Bangi-dong Korean BBQ with outdoor tables: Chowon Salt Grill, Seoul

On a cool day like today, I wanted the full outdoor dining vibe, so here's my review of Chowon Salt Grill, a Bangi-dong food alley favorite!

Where is Chowon Salt Grill? Bangi-dong food alley, Jamsil Station Exit 10

Chowon Salt Grill sits right in the middle of the Bangi-dong food alley near Jamsil Station Exit 10, so if you're hunting for a good BBQ spot in the area, this is the one to try.

Is there a wait? Weekday early evenings fill up, so book on Naver

These days even weekday early evenings bring huge lines at this Jamsil-Bangi hotspot... it's the kind of proper outdoor BBQ place you keep coming back to once you've tried it, so no wonder it keeps getting more popular! I came back again this time too 🖤 They take Naver Reservations, so if you want to walk in without waiting, I'd recommend booking ahead :)

Outdoor tables and group seating at Chowon Salt Grill

The interior had a cozy, old-school feel, and they can set up group tables too, making it a great spot for team dinners or gatherings.

And what I loved was that on cooler days like this, they open the doors wide, so you get the full outdoor Bangi BBQ feeling! These days they're also running outdoor tables, so you can really enjoy that autumn-breeze terrace atmosphere. If you're looking for outdoor BBQ, an open-air pub, or a drinking spot in Jamsil-Bangi, Chowon Salt Grill is the one to check out!

There are phone chargers scattered around the restaurant, which is a lifesaver for people like me who are always low on battery haha. You can tell the owner has real attention to detail, right?

Chowon Salt Grill menu: 2-, 3- and 4-person trio sets

The menu. Chowon Salt Grill is a beef trio restaurant where you get to enjoy beef brisket, aged kimchi, and scallop together, plus fresh Korean beef specialty cuts on top of the brisket — exactly what you want if you're looking for a beef restaurant in Bangi-dong. The menu comes structured as a 2-person, 3-person, or 4-person trio set, so it was easy to just pick based on your group size without overthinking it! If you want more, there's an option to add extra salt-grilled meat or extra brisket, so no worries there, and there are great sides too like raw beef tartare, beef brisket doenjang stew, beef brisket doenjang ramyeon, and fried rice to round things out!

What comes with the 3-person trio

We went with the 3-person trio! Portioned for three, it came with fresh Korean beef brisket, specialty cuts, scallop, and aged kimchi.

The sauces and scallion salad they set out with it. That scallion salad is seriously so good…🖤

The highlight: Haenam aged kimchi

The Korean beef and scallop were both really fresh, but the true highlight was this Haenam aged kimchi (묵은지)…🖤 You can't get this kind of aged kimchi anywhere else, so whenever I'm craving it, I come straight to Chowon Salt Grill, no question. It's so good I've recommended it to all my friends.

The kimchi was perfectly fermented and so, so delicious 🖤

How to grill the beef brisket and the scallops

First, grill the beef brisket and scallop together. The brisket cooks quickly so grill it fast, and the scallop should be grilled until it turns opaque!

Thanks to my friend Rosa, who's great at grilling meat, everything came out perfectly cooked and delicious 🖤

How to enjoy Chowon Salt Grill the best way

• Grill the beef medium-rare
• Eat the scallop as soon as it turns opaque
• Dip the beef, scallop, and aged kimchi together in the special sauce

Trio ready to go 🖤🖤🖤

Dipped in the special soy sauce, it's just so, so good 🖤

Five Korean beef specialty cuts, from jebichuri to tosisal

On top of the brisket, we grilled up the other Korean beef specialty cuts too. The quality of the beef all looked great! You could tell right away they only use fresh Korean beef and keep it well managed!

The specialty cuts served here are jebichuri (outer skirt), chimasal (flank), eopjinsal (brisket point), buchaesal (chuck flap), and tosisal (skirt). All delicious cuts through and through 🖤

None of it was tough at all — so tender, since it's fresh beef, definitely grill it medium-rare!

Enjoy it properly as a trio ~🖤

Why the beef brisket doenjang stew is a must-order

Midway through, we ordered the beef brisket doenjang stew (된장찌개), and it comes with a bowl of rice too!

The doenjang stew is loaded with beef brisket and vegetables — I highly recommend ordering this one, no question… It's a perfectly spicy, savory stew, and eating it alongside the meat cuts through the richness so well, and the portion is huge, great for sharing generously with friends. I used to think doenjang stew at BBQ restaurants was all pretty much the same, but Chowon Salt Grill's is honestly on a different level… the balance of spicy-savoriness and deep flavor is just right, a stew everyone would love. Consider this your best-ever beef brisket doenjang stew ~🖤

Finishing the meal with fried rice

To finish, we ordered fried rice too! It comes already fried up, and the savory depth of flavor is out of control…

Fluffy and so, so good…🖤 Honestly, you could just order everything on the menu and trust it'll be good ^.^

It's been a while since I've had Korean beef this properly delicious… I think this might be the only Bangi BBQ restaurant in Jamsil-Bangi that does it this well!

The candy they handed us on the way out after paying. The staff are always kind even while super busy, so I always leave this Bangi-dong BBQ restaurant in a great mood 🖤

If you're looking for a Bangi BBQ restaurant to enjoy the cool outdoor air, or just a favorite in the Bangi-dong food alley, I recommend Chowon Salt Grill!!!!!

Chowon Salt Grill: hours, address and reservations

• Address: 37 Olympic-ro 32-gil, 1F, Songpa-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 4:00 PM – Midnight (Fri–Sat until 1:00 AM)