Cozy Korean BBQ near Hapjeong Station, pork jowl set with stew: Ijjok

Calling all pork belly lovers, I'm right here haha. I love meat so much that I'm always hunting for good BBQ places, and this time I visited Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal (이쪽 김치삼겹살) at Hapjeong Station.

📍 Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal

What is the atmosphere like at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal in Hapjeong?

Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is a small BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station, and the staff grill the meat for you, so the meal is easy and relaxed. I was looking for somewhere to eat meat near Hapjeong Station, and I liked that they do the grilling for you.

The place is on the small side. It has a different charm from big, flashy restaurants, and sometimes meat actually feels more comfortable in a space like this. The mood was nice for meeting friends for dinner near Hapjeong Station. Let's look at the menu.

Do staff grill the pork jowl set at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal?

I ordered a set that included pork jowl (hangjeongsal), and the staff grilled the meat for us. I love pork belly, but you can't skip pork jowl haha. Since it's a set where you get several cuts together, it was fun to pick and try them.

Because they grill for you, you just wait and eat the perfectly cooked meat. No worrying about doneness or flipping nonstop at the grill, so the whole meal felt more relaxed. It's great for chatting while you eat, and the flow of the meal never breaks, which I think is a real plus.

Bean sprout dipping sauce and grilled kimchi

What stuck with me most at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal was the dipping sauce (chamsauce) with bean sprouts in it. It's a bit different from a regular sauce, and the combination worked better than I expected. Crunchy bean sprouts with a sweet and sour sauce went really well with the meat.

Pork belly and pork jowl are delicious, but they can feel greasy if you keep going. With the bean sprout sauce, my mouth felt a lot cleaner. Putting bean sprouts on each piece of meat gave a nice texture too, and I kept reaching for more. And the kimchi was so good that grilled kimchi with pork belly was the real deal!

If you love pork belly, the taste of the meat matters, but so do the side items that come with it. Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal stood out for me with a rather unique sauce, and I liked that.

Does the set come with steamed egg and doenjang stew?

The pork jowl set at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal also came with steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), which was great. Meat alone can feel a little lacking, but the soft steamed egg made the table feel much fuller. Steamed egg fans will be happy with this lineup.

And of course, doenjang stew can't be left out. When you crave something warm and brothy while eating meat, a spoonful is perfect, and it went well with rice too. From the meat to the steamed egg and stew, the meal was well rounded. I liked that you can enjoy a variety of things without adding extras.

Who is Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal in Hapjeong good for?

Hapjeong Station has all kinds of restaurants, but on evenings when I crave meat, a BBQ place is the first thing that comes to mind. What I remembered about Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal was the convenience of having the meat grilled for me and the bean sprout dipping sauce. I could eat comfortably in a small space, and the set with pork jowl, steamed egg and doenjang stew left me satisfied.

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Hapjeong or a BBQ place near Hapjeong Station where you can eat comfortably, it's worth a visit. And if you love pork belly, definitely try the meat-with-bean-sprouts combo haha

※ Please check the opening hours with the restaurant before you visit.