Hapjeong Korean BBQ patio 2-hour limit and bone-in pork: Jeongyukdo

Is there really an outdoor BBQ patio near Hapjeong Station?

Jeongyukdo is a patio BBQ restaurant about a 2-minute walk from Hapjeong Station. Patio season is finally back, and as someone trying to hit up every neighborhood patio out there, I thought Mapo-gu was basically a patio wasteland — but I found a place right near Hapjeong Station where you can grill meat outdoors.

This is the vibe. There are quite a lot of seats outside, and if you use the patio, note that the time limit is 2 hours.

Once summer's over, patio season is a must — you all know that, right?

Ha, this is so good. That whole 'grilling meat somewhere fun' feeling.

Lots of signatures everywhere. Didn't really look closely at who, haha.

Inside Jeongyukdo: private rooms and group dinners

The inside of Jeongyukdo was super comfortable. AC running full blast, lol. There's also something like a room, which looks great for company dinners — total win. There was already a table that looked like a company dinner in progress, lol. Poor junior staffer, lol.

Nice, comfortable interior. It's still a bit warm out, so if it's a really hot day, the indoor seating is a good call too.

Jeongyukdo set prices and how to order

At Jeongyukdo, you scan the QR code on the table for table ordering. We ordered the Korean pork set + meljeot for ₩49,000. Hanwoo beef set is ₩99,000, Korean pork set is ₩49,000, and the Korean pork specialty cuts set is ₩65,000.

What comes with the basic table setting at Jeongyukdo

The basic setup included what I think was pickled ginger, salt, salted squid, wasabi and whole grain mustard, and even muchae (spicy radish salad), lol. Chef Lim Sung-keun from Culinary Class Wars said a place with muchae on the table is a good restaurant — at a BBQ place too. There was pickled onion and pickled scallion as well, lol.

That patio feeling — so good.

The vibe was great.

What's in the 49,000 won Korean pork set: belly, neck and bone-in pork belly

Jeongyukdo's Korean pork set comes with pork belly, pork neck, and bone-in pork belly (with the bone still attached), haha.

There's a price tag attached, which is very reassuring, lol.

The sound of meat sizzling — a very good sound.

Delicious dipped just in salt, delicious topped with muchae too, lol.

A patio like this hiding just two minutes' walk from Hapjeong Station — can't believe I didn't know sooner. A BBQ restaurant with that big-house-courtyard feeling that's rare to find in Seoul, wow.

The wasabi is really tasty too... like when a xenophobic sushi place loads Korean customers' sushi with wasabi — but here the meat's so good it doesn't even taste spicy...

This is the raw rib with the bone still attached. The fat ratio here was also spot-on, a really tasty cut. Cutting the bone-in pork belly.

The downside: smoke and stinging eyes when grilling pork belly

The not-quite-a-downside downside of Jeongyukdo's patio is that it gets pretty smoky. Guys... early twenties... enlistment... after... boot camp... gas chamber training... fumbling through it... thinking of mom... stinging eyes is a level you can push through...

The vibe's so good that even just mushrooms taste amazing, haha.

I picked up a trick somewhere — Maillard the pork belly skin side first (bragging a bit).

Gas chamber... thinking of it... steadying my heart...

My friend... tears... starting to flow.... Don't cry, silly....

There was a bit of smoke when grilling the pork belly, haha. But this is basically the only patio in Hongdae, Mapo, Hapjeong right now, so you've got to put up with a little inconvenience.

Another table... wailing... sobbing in progress....

The best cut at Jeongyukdo was the pork belly

Out of everything in Jeongyukdo's Korean pork set, the pork belly was hands down the tastiest, haha. Of course it is — pork belly's pork belly. A tear-jerking kind of good.

Ah, I want more pork belly again.... Does anyone know why meat tastes even better eaten outdoors?

Topped with wasabi again, of course.

Sneaking the bone meat for myself without my friend noticing.

And of course, xenophobic-level wasabi.

Finishing with doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice)

After grilling all the meat at Jeongyukdo, we finished with doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice), lol.

There seemed to be some hanwoo beef mixed into the doenjang sulbap — probably trimmings left over from butchering. Really, really good.

Looking for an outdoor BBQ patio in Hongdae, Hapjeong or Mapo?

If you're looking for a patio near Hongdae, Hapjeong, or Mapo, this is it. Jeongyukdo is the textbook outdoor BBQ spot. Great prices, great vibe, great meat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A place I'll definitely come back to. Fellow patio addicts hunting for a spot near Hongdae, Hapjeong, or Mapo, gather right here. Ate well, thanks!