Goyang Korean BBQ with wild garlic wasabi wraps: Baekseok Kkogijip

My husband and I hadn't had a proper date-style meal out in a while, so we headed to the Baekseok food alley. There are so many BBQ places in Baekseok that I couldn't decide, but Baekseok Kkogijip (백석 꼬기집) had good recent reviews and a set menu I liked. The spread was so good that we said "let's come back next time" several times over.

Where is Baekseok Kkogijip, and where can you park?

Baekseok Kkogijip is tucked inside the Baekseok food alley and is pretty close to Baekseok Station on foot, so it wasn't hard to find. We drove, and there's room for about 2 cars in front. If it's full, the public parking lot of the Baekseok food alley is right nearby, and the fee is cheap, so it's no stress.

Atmosphere and seating

The restaurant was bigger and cleaner than I expected. Tables are nicely spaced, so we didn't have to worry about the next table, and the ventilation is good, so it barely had that stuffy BBQ-joint feeling. On nice days you can eat at the outdoor tables out front, which looked perfect for a cold beer.

What we ordered: marinated pork set for two, 51,000 won

We ordered without a second thought: the set for two (₩51,000) with 500g of marinated pork BBQ, a yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) sampler, and a choice of kimchi stew or doenjang rice. The price is fine and the lineup is so generous that I understand why it's the most popular order.

Water came as chilled green tea.

What comes with the basic table setting?

Lettuce and perilla leaves, wild garlic pickles (myeongi namul), seasoned radish and various sauces came out first, shortly after we ordered. You can usually tell a lot about a BBQ place from its basic side dishes, right?

The lettuce and perilla leaves were really fresh, and the wild garlic, radish and sauces were generously laid out. The wild garlic pickles went especially well with the marinated meat. Put a piece of meat on one, add a little wasabi, and it just keeps going down without feeling greasy.

And the seasoned radish! It was so good that I ate a whole bowl of rice with it before the meat even came. The crunchy radish did a great job of cleansing the palate.

If you run short of wrap vegetables, you can grab more at the self-bar, which I liked too.

The yukhoe sampler included in the set

Before the meat, the sampler of yukhoe that's part of the set arrived first. Since it's just an included item I didn't expect much, but the portion was decent and it was fresh. I popped the yolk, mixed it all together, and the nutty, soft texture was great. Eaten with Asian pear, it got a crunch too, and we emptied it in no time before the main dish.

Steamed egg, corn cheese and doenjang stew

Next came the steamed egg, which was really fluffy. Freshly made, it was steaming and melted in the mouth. Kids would love it too.

And corn cheese is standard here too. Why is this so good?

With doenjang (soybean paste) stew on top, it was a perfect spread, and the wait for the meat never felt boring.

Do you grill the marinated pork yourself at Baekseok Kkogijip?

No, at Baekseok Kkogijip the staff grill all the marinated pork and bring it to you. This was the best part. At BBQ places one person is often stuck grilling nonstop, but here you just eat, which was so comfortable. We could chat and take our time, which made it even better.

The marinade wasn't overdone either. It wasn't just sweet; it brought out the flavor of the meat, so we never got tired of it, and the meat was tender and juicy the more we chewed. The onions, mushrooms and shishito peppers grilled alongside were great too. The grilled onion was sweet and paired really well with the pork.

Best combo of the day: wild garlic wasabi wrap

Put a wild garlic pickle on lettuce, add a piece of marinated pork, and top with a little wasabi. I really recommend this combo. Personally it was the best bite of the day. 500g was plenty for two, and with the yukhoe and kimchi stew, we were properly full.

Kimchi stew with the set and free ramyeon noodles

We chose the kimchi stew from the set. The broth was rich and spicy, went really well with the meat, and there was a good amount of pork in it.

And that wasn't all. The owner told us ramyeon noodles are free, so we added some right away. Boiled with the kimchi stew, it turned almost like kimchi jjageuri (a thick, reduced kimchi stew). The broth soaked into the noodles and got much richer, and by the end I wanted to add rice too. For a free extra, the quality was great and we were really satisfied.

Old-style patbingsu for dessert

After the meal, we even had old-style patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans) at Baekseok Kkogijip. It's rare for a place to give dessert these days. Sweet red beans and condensed milk on cold ice, the old-fashioned way, was perfect for cleansing the palate after meat. With the hot weather, that last bowl was a really satisfying finish.

Is Baekseok Kkogijip worth a return visit?

After this visit I can see why so many people look for Baekseok Kkogijip when they want BBQ in Baekseok. The set is great value, and you can feel the care in every side dish. Steamed egg, fresh wrap vegetables, the yukhoe sampler, kimchi stew with free ramyeon, and patbingsu for dessert: nothing was missing.

If you're looking for a samgyeopsal (pork belly) or marinated pork spot in the Baekseok food alley, I think you'd be happy with a visit. It worked for a family meal, and also for a get-together with friends or a company dinner. Best of all, they grill the meat for you, so you can just relax and focus on eating. Next time we plan to come back for the marinated short rib set or the assorted raw cuts.