Seoul Korean BBQ finish: melchorim fried rice & mul-milmyeon

Dongnaejeong, a Korean BBQ favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office

I visited Dongnaejeong, a restaurant near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station in Seoul that's famous for its smoky charcoal flavor and juicy meat. Let me share my honest review of the Korean native pork gabrisal (pork jowl), grilled over baekjan (white charcoal) for extra-special juicy flavor — I was truly satisfied!

Hours, parking, and how to get there

• Open | Every day
• Hours | 15:00 - 23:00
• Last order | 22:30
• Parking | No dedicated lot

If you're driving, there's no dedicated parking lot, so I'd recommend using the nearby Dangsan Neighborhood Park public parking lot! It's an affordable ₩1,800 per hour.

Dongnaejeong is just a 2-minute walk from Exit 5 of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station, so it's really easy to reach by public transit!

I visited early, around 5pm on a weekend, and the place was already buzzing with customers — no wonder it's known as a Korean BBQ favorite near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office. You can get various coupon perks when you reserve through Naver, so since it's popular, I'd recommend booking ahead!

Atmosphere and seating

Dongnaejeong has a cozy yet clean Korean BBQ atmosphere, great for dates or small get-togethers! There are storage boxes under the chairs for bags, so you don't have to worry about your coat or bag picking up smoky smells!

The country-of-origin signage was clearly displayed and easy to read at a glance, which showed attention to even the small details! There were also cute Dongnaejeong aprons down below!

A notice on the wall showed real care in every ingredient — from 100% domestic fresh meat to premium white charcoal and sesame oil.

The menu

They offer a wide range of options — jeong-gabri, Dongnae mokssal (pork neck), 1+ grade whole pork belly, migalmaegi, chadolbaegi (beef brisket), plus sides and accompaniments. Jeong-gabri and Dongnae mokssal are the signature dishes!

I read through the tips on how to enjoy the meal best — I was already excited about the melchorim bibimbap!

What we ordered

• Jeong-gabri (160g) x3 — ₩51,000
• Jeju Sanbang mul-milmyeon — ₩8,500 / Rice bowl — ₩1,000

Since I'd booked through Naver Reservation, the table was already neatly set up when we arrived!

The table setting and sauces

The basic table setting arrived neatly with pickled garlic stem, mustard leaf kimchi, baek kimchi (white kimchi), squid sikhae (fermented squid), and lettuce wraps!

The sauces came in a nice variety — shiitake salt, wasabi, shiitake-wasabi, ssamjang (dipping paste), and melchorim — so it was fun dipping to suit your taste!

Sesame oil is set out at every table — adding a little to the shiitake salt to make an oil dip really brings out the flavor!

The complimentary Jeju-style melchorim! It's Dongnaejeong's signature earthenware pot sauce made from large South Sea anchovies, and it's the perfect match with juicy grilled meat!

Three servings of jeong-gabri, grilled tableside over charcoal by staff

I ordered three servings of jeong-gabri, Dongnaejeong's signature dish, and I was surprised by the thick, hefty gabrisal (pork jowl) right from the start! It's said to be 100% pure gabrisal that keeps the savory fat intact, without any of the dry loin meat, so the juiciness and flavor are on another level!

They say they carefully select only domestic 1+ grade Korean native female pork, and the quality of the raw meat really showed it!

A staff member grilled the meat over the charcoal fire from start to finish, keeping the juices locked in with perfect timing! They mentioned that this tableside grilling service isn't mandatory, but a thoughtful policy they choose to offer.

Watching the expert grilling technique, I honestly couldn't take my eyes off it! 🫪🤍

They topped the gabrisal with cheongyang peppers while grilling so the subtle aroma soaked right in — the added pepper fragrance is a real cheat code! ✶ ｡˚

The charcoal heat was strong enough to crisp the outside quickly, so you could actually see the juices staying locked in and moist inside!

The gabrisal looked amazing too!

The perfectly grilled gabrisal was arranged around the edge of the grill so it stayed warm without burning!

The mushrooms wrapped in foil were also cut into easy-to-eat pieces! The mushrooms were pure moist perfection!

Tasting the gabrisal with different sauces

I started with the shiitake salt dip, and the juices carried a subtle charcoal aroma with a savory flavor — so happy! ♥ ˖* ⌒.⌒ ♡

The gabrisal was light and clean, with a great chewy, springy texture, and it tasted different depending on what you paired it with — the pickled garlic stem was my personal pick!

The moment you dip the juicy meat generously into Dongnaejeong's signature melchorim, an explosion of umami fills your mouth! The well-cooked radish inside the melchorim was delicious too!

Finishing with mul-milmyeon and melchorim fried rice

The Jeju Sanbang mul-milmyeon was a great clean finish, with icy shards floating in the cold broth and chewy, springy noodles! ✶ ｡˚ Wrapping it up with grilled meat is the best!

If you order a bowl of rice and ask the server, they'll fry it up deliciously in the melchorim sauce!

Topping the delicious fried rice with a piece of gabrisal is perfection... 🫪🤍 You have to try making it yourself!

The gabrisal, grilled over baekjan charcoal and packed with juice, was truly delicious at Dongnaejeong. If you're looking for a great Korean BBQ restaurant near Yeongdeungpo-gu Office, I highly recommend Dongnaejeong Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Main Branch!!