Jochon-dong Korean BBQ in Gunsan: salt-grilled pork neck, Jongchagyeok

Today I heard there was a somewhat special Korean BBQ place in Gunsan, so I went to check it out myself. The place I visited is Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch, a well-known restaurant in Jochon-dong.

Even the name is fun — unlike a typical BBQ restaurant, it's decorated with a train-station concept, an unusual space where you can enjoy premium meat. Eating meat while feeling like you're traveling by train made me curious even before I walked in.

So let me introduce Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch, the Jochon-dong restaurant where you can enjoy a special meat experience inside a train, one bit at a time.

Parking and opening hours at Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch

At Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch, you really don't need to worry about parking at all. There are two large parking lots right next to the restaurant, so parking was really convenient.

• ① The commercial building's parking lot
• ② A separate open-lot parking area

With plenty of parking space, there was no burden to visiting by car. Parking is always a bit of a worry when going to a BBQ restaurant, but I liked that I didn't have to worry about it here.

A samgyeopsal (pork belly) restaurant in Jochon-dong, Gunsan

The address is 12 Yangchon 1-gil, Unit 117, Gunsan, Jeonbuk. Hours are Monday–Thursday 15:30–22:00, Friday–Sunday 11:00–23:00. For parking, use the dedicated lot behind the building or the temporary lot.

Train-station theme and the Sunday evening wait

Our train is now heading to Jeonbuk, Gunsan? Toward Jongchagyeok, a well-known restaurant in Gunsan's railway village. For a delicious culinary journey,

• ① Enjoy the aroma, juiciness, and texture of the signature meat
• ② Relax and enjoy your meal in the train-station atmosphere
• ③ Pair the meat's flavor with a drink
• ④ And be sure to try Jongchagyeok's own side dishes

We will soon be arriving at Jongchagyeok, the samgyeopsal restaurant in Jochon-dong, Gunsan.

I arrived at this samgyeopsal restaurant in Jochon-dong, Gunsan at 7 pm on a Sunday, and there were already four parties waiting. I guess it makes sense on a weekend evening — there were a lot of customers. There was a bit of a wait, but since I'd come to a well-known restaurant, I waited my turn with high expectations.

Walking through the entrance, the first thing that caught my eye was a Gunsan Station-style train departure board. It really felt like walking into an actual train station, which was fun.

There's also a Jongchagyeok drink counter set up near the entrance. It fit the train-station atmosphere well and was fun to look at.

The train is finally departing! Let's begin a delicious meat journey at Jongchagyeok, a well-known restaurant in Jochon-dong, Gunsan.

Ordering is easy through the kiosk at your seat. There's detailed guidance for first-time orders, and they're also running a Naver receipt review event. Nice to enjoy the meat and take care of the review event too.

Side dishes and the "Jongchagyeok one-bite combo"

The basic banchan (side dishes) at Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch were also neatly laid out. Wasabi, salted pollack roe, dried radish strips, salted krill, green onion kimchi, white kimchi, mountain garlic leaves — a wide variety of side dishes that pair well with meat. There was also roasted seaweed and fresh lettuce wraps, so you could pick and choose based on your preference.

There's also a guide on the table for the 'Jongchagyeok one-bite honey combo.' Pairing the meat with wasabi or salted krill is good, and topping roasted seaweed with salted pollack roe and white kimchi is delicious too. Wrapping the meat in lettuce or perilla leaves with green onion kimchi and dried radish strips was also good. With so many kinds of side dishes, I could enjoy the meat in many different ways.

Mungteong salt-grilled pork neck, 180g for 16,900 won, grilled by staff

I ordered two servings of the Jongchagyeok mungteong salt-grilled pork neck (180g), ₩16,900.

Domestic pork neck cut into large chunks, keeping that thick, hearty texture fully intact. It's seasoned with Jongchagyeok's own salt to bring out the meat's flavor.

Best of all, the staff grilled it for us from start to finish, which made it comfortable to eat.

Taking a bite of the nicely browned pork neck, the outside was crispy while the inside stayed moist — the more you chewed, the more you could taste the savory juices and the pork neck's own clean flavor.

The meat is delicious just dipped in salt, but pairing it with the side dishes brings out a different flavor entirely. Topping roasted seaweed with meat and salted pollack roe gives a savory, salty balance, while a light dip in the special salt lets the meat's own flavor shine. Adding white kimchi and pickles keeps it clean, and a touch of wasabi with mountain garlic leaves adds a spicy kick that's delicious.

Wrapping meat, salted pollack roe, and pickles in a perilla leaf was also good. And eating the meat with wasabi and shredded green onion felt light and refreshing rather than heavy — I liked this combo too. Trying it so many different ways, the pieces of meat disappeared in no time.

Italy Station cheese egg custard

For a side, I also added the Italy Station cheese egg custard. A pot filled with soft egg custard topped with melted cheese looked really appetizing. Every scoop pulled up stretchy cheese with the fluffy custard — a combination that made my mouth water just looking at it. It also paired really well with the grilled meat.

Chuncheon Station bibim makguksu (spicy cold buckwheat noodles)

To finish the meal, I also ordered the Chuncheon Station bibim makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles). Mixed well so the sauce coated everything, the chewy buckwheat noodles paired nicely with the spicy-tangy sauce. Crunchy vegetables added good texture too. Eating it with grilled meat cut through the richness and gave a clean finish.

Last stop: how far Jongchagyeok Gunsan Branch takes the theme

While enjoying the meal, we somehow arrived at the final stop, Gunsan Station. Now it's time to pay and wrap up this enjoyable meat journey, preparing to get off.

On the way out after paying, there's a big sign marking the 'exit door.' The concept of having taken a train journey to the very end felt fun.

It wasn't noticeable coming in, but after finishing the meal and arriving at the 'terminal,' the lights around were brightly lit up. It felt like arriving at an actual train station, letting me enjoy the concept fully right to the end.