Family BBQ near Bomun Station, cuttlefish mulhoe: Gimgol Yeontanjip

Location and hours of Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Bomun Station, is open 15:00–24:00. Visit before 6pm and you get a free bottle of soju or beer! Parking isn't available, so I parked nearby using Modeuui Parking.

I remembered how delicious it was last time, so I timed this revisit with one of my husband's days off. Going on a weekday, early, it was less crowded than before — last time was a weekend evening and we barely got a seat.

Pa-kimchi, mukeunji, and basil ssamjang — Gimgol Yeontanjip's combination

Gimgol Yeontanjip is a chain run jointly by a mother born in 1968 and a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef. You can taste the mother's mastery in the stew, mukeunji (aged kimchi), and pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), and the chef's creativity in the unusual sauce lineup. I love the basil ssamjang (basil dipping sauce) so much.

Since it's a charcoal-grill place, I really want to try the gochujang charcoal bulgogi, but whenever I come with my kid we always end up plowing through samgyeopsal, mokssal, and seolhwa kkodeulsal plus sides. Next time I want to come without the kids and have hagfish and charcoal bulgogi!!!!

The owner is so friendly, treating every single guest like a regular — it felt warm and nice. He shared tips for eating the meat deliciously and came by throughout to help grill.

The samgyeopsal's color was insane... And since I narrowly missed ordering seolhwa kkodeulsal last time because it sold out, I made sure to order the chewy seolhwa kkodeulsal this time.

Summer-only cuttlefish mulhoe, ₩11,900

The summer-only menu item, cuttlefish mulhoe (raw fish in cold spicy broth), ₩11,900. Wooow, what is this? The owner recommended it so highly that I ordered it right away. Squid is my favorite thing in summer — I'm already twisting with joy just eating squid sushi — so cuttlefish mulhoe?? ><

Chewy cuttlefish, crisp vegetables, and a tangy-spicy broth that whets your appetite — a must in this heat wave. It's a summer specialty best enjoyed alongside charcoal-grilled meat, but I couldn't stop reaching for it even on its own. Every time I went back to the meat for a bit, my husband had demolished it, so I had to eat fast too haha.

The broth at Gimgol Yeontanjip is so deliciously sweet and tangy that I kept reaching for more. Don't miss the cuttlefish mulhoe while it's still on the summer-only menu.

Wrapping meat with flat bibim noodles — the perfect combo

Coming to Gimgol Yeontanjip without ordering the flat bibim noodles? Guilty, guilty. I come to Gimgol Yeontanjip specifically for this combo. Spread out the flat bibim noodles, pile on crisp vegetables and meat, wrap it up — it's a chewy, refreshing dream combo, and even I, who loves wrapping things in lettuce, ended up wrapping it in the noodles instead. I was too full to order it today, but the charcoal fried rice is seriously amazing too.

Why it's an easy place to visit with kids

As I was fussing over my kid's stuff, the owner's wife came over and asked if she should fry an egg for my kid. I was so grateful I was slow to answer. Most restaurants provide kids' dishes or chairs, but a fried egg too..... I was so touched 🥹💕

Beer at ₩3,900 is already a steal, but with an ice bucket too? What is this place seriously....

How to grill teukmoksal until it's tender

I always get samgyeopsal, but this time I tried teukmoksal (premium pork neck). The owner recommended browning just the outside without overcooking, so I followed his advice — it was genuinely as tender as steak... If you're looking for a good Korean BBQ restaurant near Bomun Station, I highly recommend Gimgol Yeontanjip!!!!

Grilling the plump pa-kimchi and eating it with white rice was so good I ended up eating until I was stuffed to the brim.

A plum slushie before we left. With this murderous heat lately, it's a good 5-minute walk to where we parked, and doing that with kids in tow is tough, but sipping the slushie on the way made it a lot more bearable 🫶🏻✨️