Gwangju aged pork BBQ with 17 salts and pollock roe egg: Jeju Oktop

Is Jeju pork in Gwangju, Gyeonggi really expensive?

Jeju Oktop (제주옥탑) Gwangju Gyeongan Branch is a pork belly restaurant where you can eat Jeju pork at a better price than you'd expect in Gwangju, Gyeonggi. Looking for samgyeopsal (pork belly) in Gwangju? This place nails the value too!!

There are so many great samgyeopsal places these days, right? This time I heard there was a Jeju pork spot in the Gwangju area, so I went to Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch. Honestly, I always figured Jeju pork tastes great but comes with a bit of a price tag. But when I actually got there, the prices were better than I expected, and I was a little surprised!!

A Jeju mood, with a dol hareubang greeting you at the door

Even before stepping inside, Jeju Oktop gives off a full Jeju-island feel. There are props all around that remind you of Jeju, and a dol hareubang (the stone grandfather statue of Jeju) welcomes you at the entrance, so it felt like arriving at a barbecue place on Jeju itself, haha

It's not just the name that says Jeju: the place is decorated that way from the entrance, which put me in a good mood. The Jeju vibe carries on inside, so even though I came for meat, it felt like a quick trip to Jeju as a bonus!

Jeju Meokgui Baby Pig Set for ₩39,900: what's in it?

The Jeju Meokgui Baby Pig Set (제주먹구이 아기돼지세트) I tried at Jeju Oktop is ₩39,900!🐷 For two people, it includes 500g of Jeju meokgui pork, doenjang stew and 2 bowls of rice, so I was a little skeptical when I first saw the price.

But after eating, I understood why people call it a Gwangju must-eat,, These days cheap alone doesn't make a good restaurant, right???? Jeju Oktop was really satisfying, not just in price but in the taste of the meat.

Dry-aged and wet-aged pork: how was the texture?

They say the meat at Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch is aged by both dry-aging and wet-aging. I don't think aged meat is automatically delicious, but after grilling and eating it, the meat was tender and had a great texture, probably because of those two aging methods.

Biting in, it wasn't tough or dry at all. It chewed softly and the juices were still there, so it was really tasty.

Is it okay to eat with a child?

My child ate the aged meat really well. Maybe because the meat is so tender, the kid ate way more than I expected. When you eat out with kids, tough meat can be a problem, but that day the meat was disappearing so fast and I kept hearing calls for refills, lol. So I thought it would work well for a family meal out.

17 salts and seasonings, and the fun of choosing

Jeju Oktop has a whopping 17 kinds!!! of accompaniments, from Himalayan pink salt to steak seasoning, sun-dried sea salt and pepper. What made Jeju Oktop a bit special was exactly this variety of things to eat with the meat.

The meat is good enough that a single salt would have been fine, but it was fun mixing and matching. At first I thought plain salt would be the best, but with so many choices I ended up trying each bite a different way. It was fun that the same meat tasted slightly different depending on the seasoning.

Do you grill it yourself, or do they grill for you?

The value set menu at Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch is actually a self-grill menu. You basically grill it yourself, but when the staff aren't busy, they come over and help with the grilling.

How well the meat gets grilled is quietly a big deal at a BBQ place, and the staff's grilling was what I was especially happy with that day. They got the timing right for grilling and flipping, and cooked it to just the right doneness, so we could eat comfortably.

500g for two, plus stew and rice: is it enough?

The value set at Jeju Oktop is 500g of Jeju meokgui + doenjang stew + 2 bowls of rice. 500g is a pretty good amount of meat for two people, and with the stew and rice included, the value felt really high.

Honestly, I naturally assumed Jeju pork would be a bit pricey. But after this meal, that idea completely changed. A place that totally broke the "Jeju meat is expensive" thought. I was slightly doubtful about the taste because of the price at first, but in the end it was super, super satisfying.

Ddakse-u doenjang stew and mentaiko steamed egg

The doenjang (soybean paste) stew that comes with the set has ddakse-u (Jeju slipper lobster) in it, and the mentaiko (pollock roe) steamed egg we ordered extra was so good that my child and I loved it! The side dishes are tasty and the prices overall are on the cheap side.

Because the meat is tender and delicious, my hand kept going back for more. At a BBQ place, two adults usually end up ordering at least 3 servings, right? But Jeju Oktop's set is 500g for 2 servings, and with the doenjang stew and rice, this one set was truly enough.

Why I recommend it if you're looking for BBQ in Gwangju, Gyeonggi

I was very satisfied with Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch overall: price, meat flavor, aging method and the variety of accompaniments. When you look for BBQ in Gwangju, there are quite a lot of places specializing in samgyeopsal or pork, but after this visit I understood why word has already spread among people looking for a good meat restaurant in Gwangju, lol

Above all, tasty is important, but I always think about how satisfying it is for the price: ₩39,900 for 500g for two, plus doenjang stew and 2 bowls of rice. With that lineup and delicious meat, I personally was very satisfied.

First visit, and already regular material

This was my first visit to Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch, and on the way out I said I wanted to come back next time, lol. My child ate the meat so well that we'll probably return with the whole family.

The meat is tender, so it was good for eating with a child, and the adults had fun picking from the various salts and seasonings. Above all, I'm almost thankful that I can enjoy aged Jeju pork at a price that isn't a burden, haha. I also grilled the kelp (dasima) that came out and ate it with the meat, and that was a treat too!!

If you're looking for samgyeopsal or a BBQ restaurant in Gwangju, I think it's worth a visit at least once. I was surprised once by the price, and satisfied again by the taste. Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch: first visit today, but already regular material!🐷 Next time I'll try other menu items. If you're looking for a family meal or a place for meat in Gwangju, give Jeju Oktop JEJU Gwangju Gyeongan Branch a visit!

One-line review: Samgyeopsal in Gwangju, Gyeonggi: Jeju Oktop Gwangju Gyeongan Branch.