Gourd-bottle makgeolli at a Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ: Chowon Restaurant

When the weather cools down like this, you start craving grilled meat and a drink outdoors instead of indoors, right? This time we visited Chowon Restaurant, newly opened in Jongno 3-ga.

It's a remodel of the original Chowon Restaurant, keeping the old-school feel while tidying up the space. In particular, there are outdoor seats along the wall of Tapgol Park, so you can really feel that retro Jongno vibe. We had frozen pork belly and gourd-bottle makgeolli here 🍶

Where is Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga, and when is it open?

Chowon Restaurant is at 30 Jongno17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and it's open daily from 17:00 to 01:00. There are no reservations — it's walk-in waiting only.

It's an easy walk from Jongno 3-ga Station, and close to Tapgol Park, so it's also a good spot to drop by for dinner after wandering around the area.

A remodeled outdoor BBQ tent in Jongno: cleaner, still retro

The first thing that caught my eye walking into Chowon Restaurant was how clean the space was. Since it's a remodel of the original Chowon Restaurant, the old-school Jongno feel is still there, but the facilities are much more tidied up.

The restroom in particular was clean, and the interior felt pleasant overall, so if you're expecting the usual rough-around-the-edges outdoor BBQ atmosphere, it might feel a bit different. Having the retro vibe alongside clean facilities made it comfortable to eat here.

Arriving at 6pm: a 40-minute walk-in wait at Chowon Restaurant

We got to Chowon Restaurant around 6pm, and since it was dinnertime, we couldn't sit right away — we waited about 40 minutes. When we told staff we were waiting, they wrote down the last digits of our number and we waited for our turn.

Thankfully there were chairs set up so we could sit while waiting instead of standing the whole time. The weather was cool, so we sat and people-watched while we waited, and as more and more people gathered around Tapgol Park, the evening atmosphere really started to come alive!! haha

Ordering frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant

As soon as we sat down, we ordered the frozen pork belly. Since it's thinly sliced frozen pork belly, it cooked quickly on the grill, so even hungry we could eat fast. It was best cooked just until the pink disappeared, rather than well-done.

You could really taste the nutty flavor and chewy texture unique to thin-sliced meat, and grilling it fresh on the hot pan kept us reaching for more. Above all, eating it outdoors made even the same frozen pork belly feel like a completely different experience. With the sizzling sound from the grill added in, it really felt like that Jongno outdoor BBQ atmosphere 🤭

Gourd-bottle makgeolli with the grilled pork belly

You can't resist meat with makgeolli haha. We also ordered the gourd-bottle makgeolli. Coming served in a gourd-shaped bottle made the mood even better.

Looking out at the Tapgol Park wall while having a drink of makgeolli with the frozen pork belly felt totally different from a regular BBQ restaurant experience. With the cool weather, it was the perfect evening for a drink 🍶

Outdoor tables along the Tapgol Park wall

What stuck with me most about Chowon Restaurant was definitely the outdoor seating. Tables are set up along the wall of Tapgol Park, and around us groups of people were sitting together enjoying their meals and drinks.

The old streets of Jongno, the retro atmosphere, and the breeze blowing through outdoors all came together perfectly for an autumn evening. It seems like it'd be even better to visit these days when it's warm during the day and cool in the evening. It has a different feel from the usual scenery you see around Jongno, so it's a great fit for anyone who loves outdoor BBQ tents.

Friendly staff at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga

Staff guided us through the waiting order and showed us to our seats comfortably. Whenever we needed something during the meal, they responded kindly, so the whole experience felt relaxed. With the newly remodeled, clean space and friendly staff, it was easy to navigate even on a first visit.

Kimchi, lettuce and ssamjang from the self-serve bar

Chowon Restaurant has a self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant where you can grab as much kimchi or lettuce as you need. The essential sides for eating meat were all there.

Kimchi, lettuce, ssamjang and other basics were all ready to go, so we could enjoy them with the meat easily. I put the frozen pork belly on lettuce with kimchi and ssamjang on top — that's really the way frozen pork belly is meant to be eaten 🤭

Being able to grab the side dishes ourselves instead of constantly asking staff made the meal that much easier.

Is Chowon Restaurant worth it for an autumn evening in Jongno?

These cool, breezy days, food eaten outdoors just tastes better somehow. If you've got dinner plans in Jongno 3-ga, it could be a nice route to walk around Tapgol Park and then head to Chowon Restaurant for frozen pork belly and a glass of makgeolli.

We got there around 6pm and waited about 40 minutes, but we could sit while waiting, and with nice weather we spent the time watching the atmosphere around us.

If you're looking for a Jongno 3-ga restaurant, a Jongno outdoor BBQ spot, or an outdoor BBQ spot near Tapgol Park, try visiting on a cool autumn evening 🍖🍶 With the retro atmosphere and tidy space together, it's a good place in Jongno for a light meal of meat and a drink.