Dongtan Bukgwangjang pub for gabrisal pork bossam: Jusangnakwon

Where is Jusangnakwon Dongtan Bukgwangjang?

Jusangnakwon Dongtan Bukgwangjang is a Korean pub at 32 Dongtanjungsimsangga 2-gil, 1st floor, Unit 105, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Meeting a friend in Dongtan after a long time, I was looking for somewhere good for dinner and a light drink, and that's how I ended up here. 😊

When we visited, it was dinnertime, so there were quite a few people around. It looked like a good spot to chat over dinner with a friend, or to eat while having a drink. There are so many good restaurants around Dongtan Bukgwangjang that I always end up agonizing over where to go, haha.

Jusangnakwon's exterior and interior

I took a photo of the exterior of Jusangnakwon first, and it felt cleaner than I expected! The sign is easy to spot, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit, haha. We took a few exterior shots before going in and then headed straight inside!

Interestingly, there's a second floor inside too. When we visited, there was a group gathering on the 2nd floor, so we didn't go up. The 1st floor has individual tables! It's an open kitchen, so cooking smells drift through the air.

What does the gabrisal suyuk bossam taste like?

After a long look at the Jusangnakwon Dongtan Bukgwangjang menu, I ordered the gabrisal suyuk bossam. I usually like bossam anyway, and I was curious how boiled pork made from gabrisal (pork shoulder blade meat) would taste, so I ordered it right away, haha.

The gabrisal suyuk bossam finally arrived! The meat was sliced into easy-to-eat pieces, so it was good for picking up one at a time.

I thought gabrisal might be a bit tough or dry, but when I actually tried it, it was more tender and moist than I expected. The savory flavor of the meat in particular really appealed to me. At first I tried a piece plain just to taste the meat itself, and it was clean-tasting yet savory enough to enjoy on its own.

Still, bossam is best eaten with all sorts of things together, haha. I tried it with kimchi and with the side dishes, and the combination of kimchi and boiled pork really never fails. Piling kimchi on a piece of meat, I kept reaching for more. Especially with the warm pork and kimchi together, it made me think of rice, and it also seemed like it would pair well as a drinking snack.

Ssamjang and salted shrimp: how to pair them

The gabrisal suyuk bossam at Jusangnakwon comes with two sauces, ssamjang and salted shrimp. Eating them together was delicious. A flavor that kept my chopsticks going!

When I eat bossam, I prefer combining several things rather than eating the meat alone. A piece of meat topped with kimchi is delicious, and pairing it with the other sides changes the flavor, so I ended up mixing and matching. At first I thought, 'I'll eat a reasonable amount,' but before I knew it my chopsticks wouldn't stop, haha.

Bossam seems to be one of those dishes where the plate is suddenly empty once you keep eating it with kimchi past the first few bites.

What drinks does Jusangnakwon pour?

Besides soju, there were quite a lot of other kinds of alcohol, so it seemed easy to find something other than the usual soju-and-beer combo!

Is Jusangnakwon worth a visit in Dongtan?

I went out for bossam after a long while that day, and I ended up eating a more filling meal than expected. Being gabrisal suyuk bossam, the meat was tender and savory, which I liked, and I think anyone who likes bossam should try it at least once.

If you're looking for bossam or suyuk in Dongtan, put Jusangnakwon Dongtan on your list :) I'm curious to try other menu items next time, so I think I'll be back, haha. A good place to visit when you want a filling bossam meal in Dongtan! 🥩🥬