Makjang sauce pork belly at a Hongdae grill house: Mapo Gui Madang
In short
Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is a frozen pork belly grill house in the alley behind the LINE Friends building near Hongdae Station Exit 1 in Mapo, Seoul. Two diners ate 3 servings of frozen pork belly (200g each, ₩9,900) and added 2 more, dipping the meat in a makjang-style sauce mixed with soybean powder and chili and pairing it with an earthenware pot of doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). Even as frozen pork, the belly grilled up crisp outside and juicy inside with no off smell or chewiness, and the bill came to ₩45,600 for two.
Good to know
- Hours
- 16:00–22:30 (no break time)
- Regular closing day
- None
- Parking
- Not available
- Address
- 49 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Seogyo-dong 247-14)
- Frozen pork belly (old-style pork belly)
- 200g ₩9,900
- Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)
- ₩3,000
- Bowl of rice
- ₩1,000
- Soft drink
- ₩2,000
- Total for two
- ₩45,600 (4 servings frozen pork belly, doenjang jjigae, rice, soft drink)
- Seating
- About 20 tables, open kitchen
- Price reference
- ₩9,900 ≈ $7.2 · ₩45,600 ≈ $33 · ₩3,000 ≈ $2.2 (2026-09-18)
as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026
Where is Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch and how do you find it?
Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is a frozen pork belly restaurant at 49 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. From Hongdae Station Exit 1, just follow the LINE Friends building straight in. I was craving meat for dinner and was looking for a place near Hongdae when I found this frozen pork belly spot with a local, hole-in-the-wall feel — so I went for it.
It's apparently been on TV, which made it feel trustworthy. It's also off the busy main Hongdae street, which honestly felt like a plus.
Inside Mapo Gui Madang: seating and atmosphere
The interior of Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch has about 20 tables, so it can handle a decent crowd. It has a retro, cozy old-school BBQ joint vibe while still being kept very clean. The open kitchen added to the trustworthy feel. Ventilation seemed good too — barely any smoke in sight.
For menu items like whole pork belly, they do the first grilling pass for you, and just watching it looked delicious. Knowing this much care went into the meat made me even more excited.
Menu and prices at Mapo Gui Madang
The menu at Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is posted in big letters on the wall. Their signature dish, frozen pork belly (old-style), is ₩9,900 for 200g, and there's a solid lineup of other grilled items and meal options. Prices felt reasonable for Hongdae, so we could order meat and food without worrying about the bill. We were in the mood for frozen pork belly, so we ordered 3 servings to start.
Side dishes and the soybean-powder makjang sauce
The side dishes were white kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, scallion kimchi, garlic, and lettuce. The scallion kimchi was really good — sweet, tangy, and a little spicy, which cut through the meat's richness perfectly.
Interestingly, instead of the usual ssamjang dipping sauce, Mapo Gui Madang serves a makjang-style sauce — the kind you'd usually dip makchang (grilled intestines) in — mixed with soybean powder and finely chopped chili. Dipping the meat into this distinctive sauce felt refreshingly different.
Three servings of frozen pork belly, then two more
After about a 5-minute wait, the frozen pork belly at Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch arrived looking really vivid in color. We only ordered 3 servings, but the portion was surprisingly huge. The thickness was just right — not too thin, not too thick.
As the fresh frozen pork belly grilled, a great smell filled the air. Frozen pork belly definitely cooks fast, which made both grilling and eating easy.
Grilled over a gentle flame, the outside turned crisp while the inside stayed juicy — you get that savory meat juice and crunchy texture at the same time. Sprinkled with a pepper-and-salt mix, it was delicious even eaten plain, full of umami.
Wrapping the well-grilled meat with fresh lettuce, kimchi, and garlic made for a mouthful that was incredibly satisfying. Frozen pork belly can often smell off or turn chewy if the meat quality isn't good, but Mapo Gui Madang had none of that — just pure deliciousness.
As the meat grills, the grill plate tends to char a bit, but the owner checks on it regularly and scrapes it clean personally. Little touches like this are probably what turns people into regulars.
We finished the 3 servings and were so satisfied we ordered 2 more. Every time, the portion was generous and the color looked great. We slurped that up too.
Why you should order the doenjang jjigae
The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) at Mapo Gui Madang Seogyo Direct Branch is ₩3,000, and I think doenjang jjigae is essential with grilled meat, so we ordered it. Served bubbling in a stone pot, it had that thick, savory old-school countryside doenjang flavor that was just excellent. It cleansed the richness of the frozen pork belly and paired perfectly with meat and rice together.
What two people paid at Mapo Gui Madang
- Frozen pork belly (old-style) 200g ₩9,900 x 4
- Doenjang jjigae ₩3,000
- Rice ₩1,000
- Drink ₩2,000
- Total ₩45,600
Where it is
49 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Seogyo-dong 247-14), South Korea서울특별시 마포구 월드컵북로 49
