Chuseok holiday lunch at a Gayang Station pork BBQ: Gamgol Yeontanjip

A real Gayang-dong find I visited with my husband over the Chuseok holiday! Here's my honest review of Gamgol Yeontanjip Gayang branch, a pork restaurant where we got to properly taste some special Korean pork cuts!

Where is Gamgol Yeontanjip Gayang Station Branch, and is there parking?

Gamgol Yeontanjip Gayang Station Branch is literally right in front of you when you exit through Exit 9 of Gayang Station, Line 9. A 30-second walk! We drove that day, and since the building has its own parking lot, parking was completely stress-free.

They also allow pets, so it could be a nice stop if you're out walking your dog.

Retro interior: does Gamgol Yeontanjip work for a group dinner or a date?

Gamgol Yeontanjip Gayang Station Branch radiates strong retro vibes from the exterior alone! Step inside and the old-school interior takes you on a proper trip down memory lane. It doesn't feel dated — it actually feels genuinely hip, so it's great for taking concept shots with friends too.

Among Gayang-dong restaurants, the mood here really stands out, so it's perfect for office workers near Gayang Station coming for a group dinner, or for a drink on a date at night. We came for lunch so we focused on the food, but the drinking-snack lineup looked so solid that if we'd come at night we probably would have gone hard on soju-and-beer haha.

Sauces, the self-serve bar and the free slushie at the end

I heard Gamgol Yeontanjip is run together by a mother, born in 1968, with her genuine traditional cooking touch, and her son, a Michelin-trained chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu. Maybe that's why even the sauces stand out — from the basil ssamjang to the sesame oil sauce passed down for three generations from a local mill, you could feel real care put into just the dipping sauces alone.

There's a self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant where you can freely refill fresh lettuce wraps, kimchi, and shredded green onion without feeling awkward about it.

On the way out after finishing your meal, there's even a nostalgic slushie machine, which is such a nice touch for a refreshing palate cleanser.

What the couple ordered at Gamgol Yeontanjip, and what it cost

• Seolhwa kkoldeul-sal (pork gristle) ₩17,900
• Juljuli teukmok-sal (pork neck) ₩15,900
• Gochujang charcoal bulgogi ₩14,900
• Diced charcoal fried rice ₩6,900
• Yeolmu kimchi noodle soup ₩6,900

Seolhwa kkoldeul-sal 17,900 won and juljuli teukmok-sal 15,900 won

First up, the limited-quantity kkoldeul-sal and teukmok-sal made their entrance. The kkoldeul-sal is limited, so if you see it on the menu, ordering it is the only answer.

The color of the meat alone, that clear bright red, is a work of art.

The moment we grilled it to a nice golden brown on the pan and took a bite, the juices literally burst in our mouths.

The kkoldeul-sal's signature crazy-chewy, bouncy texture combined with a savory, rich flavor — the combo was insane.

The pork neck's heavy, clean flavor was completely nuts too.

Gochujang charcoal bulgogi, 14,900 won

Next up, Gamgol Yeontanjip's signature move: gochujang charcoal bulgogi. I usually don't like the heavy, muddled taste that seasoned meat can have.

But this one is aged for 1,440 minutes in an earthenware crock, so the flavor comes out really clean. It picks up that charcoal-fire flavor and the savoriness is no joke 👍👍

Diced charcoal fried rice and yeolmu kimchi noodle soup, 6,900 won each

Since we needed more carbs, we refueled with the charcoal fried rice! It's genuinely shaped like a black briquette so it looks great too — mixed together with fried egg, flying fish roe, and bracken fern, the crunchy diced radish kimchi texture makes it even more delicious.

For the finishing dish, my top pick is definitely the yeolmu kimchi noodle soup. Take one sip of the broth with its floating slush of ice, and all the meat's greasiness gets washed away — it's so refreshing.

The cool broth loaded with crunchy young radish greens was the best. I'm fully naming this the number one meat restaurant in Gayang-dong.

Is Gamgol Yeontanjip near Gayang Station worth a return visit?

Not exaggerating one bit — my husband and I had a genuinely satisfying meal! Solidly built on the fundamentals, Gamgol Yeontanjip was clearly different from some sloppy pork belly franchise.

The quality of the main meats speaks for itself, and even the side dishes showed the chef's attention to detail. Whenever I'm having a stressful day and craving good pork belly with soju, this is going on my personal list of places I'll definitely come back to!