Charcoal pork neck and egg roll banchan at Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan

Today I visited a meat restaurant I want to recommend near Icheon Bus Terminal — Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi (정실장네빨간고기)! I heard that the folks behind Jeongsiljangne, a bar I used to go to all the time back in college, had opened a meat restaurant, so I ran right over. I already loved the food at their bar, so I was extra curious about the meat here. Bottom line: everything from the banchan to the pork neck to the red pork belly was great! The red pork belly especially isn't a dish you see often, so it made this one of the most memorable Icheon meat restaurants for me.

Hours: Mon, Wed–Sun 14:00–01:00 / Closed every Tuesday

Location and parking at Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi

Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi is located in the food alley near Icheon Bus Terminal. It's about a 3-minute walk from the terminal, so it's easy to visit even without a car. We used the Icheon Bus Terminal public parking lot.

What's the atmosphere like inside?

Walking in, the place was clean and tidy overall. With round tables and charcoal grills set in place, it had that proper old-school meat restaurant feel haha. Seems like a good spot for a casual drink with friends over grilled meat, or even a work dinner or evening gathering near Icheon Bus Terminal.

Menu and prices

The signature menu at Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi includes red fresh pork belly 200g for ₩16,000, red-battered meatballs 200g for ₩15,000, and fresh pork neck 200g for ₩15,000. We ordered the red fresh pork belly 200g plus the fresh pork neck 200g that day.

There's also an event where you get a free drink if you write a receipt review, so keep that in mind if you visit!

The banchan won me over first

A nice variety of side dishes came out to go with the meat, and this is where the place already won me over. Especially the fact that egg roll (gyeranmari) is part of the basic banchan! The egg roll was thick, soft, and tasty, so I kept picking at it even before the meat arrived haha.

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) also came out, and it was quite hearty with tofu, vegetables, and even meat in it.

The broth was spicy and rich, so it was nice to take a spoonful between bites of meat, and they had dongchimi (watery radish kimchi) and salt ready to go too!

Fresh pork neck 200g, grilled over charcoal

Before getting to the red meat, we started by grilling the fresh pork neck.

The charcoal heat was strong, so it browned up quickly, and they grilled garlic alongside it too. Since we ordered two servings, the portion was pretty generous.

Most of all, I loved that the pork neck wasn't dry — it was soft and tender.

Dip it in salt if you want to taste the meat's natural savoriness, or dip it in the spicy sauce for something bolder!

But of course, meat is really all about the wraps haha. Piling the meat onto lettuce or perilla leaves along with green onion shreds, garlic, and banchan, then eating it all in one big bite — pure bliss!

What does the red fresh pork belly taste like?

And the dish I was most excited about that day — Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi's red fresh pork belly! I've seen plenty of regular pork belly around Icheon, but fresh pork belly coated in red marinade like this isn't common, so it was the menu item I was most curious about even before ordering. The moment it hit the charcoal, the red marinade started sizzling and the visual alone stirred up my appetite. The flavor was a gochujang-based marinade — a little spicy with good umami! It wasn't overwhelmingly spicy or salty, and you could taste both the savoriness of the pork belly and the marinade together, which I liked. They apparently make the marinade themselves, and I could tell — it tasted more crafted than the usual store-bought kind.

I especially recommend wrapping the red pork belly with green onion shreds — the crisp green onion cuts through the richness of the marinated pork belly, so it just kept going in.

Final thoughts

If you're looking for a place to eat meat near Icheon Bus Terminal, Jeongsiljangne Ppalgan Gogi is worth a visit.

• Great location for walking from Icheon Bus Terminal
• Tender fresh pork neck grilled over charcoal
• Red fresh pork belly you don't see often
• Hearty banchan including egg roll and doenjang jjigae
• Comfortable atmosphere for meat and a drink with friends

The regular fresh pork neck was tasty, but for me the red fresh pork belly — something you can really only get here — was the most memorable. If you like sweet-and-spicy marinated meat, you have to try the red fresh pork belly! Highly recommend it if you're looking for a good restaurant near Icheon Bus Terminal or a meat restaurant in the Icheon food alley!