Uncut full-strip pork belly for two at a Jongno 3-ga BBQ: Chowon

Where is Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, and when is it open?

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is a go-to spot for the outdoor-tent mood next to Tapgol Park, at 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 17:00 to 01:00. The restaurant sits about a 3-minute walk from Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station on Line 5.

Outdoor tent tables or indoor seats at Chowon Restaurant?

I went back to the Jongno 3-ga outdoor tents again yesterday afternoon — before this autumn slips away. The exterior of Chowon Restaurant is the tent scene itself. Several tables were set up out in the tent area.

There were also tables inside the restaurant, but we went straight for a spot at the outdoor tent tables. Since this place is known for its tent atmosphere, I'd recommend always grabbing an outdoor tent table if one's open. Tissues, wet wipes, pepper, and a menu were all set out between the tables.

What we ordered from the Chowon Restaurant menu

After checking the menu, we ordered two servings of frozen pork belly right away — ₩18,000 per serving — along with beef brisket doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) for ₩8,000 and soju for ₩5,000, all at once.

As soon as we ordered, a round tray of banchan (side dishes) arrived: lettuce for wraps, green onion kimchi, bracken fern, seasoned bean sprouts, napa cabbage kimchi, ssamjang (dipping sauce), raw garlic, and peppers. There was also a corner inside the restaurant where you could refill banchan yourself.

Frozen pork belly served in one long uncut strip

The frozen pork belly we ordered at this Tapgol Park outdoor-tent branch of Chowon Restaurant arrived. Most frozen pork belly I'm used to comes pre-cut, but here it came out distinctively whole and long, uncut.

The autumn outdoor-tent vibe at Jongno 3-ga's Tapgol Park is just unbeatable. Peak tent season, full stop.

Once the grill heated up enough, we piled napa cabbage kimchi and seasoned bracken fern and bean sprouts generously onto the lower part of the grill where the meat fat drains. Then we loaded the frozen pork belly onto the grill too, filling it up.

The smell of the pork belly was seriously stirring up the appetite.

We sprinkled pepper generously over the pork belly as it grilled. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and browned it up nicely, ready to eat.

Grilled kimchi, bracken fern and bean sprouts with soju

The kimchi and bracken fern and bean sprouts, grilled in the pork belly fat, got even better. And for kimchi grilled alongside meat to taste good in the fat, the kimchi itself has to be good to begin with — and this place's kimchi delivered.

And in this kind of outdoor-tent mood, with pork belly, a glass of soju is non-negotiable. So we poured one right away.

Grilling the meat with plenty of pepper made it even tastier. Laying down a lettuce leaf and adding the fat-soaked kimchi, the lettuce's juice combined perfectly with the well-cooked kimchi and frozen pork belly.

Adding bracken fern and bean sprouts brought a subtle savory depth. We also piled on green onion kimchi — at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, there were plenty of ways to enjoy the frozen pork belly.

Was the ₩8,000 beef brisket doenjang jjigae worth it?

And the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) we ordered to enjoy alongside a casual glass of soju arrived.

The doenjang jjigae had tofu and zucchini inside, and that day it also had finely chopped pork belly. It was just the right kind of stew to spoon up in between bites of pork belly and sips of soju.

Final verdict on Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch

I only just realized how genuinely hot the Jongno 3-ga outdoor-tent autumn scene is, and I've been going back for two weeks straight. Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch was a great place to fully soak in that outdoor-tent atmosphere with pork belly and a glass of soju. And beyond pork belly, the menu also includes hanwoo (Korean beef) sets, chaekkeutdeungsim (beef striploin), beef brisket, and makchang (beef intestines) — the wide range of options made this Tapgol Park outdoor-tent spot even better in my book.