# Seok-dong pork BBQ restaurant in Changwon: kkodeulsal at Smile Hoegwan - By Doyeon Sim (https://superchart.com/en/@haeundae-back-grill/) - Written Sep 21, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Changwon, Gyeongnam - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@haeundae-back-grill/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-edf4/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@haeundae-back-grill/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-edf4/index.md) ## In short Smile Hoegwan Main Branch is a pork BBQ restaurant on Dongjin-ro in Seok-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon, styled like an 8090s old corner supermarket. The order was 3 servings of flash-frozen pork belly plus 2 servings of the new kkodeulsal (chewy pork neck muscle), eaten with the restaurant's egg yolk dipping sauce and grilled kimchi. The paper-thin pork belly and the springy kkodeulsal taste completely different, so ordering both at Smile Hoegwan was the right call. ## Good to know - **What we ordered**: Flash-frozen pork belly for 3, kkodeulsal (new menu) for 2 - **Frozen pork belly style**: Paper-thin shaved pork belly, grilled on a foil-covered pan - **Banchan**: Green onion salad, garlic scapes, rolled omelette, kimchi pancake, pickles, wrap vegetables and kimchi on a school-style tray - **Sauce**: House dipping sauce with a whisked egg yolk - **Sides**: Stew and fried rice available (not ordered this visit) - **Do staff grill for you?**: Not as a rule, but staff say they help as much as they can - **Address**: 1F, 58-1 Dongjin-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do *as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026* ![First photo of Smile Hoegwan Main Branch, a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seok-dong, Jinhae](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-01-1g3zp-966.webp) Today I'm sharing my trip to Smile Hoegwan, a well-known spot in Seok-dong, Jinhae. ![Retro-atmosphere exterior view of Smile Hoegwan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-02-8w17x-966.webp) ## An 8090s supermarket look: the mood inside Smile Hoegwan Smile Hoegwan in Seok-dong, Jinhae is a Korean BBQ restaurant styled like an old-school supermarket. These days so many BBQ places have such sleek interiors that you can barely tell if you're walking into a café or a grill house, but this place was the total opposite. Even from a distance it had this weirdly familiar vibe that made me want to peek inside. ![Old-school supermarket-style exterior of Smile Hoegwan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-03-1oj3q-m-966.webp) The exterior of this Seok-dong favorite has that 8090s feel, styled like an old-time supermarket — the kind of retro spot you might have seen somewhere in your neighborhood as a kid. ![Interior of Smile Hoegwan styled with 8090s retro vibes](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-04-13h7d-966.webp) Walking inside, the vibe continues seamlessly. The interior has that homey, nostalgic feel. ![Wall of Smile Hoegwan hung with dangling soju bottle caps](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-05-7lffw-966.webp) Soju bottle caps dangle from the wall. It brought back memories of younger days when you couldn't go home until the bottle was empty, haha — nostalgia everywhere. ![Smile Hoegwan menu listing frozen pork belly and kkodeulsal](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-06-1qna3-966.webp) ## Smile Hoegwan's menu and what we ordered Smile Hoegwan's main menu item is frozen pork belly, and they just launched kkodeulsal as a new menu item — making it a Seok-dong, Jinhae BBQ spot where you can also enjoy an interesting-textured specialty cut. ![Table set before ordering the meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-07-ov1hq-m-966.webp) At Smile Hoegwan in Jinhae, we ordered 3 servings of frozen pork belly and 2 servings of kkodeulsal. The stew and fried rice sides were tempting too, but the frozen pork belly was so good that we skipped a final course and ordered more kkodeulsal instead. Basically, we went all in on the meat. ![Retro-style banchan spread served on a metal tray](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-08-1je92-966.webp) ## Retro banchan served on a school lunch tray The banchan (side dishes) come out retro-style too — a whole spread served together on a metal tray. Green onion salad, garlic scapes, rolled egg, kimchi pancake, pickles, lettuce wraps, kimchi. ![Green onion salad and garlic scapes among Smile Hoegwan's banchan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-09-gjkkl-966.webp) ![Rolled egg and kimchi pancake on the tray of banchan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-10-1xdkg-966.webp) ![Plate of pickles and lettuce wraps](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-11-vqod0-966.webp) Every single banchan was addictive. The kimchi pancake and rolled egg were especially delicious. I came for the meat but nearly filled up on side dishes. ![Plate of ordered frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-12-8l2jb-966.webp) ## What does the flash-frozen pork belly taste like? And then the meat arrives. Smile Hoegwan's frozen pork belly is thinly sliced pork belly. ![Thinly sliced frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-13-q6dg9-966.webp) ![Frozen pork belly laid on the foil-lined grill pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-14-1ssmp-1200.webp) You know it's best when you lay the pork belly on the foil pan and sprinkle a bit of pepper on it, right? Since the meat is thin, flipping it a couple of times gets it cooked in no time. ![Frozen pork belly turning golden brown on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-15-h1pg9-966.webp) Delicious. It has a different character from thick, fresh pork belly. Because it's thin it cooks fast, the browned edges get crispier and crispier while the center stays soft and juicy. Wrapped in green onion salad, one bite gives you this savory, tangy flavor across your tongue. ![Frozen pork belly eaten with green onion salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-16-caqpd-966.webp) ![Lettuce wrap topped with garlic and chili pepper](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-17-11u39-966.webp) It's also great wrapped in lettuce with garlic and a chili pepper on top, but for me, grilled kimchi with the meat was the ultimate combo. ![Kimchi grilling alongside the meat on the pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-18-kvmic-966.webp) ## Do the staff grill the meat for you? Smile Hoegwan isn't originally a place where staff grill for you, but they said they'll do it as much as possible depending on the situation. That day, the owner's mother grilled the meat at our table, which made the meal a lot easier to enjoy. All the staff at this Seok-dong, Jinhae favorite were so friendly that it made the food taste even better. ![Frozen pork belly being grilled at the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-19-36dvp-966.webp) ![Table spread of grilled pork belly with banchan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-20-lsvvu-966.webp) ## The egg yolk dipping sauce is the highlight here The kick of this restaurant is the special sauce. ![Smile Hoegwan's special sauce topped with egg yolk](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-21-1u3zk-966.webp) You whisk the egg yolk and dip the meat in it — it's smooth and savory, and I especially loved this sauce. As we kept switching up the combinations, we ended up going through quite a lot of meat. ![Drinks served alongside the grilled meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-22-1c0v7-966.webp) The drinks kept flowing. We debated finishing with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), but decided to go all-in on meat that night instead. "Boss, two more servings of kkodeulsal please!!" ![Additional order of the new kkodeulsal menu item](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-23-jn0jh-m-966.webp) ## New kkodeulsal vs. flash-frozen pork belly: which to order This newly launched kkodeulsal will be a welcome addition for anyone who loves specialty cuts. It gets chewier the more you chew it — a real treat. We grilled the kimchi and kimchi pancake on the lower part of the pan, letting the pork belly fat seep in slightly, which upgraded the flavor even more. ![Kkodeulsal and kimchi pancake grilling on the pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-24-1vz6v-966.webp) I liked the kkodeulsal more, while my wife said the frozen pork belly suited her taste better. If frozen pork belly's highlight is its savory, fatty flavor, kkodeulsal has this slightly springy bite unlike the pork belly. It's not tough at all — just chewy enough with a satisfying bite that made it fun to eat. It's the same pork, but the textures were so different that I was glad we ordered both together. If you want that nostalgic old-time feel while enjoying both frozen pork belly and kkodeulsal, this Seok-dong, Jinhae BBQ spot, Smile Hoegwan, is worth a visit. ## Where it is - Smile Hoegwan Main Branch (스마일회관 본점) - 58-1 Dongjin-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 1F - 경상남도 창원시 진해구 동진로 58-1 1층 - 35.1518235, 128.7018373 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%8A%A4%EB%A7%88%EC%9D%BC%ED%9A%8C%EA%B4%80%20%EB%B3%B8%EC%A0%90/@35.1518235,128.7018373,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@haeundae-back-grill/smile-hoegwan-jinhae-frozen-pork-belly-edf4/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt