Gapyeong butcher shop for Wagyu ribeye charcoal grilling: Ari Chuksan

There is a butcher shop in Gapyeong that I often visit whenever I go camping there, so I stopped by again this time to share the prices, location, and more.

Ari Chuksan behind Gapyeong Hanaro Mart

Ari Chuksan at 23 Gangbyeon-ro, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, is on the corner of a large three-way intersection, so it is easy to find.

It is a well-known butcher shop in Gapyeong that many celebrities and influencers have visited. In particular, it is right behind Gapyeong Hanaro Mart, so many people stop in while shopping at Hanaro Mart on their way to a pension or campsite.

Meat to choose from at Ari Chuksan

Open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 8:50 p.m., Ari Chuksan carries Korean beef cuts including flower ribeye and salchisal.

There is pork too, including samgyeopsal (pork belly) and moksal (pork neck).

They also sell a range of meats including pyeonyuk (pressed boiled meat) and arogsatae (beef shank).

They also sell freshly prepared yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and sashimi, so it is nice to pick up yukhoe as a drinking snack as well as meat for grilling.

When several people travel together, everyone likes different meats. Ari Chuksan carries pork such as pork belly, pork neck, and hangjeongsal (pork jowl), beef such as sirloin and tenderloin, plus lamb, tomahawk cuts, Wagyu, and more. Since you can order small amounts, everyone can choose the cut they want.

A clean shop with no raw-meat smell

Many ordinary butcher shops have reddish indoor lighting and a slightly unpleasant raw-meat smell, but Ari Chuksan was completely different. There was no raw-meat smell at all, and its clean atmosphere did not feel like a typical butcher shop, so walking in was not off-putting in the slightest.

As you would expect from a famous Gapyeong butcher shop, they butcher and trim pork and beef themselves, so you can enjoy fresher meat.

Alongside our Korean beef, they also sell good-value Australian Wagyu flower ribeye, making it a good choice for anyone who finds Korean beef a little expensive.

They also sell sausages, vegetables, and more that are great for a barbecue at a pension or campsite.

I chose Australian Wagyu ribeye and vegetables

I debated what meat to eat too—lamb or beef? In the end, I bought good-value Australian Wagyu flower ribeye along with a few vegetables.

There is only so much I can show of Ari Chuksan's variety of meat in photos, so I will show the shop atmosphere and different meats in a video. Save Ari Chuksan on your map before setting off on your trip..

Wagyu flower ribeye grilled over campsite charcoal

When I arrived at the campsite and opened the packaged Wagyu flower ribeye, out came fresh, bright-red meat. It had hardly any fat, fantastic marbling, and was very high quality.

Since it was a campsite, I got the charcoal nice and hot, put the meat over the glowing coals, and started grilling the beef directly over the fire. As the surface slowly cooked and that savory aroma rose up, my mouth watered just watching it.

The meat, beautifully browned on the outside,

was cut into bite-size pieces, and one bite let me really taste the tender texture and juices. The meat itself was so good and savory that it tasted best simply dipped in seasoned salt, rather than with other seasonings.

If beef is too thick, it is difficult to grill; if it is too thin, it cannot hold its juices and turns dry. Ari Chuksan's beef was just the right thickness, so it was not difficult to grill over charcoal.

The cut interior held all those juices like this, so I think anyone could grill it and enjoy it.

With such good beef, and because it was evening, I ordered wine instead of soju this time.

A bite of beef and a glass of wine—it was simply perfect for feeling restored.

Choosing meat locally before a Gapyeong trip

If you are planning a camping or pension trip to Gapyeong, bringing meat from home is one option, but I also recommend choosing it yourself at a local butcher shop and grilling it straight away at the campsite.

Ari Chuksan, a popular Gapyeong butcher shop, is a solid place to prepare the meat for a camping or pension trip. What I especially liked was being able to browse the different meats in the shop and decide the day's menu myself.

If you are planning a trip to Gapyeong, I recommend stopping by Ari Chuksan while grocery shopping at Hanaro Mart and picking up the most delicious meat to take with you.