Autumn-night Seoul Korean BBQ in Jongno 3-ga: pork belly and neck

It's here, it's here, fall is here!! My favorite season of all, haha!! Which means outdoor BBQ season is here!! So I went to check out an outdoor BBQ spot in Jongno 3-ga.

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch / 111 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul / Hours 17:00–01:00

Why pick Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch for outdoor Korean BBQ in Jongno?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch sits right next to the stone-wall alley on Supyo-ro in Jongno 3-ga. Outdoor BBQ spots around Jongno 3-ga are already famous, but — eating pork belly and soju outdoors with a view like this? Doesn't make sense how good it is. Let's go for that hanok stone-wall view.

Side dishes at Tapgol Gongwon: scallion salad, bracken and wrap greens, refilled at the self-bar

If the side dishes are weak when I'm eating meat, that place is getting cut from my list that day~ But this outdoor BBQ restaurant in Jongno 3-ga, Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch, is never getting cut — gold medal all the way!

The scallion salad. This one is a real gem. The sweet-and-sour, slightly spicy dressing completely cuts through the meat's richness, and there's just enough sharp scallion bite left to reset your palate! Plus bracken fern and lettuce wraps to go with the meat! No fuss, just the exact right players on the field.

For refills on the other sides, you just use the self-bar! I'm someone who really enjoys the basic side dishes, so I love this kind of setup~

The self-bar had such nice vibes I had to take a photo.

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch menu and prices

• Tapgol Set: 55,000 won (pork belly 1 serving + pork neck 1 serving + duck roast 1 serving)
• Thinly Sliced Pork Belly: 18,000 won
• Thinly Sliced Pork Neck: 19,000 won
• Thinly Sliced Duck: 18,000 won
• Thinly Sliced Beef Brisket: 20,000 won
• Beef Rib Finger: 24,000 won
• Beef Chuck Flap Tail: 24,000 won
• Kimchi Fried Rice: 6,000 won
• Beef Soybean Paste Stew: 7,000 won
• Pork Kimchi Stew: 9,000 won
• Steamed Eggs: 5,000 won
• Rice: 1,000 won
• Soju (Chamisul/Jinro/Chum Churum/Saero): 5,000 won
• Terra: 6,000 won
• Makgeolli: 5,000 won
• Soft drinks (Coke/Coke Zero/Clear soda): 2,000 won

Menu board of this popular Korean BBQ and outdoor drinking spot in Jongno 3-ga! Besides the thinly sliced pork belly and pork neck, they also sell duck, beef brisket, beef rib finger, and beef chuck flap tail, so there's plenty of variety to try.

Grilling pork belly (18,000 won) and pork neck (19,000 won) side by side

What I ordered this time: one serving of thinly sliced pork belly, one serving of thinly sliced pork neck.

Both come sliced thin, frozen-style, so they cook fast on the grill. Sizzling away, looking at the stone wall, eating thin-cut pork belly outdoors.. how happy can a person be.

I grilled the thinly sliced pork belly and pork neck together, and since they're thin cuts, they cooked really fast!

Absolutely nailed it. I think Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is going to be my only spot for outdoor pork belly BBQ in Jongno from now on!

The meat quality looked better than expected, too. And I love that cartilage bit, so that's a bonus point for me.

Flash-frozen pork belly vs pork neck: how they taste different

Thin-cut pork belly really is best grilled not too thick! There were some slightly crispy parts, and the inside stayed soft and savory~

Love it! Being pork neck, it has a slightly leaner taste than the belly, but the meat was way more tender than I expected!! Since it's sliced thin, there's no chewiness at all — quite the opposite, grilling it fast like thin-cut belly worked really well.

Stone-wall outdoor BBQ love.

Kimchi grilled on the pan and scallion-kimchi wraps

Another great thing about this outdoor pork belly BBQ spot in Jongno — this kimchi! The kind of kimchi that's a disaster (in a good way) once grilled! It's tasty as is, but set it right where the pork belly fat drips down on the grill, and after a moment it reaches a whole other level.

The nicely grilled thin-cut pork belly was tender, and even the cartilage bits were delicious.

Right away I make a lettuce wrap with kimchi, bean sprouts, and scallion kimchi on top.

A bite on its own is great, and topped with scallion kimchi is also great — but like I said, personally, eating it with scallion kimchi is the best~

How long was the wait, and what is the Jongno 3-ga street like at night?

Sharing a photo of the actual street for reference! There's a stone wall right next to it like this, and there was a decent wait, but it moves fast! An instant thumbs-up from me.

Fall in Jongno is really pretty~ I never knew Sungkyunkwan University looked this beautiful.

Anyway, if you want outdoor pork belly BBQ in Jongno 3-ga, I highly recommend this place! If you're looking for outdoor BBQ, an outdoor drinking spot, or a popular outdoor eatery in Jongno 3-ga, go to Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch!