Parents and dog join an open-run creekside BBQ in Namyangju

There's a wonderfully unexpected restaurant we stumbled onto on the way back from a one-night stay near the Bukhan River with my parents. It's called 2002 Witch's Arpeggio (2002 마녀의 아르페지오), and honestly, I still can't quite remember the name.

Out of all the Namyangju restaurants out there, I picked this one for the outdoor seating right next to a creek ⭐️⭐️⭐️, curiosity about the tomato-jang pork belly, and the fact that dogs are welcome. Spoiler: it was a total win.

Creekside outdoor tables, and dogs welcome too

The place sits on a mountainside in Wabu-eup, Namyangju. Even driving there ourselves, we kept second-guessing whether we were on the right road — it's tucked away pretty deep in the mountains for a Namyangju restaurant. We arrived close to opening time, and right up until we got there we didn't see any cars or people and figured no one had shown up yet. Then we turned the corner and it was already buzzing.

There's indoor seating too, but the outdoor tables are clearly the main draw, and the ones right by the creek fill up the fastest. We got lucky and snagged the very last one available. The sound of water trickling right beside us was so relaxing.

Any dog owner will relate to this: traveling with your dog often means giving up a lot of things you'd otherwise enjoy — great views, good food, you name it. So finding a Namyangju restaurant with this much atmosphere and this much flavor that also welcomes dogs felt like... honestly, such a relief.

Since we came early, the indoor area was still nice and quiet.

Tomato-jang pork belly, and the cheese option

The main dish at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio is pork belly, but the seasoning is tomato-jang — of all things. Visually it looks a bit like gochujang (red chili paste), but the taste is completely different once you try it, which is genuinely surprising.

The side dishes came out almost instantly after ordering. Every review I'd read said the same thing — 'the staff are so kind' — and after actually visiting, I can confirm the place runs like a well-oiled machine and the staff really are as friendly as advertised.

There are two versions of the tomato-jang pork belly, regular and cheese, and the cheese one costs a whole ₩5,000 more. Still, cheese seemed like it would be the highlight, so cheese it was!

No need to flip or cut anything yourself — the staff cook it all for you right on schedule, so all you have to do is chat and wait.

Since it's coated in a thick sauce, it seems like it would be easy to burn, but the staff's timing and skill were seriously impressive.

Once it's nearly done cooking, they pile on a generous heap of cheese — and wow, the amount is nearly equal to the pork belly itself.

Along with the pork belly, we also ordered a potato pancake. When it arrived, wow — it looked even crispier than in the photos.

How did it taste

We waited a long time. Now it was finally time to eat. As the instructions suggested there's a proper order to enjoy it, so first: pick up a bite-sized piece of meat with some cheese and pop it straight into your mouth. The sweet-and-spicy tomato-based sauce really comes through, but it wasn't off-putting at all — it was delicious.

Since the sauce itself is pretty distinctive, eating it on its own for too long might get a bit much, but pairing it with the rice paper, seaweed, and lettuce wraps that come alongside keeps every last bite interesting. And being at an outdoor table where you can hear the creek flowing probably made it taste about three times better, too.

My husband, who loves snacks, was especially into the potato pancake! If you're someone who loves that crispy category of food, this flavor might stick with you for a while.

Cod roe scorched-rice fried rice

We were already full, but it felt like a waste to head home without trying more, so we ordered the cod roe scorched-rice fried rice too.

We figured we'd just have a bite or two since we were full, so we ordered just one — but is this really the portion for one? A ₩5,000 dose of happiness, no question.

It was an excellent fried rice with the subtle aroma of cod roe and the scorched rice texture still intact from the cauldron. If you're on the fence about ordering it because you're full, like we were, order one and split it — it's worth it!

Good to know before you go

This was a stop on a trip with my parents, so of course I had to take in both the flavor and the atmosphere with them in mind — and it ended up being the Namyangju restaurant they kept raving about, both during the meal and for days afterward. I think I've covered the good parts pretty thoroughly above, so is there anything else worth knowing before you go?

• It's popular enough that on weekends, unless you arrive right at opening, you should expect some kind of wait.
• The tomato-jang seasoning doesn't seem like it would be too polarizing, but the seasoning itself isn't mild either, so personally I'd say more than one serving per person might be tough.

Now that the weather's nice, if you're heading out to Namyangju and want a memorable meal with family or a partner, 2002 Witch's Arpeggio is a great pick :)