Changwon Korean BBQ with charcoal-grilled pork: Hanpanjip

Gaeumjeong Market in Changwon is close to my house, so I often go there for dinner. Today, while wondering where to go, didn’t I spot a meat restaurant with people waiting outside? A restaurant with a wait? I can’t resist that.

Hanpanjip location and hours

It is at 104, 31-7 Daejeong-ro, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, and is open from 17:00 to 23:00. You can use the indoor parking at Gaeumjeong Market.

The meat restaurant with a line at Gaeumjeong Market

As I wandered through Gaeumjeong Market in Changwon, this was the only place with a waiting line. What on earth is this popular restaurant that people are lining up for~~?

There was an enticing platter with minari (water parsley) displayed in front of the restaurant. A meat place that fully grills everything for you? I knew I had to go in.

Still packed after 8 p.m.

I wasn’t all that hungry and had things to do, so I stayed nearby and visited after 8 p.m., but it was still packed with customers.. I was so curious about Hanpanjip, this popular spot in Gaeumjeong, Changwon.

Ordering individual cuts instead of a platter

Hanpanjip mainly offers easy platters with minari or plain platters, so you can try different cuts. You can order a platter, but we wanted to focus on meat, so we ordered individual cuts haha.

Aged flower-cut pork belly was ₩11,000 for 120 g, and aged flower-cut pork neck was also ₩11,000 for 120 g. We ordered two portions of each, four portions total.

The basic side dishes to have with the meat came out first. There was dressed lettuce, shredded radish salad, and green-onion kimchi, plus so many sauces and seasonings for dipping the meat. I loved it!

My favorite part was the complimentary steamed egg! The soft, moist gyeran-jjim (Korean steamed egg) was seasoned perfectly and so delicious.. It was perfect for waiting with while they grilled the meat.

Meat fully grilled over charcoal

Hanpanjip’s standout feature is that they fully grill the meat over charcoal right in front of the kitchen. Even if a staff member grills meat at your table, it is hard to talk comfortably, and there is smoke, splattering grease, and heat from the fire. The big advantage is that it comes out all grilled without any of that.

A platter of aged flower-cut pork belly and pork neck

Two portions of aged flower-cut pork belly and two portions of aged flower-cut pork neck arrived, all fully grilled!!

They explained that the pork neck comes out about 80% cooked because it gets tough if cooked all the way through; if you do not like that, you can cook it more. But I like tender pork neck, so I ate it quickly before it cooked any further hahaha.

Meat alone would have felt a little bare and disappointing, but the platter was filled with green onions, shishito peppers, washed aged kimchi, and seasoned bean sprouts, making it a generous dinner feast. A shot of soju is essential with delicious meat~~

There was so much food, and the value was really great. I can see why it is popular enough to wait in line for.

Trying the meat with sauces and side dishes

Salt was still my absolute favorite! The meat had incredible flavor, and I found out it is made with domestic female pork aged at a low temperature for 240 hours!!!

I liked having so many sauces, and the combination of teriyaki sauce mixed with wasabi and breadcrumbs for dipping was unique and delicious too.

The green-onion kimchi went really well with it, and wrapping it in myeonginamul (pickled garlic leaves) with garlic was delicious too! The curry powder meant for dipping pork skin was also so good with the meat haha.

Eating only meat can get a little overwhelming, but they took perfect care of the vegetables with grilled green onions and grilled aged kimchi, so I naturally got to eat delicious vegetables as a bonus hahaha.

Finishing with doenjang sulbap and dessert

I was really full, but I have to finish with rice, so.. we ordered doenjang sulbap (rice in soybean-paste stew).. I debated between doenjang-jjigae and doenjang sulbap, then chose the sulbap.. and found myself shoveling it down in a hurry.. You really have to order this rich, savory doenjang stew.. So good!!!

For the final dessert, they even had plum drink and coffee ready, making Hanpanjip perfect right through the end!!! Clearing my digestion right up with plum juice hahaha.