Hwamyeong-dong pork belly restaurant, 5-cut big platter: Go Ok-hui

I wanted meat on a weekday evening, so here's my post on Go Ok-hui, a Hwamyeong-dong restaurant in Busan!

Where is Go Ok-hui in Hwamyeong-dong, and is there parking?

Go Ok-hui Hwamyeong Main Branch is about a 10-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hwamyeong Station on Line 2. There's a public parking lot right in front, so you can visit comfortably even if you bring a car.

A wait even on a weekday evening at Go Ok-hui, with sikhye while you queue

I thought a weekday would mean an easy, relaxed meal, but I was a bit surprised there was actually a wait. Still, waiting wasn't too boring, since the waiting area had sikhye (sweet rice punch) ready, so I could sip a cold cup while I waited.

Inside Go Ok-hui: staff grill the pork belly for you

Stepping inside, the place felt clean overall. What I especially liked was that they grill the meat for you rather than having you do it at the table. Places where you grill continuously at the table can leave smoke smell on your clothes, or the table area gets slippery from grease. Here I had a lot less of that hassle, which made the meal much more comfortable.

Go Ok-hui menu and ordering the big platter set

Looking at the menu, there was a wide range from set menus to à la carte dishes, makguksu (buckwheat noodles), jangbap (seasoned rice), and stews. I wanted to try several kinds at once, so I ordered the set menu big platter.

Rather than food arriving right after ordering, I was told cooking would take about 15 minutes. While waiting, I read through the tips on the menu for eating the meat deliciously.

Free kids' rice for children under 6 at Go Ok-hui

I was also impressed that free baby rice is offered to children under 6. You could feel the thoughtfulness put into making things comfortable for families.

Side dishes and round-cut green onion salad at Go Ok-hui

The basic side dishes were a good pairing for the meat, and the pajeori (seasoned scallion salad) especially caught my eye. It's usually served sliced into long strips, but here the scallions were cut into little rounds, which felt refreshingly different.

Vegetables on the grill first

Before the meat arrived, I was told to grill the vegetables first, so I took my time getting them ready.

A first for me: Go Ok-hui even serves milk thistle

You can't have meat without soju, right?!! They even gave us milk thistle, a liver supplement — such an unexpected touch, I was really touched 😘

What comes on the Go Ok-hui big platter: 4 pork belly cuts plus honeycomb pork skin

The big platter finally arrived with plain pork belly, pollack roe pork belly, soy-marinated rib-style pork belly, gochujang-marinated pork belly, and honeycomb pork skin.

Eating just one kind of meat can get a little tiresome partway through, but since each type had its own special marinade, I could eat all the way to the end without getting bored.

Personally, the one that stuck with me most was the honeycomb pork skin. Its chewy texture was so appealing that my chopsticks kept going back to it more than anything else. Overall, at Go Ok-hui, a Hwamyeong-dong restaurant, I felt the big platter is a great order whenever you want to enjoy several kinds of meat at once.

Thoughtful touches after the meal at Go Ok-hui

Even after finishing the meal, small gestures continued. There was yogurt to cleanse the palate, and mouthwash and floss were available too, which gave me the sense that they cared about the experience even after eating. After eating meat, that lingering feeling in your mouth can be bothersome, so having this kind of finishing touch let me end the meal on a good note.

Is the Go Ok-hui Hwamyeong big platter worth it?

The wait even on a weekday evening, the clean interior, the variety of pork belly, and the thoughtful service that continued even after the meal all stayed with me. For someone who wanted to try several kinds of meat, the big platter at Go Ok-hui, a Hwamyeong-dong restaurant, was a pretty satisfying choice.