Suwon Korean BBQ restaurant for a family meal: Dojeok

An Ingye-dong Korean BBQ spot I returned to with my parents

This time, I took my parents to Dojeok Suwon (도적 수원점)! It is a place I used to come to often, too. I had eaten here a few times and liked it, so this time I brought my parents along haha.

It is also one of the first places I think of when looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant in Ingye-dong. I hoped it would suit my parents' tastes too, so I made a reservation before we came haha. The red Dojeok sign out front is easy to spot even in the evening.

A comfortable interior for family dinners and group meals

Once inside, the brick-style interior is the first thing you notice. As you would expect at a Korean BBQ place, every table has a grill, and the seating is arranged comfortably. I liked that it felt relaxed for dining with my parents. By the time we finished and were about to leave, group diners were coming in too. There are plenty of tables, so I think it would be great not only for family meals but also for company dinners.

Ordering Emperor Deotsal and knife-cut samgyeopsal

The menu was neat and easy to scan at a glance. We ordered two servings each of Emperor Deotsal and knife-cut samgyeopsal (pork belly). We also got one naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) and two bowls of rice. Emperor Deotsal is gabrisal, or pork jowl! The doenjang jjigae (soybean-paste stew) is free!

Side dishes with ssam vegetables and raw sweet potato

The basic side dishes came in a varied spread that went well with the meat. There were bean sprouts and shredded scallions, along with kimchi, garlic, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), and more! My family tends to eat lots of ssam vegetables with meat, so I loved that there were lettuce and perilla leaves as well as peppers and raw sweet potato!! I am a sweet-potato lover, and it was good raw and good grilled too ㅠㅠ There was even salad to have alongside it, so I kept reaching for it between bites of meat!

When the meat arrived, its thick cut was the first thing that caught my eye.. This was our order of two servings of Emperor Deotsal and two of knife-cut samgyeopsal. Since Emperor Deotsal is pork jowl, it had a charm quite different from pork belly. The knife-cut samgyeopsal was thick too, which suited my meat-loving family perfectly haha.

We had rice with the meat and some hot doenjang jjigae too! Pork belly and doenjang jjigae really are a perfect pairing,,

Thick cuts grilled right at the table by the staff

One thing I love here is that the staff grill the meat for you. With thick cuts, getting the timing right takes more attention than you might think. Since the staff cooked it themselves, I could simply chat with my parents and wait comfortably, which was so nice! They cut it into bite-size pieces and grilled it beautifully golden, so it was easy to eat right away.

The properly cooked meat was golden outside and still moist within ㅠㅠ My parents said it was so delicious too, and that made me happy haha. We grilled garlic alongside it and wrapped it in ssam vegetables, and before we knew it, all four servings were disappearing fast.

Because we love wraps, we had eaten almost all the salad and ssam vegetables, you know?! We did not even ask for more, but the owner noticed first and brought us fresh ones. That kind of thoughtful little detail made me feel so good ㅠㅠ

Clean-tasting meat and naengmyeon, a great pairing

The first bite was clean, with no off smell, so I thought the meat quality was high. There were several sauces; I always use ssamjang, while my parents dip theirs in salt. But here, even the meat on its own was delicious?!

Eating it straight from the grill meant the flavor was especially good while warm, and it did not become tiring even after several pieces, so I kept picking up one more haha. It is delicious wrapped in ssam, but it is more than tasty enough on its own too!

After eating meat, naengmyeon was a must, of course haha. We saved a few pieces of meat and tried them with the noodles, and this combination is hard not to love! After the rich taste of the meat, the cool naengmyeon made my mouth feel refreshed again.

A cup of coffee after the meal

There was also a coffee vending machine near the entrance. Paper cups were set out too, so you could pour yourself a cup on the way out after eating meat haha. After such a filling meal, it was nice to finish with a coffee before leaving, and I liked this small detail too.