Korean BBQ in Hongdae, 2-hour patio limit: pork galbi set, Jeongyukdo

I was meeting a friend near Hongdae after a long while, and with the weather warming up, a patio meal naturally came to mind. I searched and found Jeongyukdo, a Korean BBQ place near Hapjeong Station that also has a patio, so we went right away. Lots of people are looking for patio BBQ in Hongdae these days, and I'd heard Jeongyukdo was good value too, so I was extra curious. Verdict first: the meat quality and the lineup are good for the price, and I'd happily go again.

How far is Jeongyukdo from Hapjeong Station, and what's the vibe?

Jeongyukdo is about a 3-minute walk from Hapjeong Station. Turn the corner into the alley and the whole building is Jeongyukdo, so it's not hard to find. Even among Hapjeong restaurants, the access is pretty good.

The patio has a 2-hour limit, so we went indoors

The patio outside was already open. The weather was great and it looked perfect for eating outside, but it has a 2-hour time limit, so we went inside to take our time. If you want a patio BBQ in Hongdae, the atmosphere is more than satisfying.

The interior is bigger than I expected, and the tables are spaced out, so we could talk without it being noisy.

As time went on, the patio outside gradually filled up with people. You can really feel the Hongdae patio BBQ scene coming back to life.

What's in the Jeongyukdo pork set, and how much is it?

The Jeongyukdo handon set (Korean domestic pork) is 500g of pork galbi (ribs), pork belly and pork neck, with your choice of meljeot (salted fish-sauce dip) or hanwoo (Korean beef) doenjang stew, for ₩49,000. Jeongyukdo serves both beef and pork, but this day we picked the pork set that looked like the better value. For a Hapjeong restaurant, this lineup is price-competitive.

What comes with the basic table setting?

The basic setting is seasoned radish, pickled chili peppers, salted squid, pickled onion and scallion salad, plus the meljeot we chose with the set. After we ordered, the banchan (side dishes) were set out neatly, and the whole thing felt clean and tidy.

Along with the small plates came seasoned radish, pickled chili peppers and salted squid, and the lineup is pretty solid.

Pickled onion and scallion salad come too, a basic combo that goes perfectly with the meat.

The meljeot we picked in the set is set out too. If you like meljeot, I think you'd be quite happy with this combo.

Is the steamed egg appetizer worth ordering?

We also ordered steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) as an appetizer, and in the end I'm glad we did. It's soft and nutty, nice for a light bite before the meat arrives.

Staff debone and grill the galbi for you

For the galbi in the Jeongyukdo pork set, a staff member deboned it right there and put it on the grill first. The fire goes on and the meat comes out, and I liked that they prep it so it's easy to grill.

The heat was just right, so the outside got golden and the inside stayed juicy. Once it was cooked, they cut it into bite-size pieces for us.

One bite and it's rich with a faint smoky flavor. The very first bite told me the meat was good. Even among Hongdae patio BBQ spots, the meat quality is satisfying.

Eaten with the pickled onion and scallion salad, the seasoning isn't overpowering, so it supports the flavor of the meat without hurting it.

In the middle, I ate some nicely cooked mushrooms too.

There were also 3 sauces on the table: wasabi, salt and whole-grain mustard, so you can pair them to your taste. Nice.

Pork neck with salt, meat dipped in meljeot

After the galbi, Jeongyukdo grilled the pork neck, which is less fatty, in order. I dipped a well-cooked piece in salt, and yes, meat and salt never fails.

It's a cut that's nice to eat clean and light.

Personally, what I liked was that salted squid comes as a basic banchan! It goes surprisingly well with the meat.

They keep grilling the rest of the meat and cutting it into bite-size pieces for us, and that flow continues.

Dunk the meat deep into the bubbling meljeot on the grill and take a bite~ This combo is definitely addictive. It's a flavor you can't skip at a Hongdae patio BBQ.

How were the pork belly and the extra pork jowl?

The last item in the Jeongyukdo pork set is pork belly, and while eating I got curious about the pork jowl (hangjeongsal), so we ordered that extra. The pork belly looks good just from the eye test.

The pork jowl also looks like quite good quality meat. We put it next to the pork belly and started grilling!

First, a piece of the well-cooked pork belly: the fat comes up just right and the nutty flavor is unmistakable.

The pork jowl is slowly cooking up nicely too.

I put whole-grain mustard on the pork jowl and took a bite! The texture is chewy yet nutty, and you can definitely feel why it's such a popular cut.

Is Jeongyukdo a Hapjeong BBQ spot worth returning to?

Jeongyukdo was good on both meat quality and lineup for the price. I especially liked that the pork set is well put together, so you can enjoy several cuts at once.

If you're looking for a Hapjeong restaurant and want both good meat and atmosphere, Jeongyukdo is a safe choice. And if you want the Hongdae patio BBQ vibe too, using the patio on a nice day looks good. It doesn't stand out too much, but it definitely does the basics and more, so it was an easy place to drop by for a casual drink.