Cheongna Korean BBQ grilled on a pot lid with minari: Sammi-jip

Pot-lid pork belly at Sammi-jip in Cheongna, eaten on hospital discharge day

I had a pretty big surgery and was discharged the morning after one night in the hospital. The doctors said to rest and not move around, but wouldn't you know it, I was suddenly craving meat like crazy?!

So I figured I needed to load up on protein and went looking for a good pork belly spot. Dragging my sore body along... lol. Busy busy modern life. Turns out Cheongna has a place where you can properly enjoy pork belly grilled on a pot lid. A pot lid, seriously?!

Let me introduce it — Incheon Cheongna's pot-lid pork belly spot, Sammi-jip (삼미집).

• 📍 Location: 1st floor of the commercial complex across from Cheongna Complex 4 Hyundai I'Park
• 📍🚗 Parking for about 5–6 cars available!

Inside Sammi-jip: windows on three sides and a smoke-free dining room

The moment I walked into Sammi-jip, I was struck by how bright and spacious the clean interior was.

Warm white and wood tones, floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, plus LED lighting made for a genuinely bright, cheerful space.

The AC was blasting and there were fans placed all over. I really hate that heavy, smoky, greasy air you get at pork belly places, but here the ventilation was so good there was no smoke at all, and the windows were wide open.

The interior is huge and bright, right?! The open, airy space where nothing gets absorbed into your clothes is a real plus.

We got seated by a window with a view outside. After ordering, we went to check out the self-serve bar.

What's on Sammi-jip's self-serve bar and dipping sauce tray

Sammi-jip's self-serve bar has garlic scapes, wrap vegetables, garlic, kimchi, bean sprouts, and more. Of course, if you're grilling on a pot lid, kimchi and bean sprouts are non-negotiable.

The dipping sauce set on the table by default was impressive — a soy sauce base mixed with garlic and fiery cheongyang chili. 🧄🌶️ Sweet, salty, and tangy all at once — dip your meat in this and you'll go through it endlessly.

Pork belly, neck and jowl: three cuts on one pot lid

Our order arrived. Wait, why's the middle empty?! What is this (👥👥👥 murmuring 👥👥👥)

Alright, now it begins.

The staff's dazzling hand movements! Drool-worthy... How about this. With pork belly, neck, and jowl arranged around the edge, the savory pork fat from the belly pools right in the middle, and topping that with minari, kimchi, scallion salad, and mushrooms takes it to a whole different level from just eating the meat plain.

A table absolutely loaded with food~😊 The kimchi soaks up the pork belly fat and comes alive with a deep, rich umami; the scallion salad wilts slightly and turns even softer with its spicy-sweet flavor. The mushrooms soak up the fat too, coming out moist and chewy with their distinct fragrance shining through.

Doenjang stew and bibim guksu to finish the meal

The doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) was packed with ingredients and had a bit of a kick from the chili, which cut through the richness of the pork belly.

Wrap the pork belly in minari, wrap it in kimchi, wrap it in bean sprouts...

The bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles) was sweet and spicy — pure magic that makes the meat disappear endlessly. Wrap a piece of meat in the noodles too. 🥓🥩

The pork jowl and neck were also plump and packed with juice.

A crispy piece of grilled pork belly topped with minari and grilled kimchi brings together savory, salty, tangy, and fragrant all at once — the kind of flavor that keeps your hand reaching back. The pork belly itself was delicious, but what really made this place satisfying was getting to fully use the pot lid's advantage and grill all these ingredients together. If you love pork belly, I really want to recommend this combination — sizzling away on a pot lid 🤎

Does the grilled-meat smell stay on your clothes?

When I actually got home, there was absolutely no meat smell on my clothes at all!