone makes Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch a top BBQ spot near Nowon Station. The scallion kimchi (파김치) is delicious too, haha! The side dishes pass!

Meljeot, cheese steamed egg and aged kimchi stew

The meljeot (멜젓, salted anchovy dip) is moved to the center of the grill. It wasn't fishy or salty at all, just tasty.

The steamed egg is my favorite cheese kind, and I could finish a bowl of rice with just that. The aged kimchi stew was slightly salty, so it went really well with rice. The meat in the stew was so good that I sneakily picked at it while my husband wasn't looking, lol. He'll find out from this post, the secret of the missing meat...

Is the pork neck at Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch really that good?

The Moksam platter arrived! At Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch, they show you the meat first, then pre-grill it and bring it over, and then grill the pre-grilled meat again on our table grill so it comes out perfectly.

Wow, I really do vouch for the pork neck here. It melts in your mouth..... Seeing a table full of meat like this makes me feel at peace, hehe

Maldon salt, and tonkatsu sauce with breadcrumbs

Dipping the pork neck in Maldon salt is great too. And here's the signature of Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch! Dipping the meat in tonkatsu sauce and breadcrumbs makes it feel like eating tonkatsu (pork cutlet), lol.

When you get tired of just meat, eating it this way revives your appetite. But the best of all is wrapping the meat in pumpkin leaf. Praising the pumpkin leaf once more...

Pork belly or pork neck: which wins at Moksam Hwaro?

Eating the pork neck at Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch, I almost forgot about the pork belly, lol. The pork belly is chewy and good too (sob). But the pork neck here is truly delicious!!! The belly is tasty, but the neck is legendary!?!?

For anyone looking for a great BBQ spot near Nowon Station that's good for group dinners, I recommend Moksam Hwaro Nowon Main Branch with all my heart. We really enjoyed it. We'll be going back soon to destroy more pork neck!!