Weekend dinner at Sarangjip, pork kimchi grill near Ajou Univ., Suwon

Today I'm introducing Sarangjip, a pork kimchi grill place near Ajou University in Suwon where I went for dinner. It's a spot where you can properly enjoy grilled pork with kimchi and finish with fried rice, but visiting on a Saturday evening, there were of course a lot of customers. We couldn't get in right away either and waited about 10 minutes before being seated.

Sarangjip hours and the weekend evening wait

• Sarangjip / 18-7, 1F, Ajuro 39beon-gil, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Daily 11:00 - 22:00
• Break time 14:30 - 16:30

Reservations aren't possible during peak hours, so if you're visiting on a weekend evening, it's a good idea to expect some waiting. Still, turnover was faster than I expected, and we got in after about 10 minutes.

Where should you park?

We used the nearby Uman 2-dong public parking lot. It offers 1 hour of free parking, which is the easiest option in an area like near Ajou University where parking can be tricky.

The medium size for two, 450g of pork

We visited as two people, and since we wanted to properly enjoy the pork kimchi grill that day, we ordered the medium size haha. The amount of meat differs by size, and the medium size comes with a whopping 450g of pork. It's not a small amount for two people to eat, but we managed to finish it off along with the fried rice.

Perilla leaves, mayonnaise, corn mayo, and pickled radish also come out for wrapping, so you can make whatever combination you like.

When the pork kimchi grill comes out, it's loaded with not just kimchi and pork but plenty of onion too. The amount of meat was more than expected, so I was glad we ordered the medium size. As the pork fat seeps into the well-fermented kimchi and sizzles, the smell alone makes you think of rice.

How was the pork kimchi grill?

First of all, I liked that the pork had no gamey smell. The meat was tender, and the kimchi was properly fermented with its tangy flavor intact, and eating it together with the sweetly cooked onion was really delicious.

There's even a guide on the table showing how to best eat the pork kimchi grill, so even first-timers can just follow along. I also tried the recommended combination first, then started adding my own preferences afterward.

Perilla wraps with a mayonnaise-garlic combo

Just picking up pork and kimchi together is already delicious, but here you really have to wrap them in perilla leaves. Lay down a perilla leaf, pile on plenty of pork and kimchi, then top it with pickled radish, and the tangy, crunchy addition keeps you eating more.

I personally love mayonnaise and garlic, so I loaded up on both, and I recommend this combo. The pork kimchi grill itself is spicy and rich, but adding mayonnaise softens it a bit, and eating it together with garlic was totally my taste.

How much should you save for the fried rice?

We ordered the medium size for two and ate until we were full, but you absolutely must save room for the fried rice. Sarangjip's pork kimchi grill is delicious on its own, but the final fried rice is really the important part.

Before ordering the fried rice, we left about five spoonfuls of the pork kimchi grill.

Personally, if you're planning to eat the fried rice, I recommend not eating the kimchi and meat too cleanly and leaving some behind.

The more kimchi and pork left over, the richer and more delicious the rice turns out when stir-fried together. Next time, I think I'll leave even more than this time. Chopping up the leftover pork and kimchi and stir-frying it with rice creates a visual that couldn't possibly taste bad.

With cheese added on top of the spicy, salty fried rice, it becomes even more savory, so even when full you keep eating. At first I wondered if ordering the medium size for two was overkill, but in the end we cleaned out the fried rice too.

Would I go back to this Korean restaurant near Ajou University in Suwon?

This was my first visit to Sarangjip, and after eating there I understood why there's a wait on weekend evenings. The pork was delicious with no gamey smell, and the kimchi and onions were generously portioned, making it great with rice or as a drinking snack.

If you're looking for a good restaurant near Ajou University in Suwon or love spicy pork kimchi grill, give Sarangjip a try. Reservations are hard to get during weekend peak hours, so keep the wait in mind, and I'd recommend using the nearby Uman 2-dong public parking lot. And if you're planning to eat the fried rice, whatever you do, don't finish all the pork kimchi grill! Leave plenty of kimchi and meat to stir-fry, and if a review event lets you, definitely add the cheese. Next time I go, I think I'll order the medium size again, eat the pork kimchi grill until full, and finish with the same cheese fried rice haha.