Kkachisan Station Korean BBQ, jasmine tea welcome: Gwangseonjip

With Chuseok coming up, the weather's been swinging wildly between hot and cold, and apparently the flu is going around! Add in the long trip home for the holiday, and I was already feeling drained. So Seongjun and I went for a pre-holiday energy boost at this Kkachisan Station restaurant, Gwangseonjip Kkachisan Station Main Branch!

This spot is near Gomdallae-gil, close to where Seongjun used to work, so he said he'd wanted to try it for ages. He'd walk past it and see it packed with people, looking like a great atmosphere, and think 'I should bring her here sometime' — haha!

Gomdallae-gil is also famous for its cherry blossom street in spring, so apparently it's gorgeous when the blossoms are out 🌸 We didn't go during cherry blossom season this time, but since Seongjun had wanted to visit for so long, we figured we'd combine it with our pre-holiday recovery meal at this Hwagok-dong restaurant, haha.

Where Gwangseonjip Kkachisan Main Branch is, opening hours and parking

• 📍 Gwangseonjip Kkachisan Station Main Branch
• 🗺️ Address: 149 Gomdallae-ro, 1st floor, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 4:30 PM–12:00 AM / open 365 days a year
• 🚗 Parking: Not available ❌ (Nearest public lot: Gomdallae Culture Welfare Center Public Parking Lot, 50 Gangseo-ro 5-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul)

Gwangseonjip Kkachisan Main Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Kkachisan Station Exit 2. Even before stepping inside, I spotted a huge chandelier and thought, 'Wait, is this really a BBQ place?' as I walked in!

Inside Gwangseonjip: the dining room and the jasmine tea welcome drink

Once inside, the space was bigger than I expected, with quite a lot of tables. Seongjun had mentioned before that it always looked crowded when he walked by, and now I understood why, haha.

Even though it was just the two of us, the tables weren't cramped at all, and each spot was neatly set — it really felt like a proper date night. I love that kind of atmosphere, haha!

Once we sat down, a staff member brought us jasmine tea first. It felt a little surprising getting a welcome drink at a BBQ restaurant, haha. The tea smelled great, and sipping something warm felt like my stomach was getting ready for the meat — like it primed me to eat even more, haha.

They also brought out honey, enzyme drinks, and vitamins matched to the number of people at the table. I'm not usually someone who bothers with this stuff, but this time Seongjun and I each had one. They also mentioned that ordering alcohol comes with a complimentary heotgae (Japanese raisin tree) stick, so that's worth knowing if you're stopping by for drinks. These small, thoughtful touches are exactly what make a restaurant memorable.

If you're visiting with a child, there's also a baby rice set you can order — rice, hamburg steak, and salad — good to know if you're bringing kids along to a BBQ place.

Free side dishes at Gwangseonjip: corn cheese and braised green onion kimchi

While waiting for our order, they brought out the standard side dishes along with corn cheese — and there was a small burner right on the table to keep it warm! We were told to turn off the flame once the cheese turned golden and slightly melted, so we dug in right away while waiting for the meat!

And the braised green onion kimchi that came as a side dish! This stuff — deeply fermented green onion kimchi loaded with meat — was seriously good with rice! Taking a bite or two while waiting for the meat to grill nicely, and suddenly half a bowl of rice is gone, haha.

Do you grill the meat yourself at Gwangseonjip?

The most convenient part of Gwangseonjip! You don't have to grill the meat yourself. The meat you order gets grilled over charcoal in the kitchen, so there's no flipping or watching it cook from scratch at the table.

Even with just the two of us, it was nice to just sit and chat while we waited. At most BBQ places, someone ends up holding the tongs and babysitting the meat the whole time, but there was none of that pressure here. Of course... Seongjun still ends up grilling for me out of habit, haha. And because it's charcoal-grilled, the meat had this subtle smoky aroma that was really nice.

They brought out a whole platter of beautifully charcoal-grilled meat, along with bean sprouts, mushrooms, bracken fern, onions, and other vegetables underneath! They also topped it with chives and kimchi, great for grilling together. They even gave us a tip — mix in the bean sprouts once they're slightly cooked and eat them with the meat!

What's on the Gwangseonjip mixed platter: ogyeopsal, kkodeulsal, bbolsal

What we ordered that day was the Gwangseonjip mixed platter. It's made up of Jeju black pork belly + kkodeulsal (chewy jowl meat) + bbolsal (cheek meat). We also ordered two bowls of rice and kimchi noodle soup to go with it.

We came to recover before the holiday, but honestly the two of us ordered quite a feast, haha. I don't usually eat these specialty cuts, so I was curious what they'd taste like, and ordering the mixed platter meant we got to try several cuts at once. It was fun picking and choosing from one big platter.

Kkodeulsal (chewy pork neck meat)

We started with kkodeulsal. True to its name, the texture was distinctly chewy and springy. It's a completely different feel from something soft like pork belly, so it was fun to chew on. Grilled over charcoal, it had that subtle smoky aroma too, and the flavor got more savory the more you chewed. I really like this kind of chewy texture, so I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Bbolsal (pork cheek meat)

Next up was bbolsal. I don't eat this cut often either, so I was a little curious, but it turned out lighter and chewier than expected. It had that specialty-cut texture, but it wasn't tough at all, and dipping it lightly in sauce made it even better. If you usually stick to familiar cuts like pork belly or pork neck, ordering a mixed platter is a fun way to try several cuts at once.

Jeju black pork ogyeopsal (thick-cut pork belly)

And finally, the Jeju black pork belly! The specialty cuts were great, but seeing the pork belly show up still felt kind of exciting, haha. Grilled thick, it was savory on the outside and juicy inside, with a nice balance of lean meat and fat that went great with rice. I love dipping meat in sauce too, so I tried it with a few different combinations. Seongjun said the pork belly was the best of all and devoured it happily!

How was the kimchi-mari guksu (cold kimchi noodle soup)?

Halfway through eating meat, you start craving something tangy and cool, right? So we also tried the kimchi noodle soup (kimchimari guksu) we'd ordered alongside everything else.

The broth had slushy ice in it and a tangy kimchi flavor, perfect for a bite here and there between rounds of meat. One bite of meat, one bite of noodles, and your palate feels totally refreshed! Both Seongjun and I love noodles, so it disappeared in no time, haha. Ordering a side like this instead of just meat made the whole meal feel more substantial too.

Is Gwangseonjip good for group dinners or family gatherings?

Since this Kkachisan Station restaurant grills the meat for you, it seems like it would be even more convenient for company dinners or family gatherings with a bigger group. The space itself is quite large and divided into several sections, so it looked like it would work well whether you come as a couple or with a large group. We only came as a pair this time, but I thought it'd be great to bring family along next time.

They also mentioned the tables are split into sections of three, so groups of 9 or more can reserve a full section. That makes it a solid option for anyone in Hwagok-dong looking for a spot for a group dinner or gathering.

Final verdict on our pre-holiday meal at Gwangseonjip

That was our pre-Chuseok recovery meal with Seongjun at this Kkachisan Station BBQ spot, Gwangseonjip Kkachisan Main Branch! Seongjun had wanted to come here ever since his old job days, and I was curious too, so I was glad we finally got to try it together, haha.

From specialty cuts like kkodeulsal and bbolsal to Jeju black pork belly, we got to try a bit of everything, and not having to grill the meat ourselves made the whole meal so much more relaxed! Sitting, chatting, taking our time in a place with good atmosphere and friendly service, eating delicious meat — it really felt like we properly recharged before the holiday rush, haha.

The charcoal-grilled meat had a really nice smoky aroma, and the small details — the welcome drink, enzyme and vitamin drinks, and the heotgae stick — all left an impression. If you're looking for an easygoing Korean BBQ spot near Kkachisan Station, this one is worth checking out.