Changwon BBQ restaurant for a ready-grilled pork platter: Hanpanjip

Hanpanjip in Gaeumjeong Market: parking and waiting

I was looking for a good place for meat in Changwon's Gaeumjeong Market when I heard there was a spot causing a buzz for serving meat already grilled, so I went. To give you the conclusion first: because it is a barbecue place where all the meat comes out grilled, I could focus entirely on eating and properly enjoy the meat.

Hanpanjip sits right in the middle of Changwon's Gaeumjeong Market. To get there, just set your navigation to Changwon Gaeumjeong Market Public Parking Lot. After your meal, they give you a 2-hour parking discount voucher, so driving over is no burden.

Service starts at 5 p.m. I arrived just after 5, but about half the tables were already taken, and a wait started not long after. There can be a wait at peak times, so I recommend making a reservation.

Just looking at the illustration by the entrance made my mouth water. The meat is served fully grilled, and the presentation really is a work of art.

Round tables and the grilling area

There are not many tables—about seven round tables. Since everyone can sit around together, it seemed like a lovely place for family gatherings or small groups.

At the very back of the restaurant, staff were grilling the meat themselves. You can watch them use deft hands to grill thick chunks of pork belly and pork neck until fully cooked and easy for guests to eat.

Hanpanjip menu and review-participation perk

• One platter (small), 600g ₩39,000; two platters (large), 1kg ₩63,300
• Minari platter (small) ₩39,000; pork belly and pork neck, 120g each ₩11,000; pork jowl ₩11,000; fresh pork rind, 150g ₩5,000
• Doenjang sulbap (rice in soybean-paste soup) ₩6,000; doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew) ₩5,000; spicy mixed noodles ₩4,000; kimchi chilled noodle soup ₩6,000
• Spicy chili seafood ramyeon ₩4,500; kimchi cheese fried rice ₩5,500; soy sauce butter egg rice ₩3,500; steamed rice ₩1,000

Write a Naver review and you receive either doenjang-jjigae loaded with meat, kimchi fried rice loaded with cheese, or one bottle of soju. Even the generosity of the review perk is something else at this Gaeumjeong Market favorite. We joined the Naver review event too and got the extra-cheesy kimchi fried rice. It takes less than a minute, so definitely give it a go.

Six sauces and the side dishes

Six sauces were laid out: salt, wasabi, curry powder, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and more. Being able to choose from six sauces to suit your taste is a major plus.

There were also lettuce, seasoned scallions, myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic leaves), shredded radish, and more, all great with the meat.

This steamed egg came as a complimentary dish. The fluffy gyeran-jjim (steamed egg) was soft, and the sesame oil and sesame seeds on top made its nutty flavor explode. I cannot believe such high-quality steamed egg is served for free!

What did the doenjang-jjigae taste like?

I had originally planned to order kimchi-jjigae, but it was unavailable, so I ordered Hanpanjip Gaeum Branch's best-selling doenjang-jjigae instead.

Rather than having the earthy flavor of rustic countryside doenjang, this stew had a subtle gochujang (Korean red chili paste) base. That gave it a more peppery kick and deeper flavor, making it a must-order after meat. Lots of people around us were having doenjang sulbap too. Personally, I prefer soup served separately rather than rice mixed into it, so I chose the stew over doenjang sulbap. After a bite of meat and a spoonful of stew, I felt refreshed and knew I had chosen well.

The 600g small platter: pork belly, pork neck, and pork rind

After the side dishes, steamed egg, and doenjang-jjigae arrived, the meat platter I had been waiting for finally came out. Pork belly pairs beautifully with minari (water dropwort), so I nearly ordered the minari platter, but today I chose the small platter with pork belly, pork neck, and pork rind. It was ₩39,000.

The pork belly, pork neck, and pork rind came out almost completely grilled. Bean sprouts, white kimchi, shishito peppers, and even the garaetteok (cylindrical rice cake) I love were all grilled and ready to eat. We dug straight in.

The pork neck held onto all its juices, so the moment it went into my mouth, juice burst out. I cannot put into words how tender it was.

When I grill at the table, I struggle flipping the meat around so I will not burn it. And when families eat out, one person ends up grilling while another eats. At Hanpanjip, where the meat is served fully grilled, the whole family can enjoy the meat together, and I loved that.

I rolled the pork belly with the grilled white kimchi that came with the platter, and honestly, I had no idea grilled kimchi and pork belly made such a great combination. I kept telling my dining companion to wrap theirs with kimchi too... haha. Needless to say, we cleared every bit of pork belly, pork neck, and pork rind on the platter, plus the grilled bean sprouts, shishito peppers, and kimchi.

After-meal coffee and the parking voucher

I forgot to take a photo, but coffee is available after your meal. Have a refreshing iced coffee, and do not forget to pick up your parking voucher.

Hanpanjip Changwon Gaeum Branch is the barbecue restaurant I would want to visit when I feel like having ready-grilled meat with my family around Changwon's Gaeumjeong Market.