Daytime Korean BBQ for just over ₩40,000 in Gwangju: Sangnok Hoegwan

Even a pregnant woman craving meat in the middle of the day couldn't resist — here's my review after visiting Sangnok Hoegwan, a charcoal-grill pork restaurant in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi 😀

Sangnok Hoegwan Yeontan-gui Taejeon Branch is a place where

• ✔️you can order in small 100g portions (though the first order must be 300g)
• ✔️you can grill beef, pork, and even seafood
• ✔️it's great for anyone looking for a value-priced meat restaurant (pork one-geun is only ₩34,000)
• ✔️and perfect if you love thick, chewy meat

It's a satisfying spot to eat in Taejeon-dong.

Where is Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon Branch, and is there parking?

Address: 350-6 Hoean-daero, 1st floor, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Hours: Mon–Sat 13:30–24:00 / Sun 12:30–24:00

Parking: Available right in front of the restaurant (the parking area is spacious and stretches out from right in front of the store)

What comes with the ₩34,000 pork one-geun, and how thick is it?

The Taejeon-dong favorite Sangnok Hoegwan has a wide range of menu items — beef, pork, and even seafood (scallops, stuffed octopus, sea squirt, and more). Out of everything, I ordered the pork one-geun (a Korean unit, about 600g)!

The menu shows prices per 100g, and the best part is you can order small portions of whichever cut you liked after trying it — and it's cheap too 👍

The pork one-geun set was made up of pork belly, pork neck, dwitgogi (a lesser-known cut from the back of the pig), pork jowl, skirt meat, and pork skin — the whole amount just covered one grill plate.

The moment the meat arrived, what I loved was the thickness! I usually love thick-cut meat, and looking at these cuts, I could just tell they'd be packed with juice.

How the briquette fire changes the taste of the pork

At Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon Branch, the meat is grilled over charcoal briquettes. Cooking over charcoal gives the meat a gentle char and that distinctive smoky flavor, deepening the taste.

Being impatient by nature, I threw it all on the grill at once and cooked it quickly. Watching the meat slowly cook — oh, and that bean sprouts and kimchi you can see there were really delicious too. I grabbed the garlic scape side dish myself from the self-bar.

Side dishes at Sangnok Hoegwan: musaengchae (spicy radish salad) wins

While the meat cooked, I tried the side dishes that came out, and the musaengchae was sweet and tangy — my favorite!

There was even a note saying it tastes best eaten slightly icy, which makes me think it's the signature side dish of Sangnok Hoegwan, the meat restaurant of Taejeon-dong.

I grilled it whole without cutting, then sliced it afterward. Can you see how thick and chewy the meat looks? It's genuinely delicious 👍👍👍👌👌👌 There's this satisfying, squeaky-chewy feeling when you bite into it — and even when cutting it with scissors, you can feel how bouncy and firm it is.

Naengmyeon ₩4,500 and doenjang jjigae ₩2,000 to finish

I love eating rice alongside meat, so I ordered naengmyeon and doenjang jjigae right away. The doenjang jjigae is only ₩2,000 and the naengmyeon only ₩4,500. In this economy, is it even allowed to be this good of a deal?! It's an incredibly good-value restaurant!!

The self-bar: pineapple and slush drinks

Extra side dishes are self-serve, and there's even pineapple available, so you can grill some alongside the meat or eat it as dessert afterward.

As a bonus, there's even a self-serve slushie machine, and it wasn't watered down at all — pure, real flavor! I was already full so I only poured a small cup, and the moment I tasted it, I regretted not filling the whole cup 😀 Make sure to fill yours all the way up~~

Inside Sangnok Hoegwan Taejeon Branch, with baby chairs

The dining hall was bigger than expected, with plenty of tables. I visited during the day, but I think the atmosphere would also be great for people having a drink at night.

There were several baby chairs available too, though eating with a baby might be a bit inconvenient (meat restaurants really need a kids' room to be comfortable~). Still, the restaurant was kept spotless, free of grease or lingering odors! That's probably thanks to the owner's hard work~~

Is a daytime pork one-geun meal here worth it?

With prices these days, I don't think you'll find another restaurant with this kind of value! On top of that, the meat quality was really good 👍 Pork one-geun, 2 bowls of rice, naengmyeon, and doenjang jjigae — and the total was still just over ₩40,000..🙌

For the days when I want to eat until I'm stuffed, but still want it to taste amazing — I'll definitely be back 🙆🏻‍♀️