Changwon Korean BBQ with thick pork neck: Donmi Gaok

I recently went back to Donmi Gaok (돈미가옥), one of Jinhae's standout pork barbecue spots, for the first time in ages! Let me share my return-visit review :)

Donmi Gaok Jinhae Main Branch restaurant information

Donmi Gaok is a great restaurant for aged pork in I-dong, Jinhae. I first visited three years ago and enjoyed it so much that I came back—and in the meantime, they had even opened a branch in Sangnam-dong~!

Aged flower pork neck menu and what we ordered

Donmi Gaok's signature item is aged flower pork neck. Along with it, I ordered a good variety: special pork belly and whole gabrisal as well.

• Aged flower pork neck (130 g): ₩12,000
• Aged special pork belly: ₩12,000
• Aged whole gabrisal: ₩12,000
• Aged Jeju bone-in pork loin (350 g): ₩34,000

At Donmi Gaok, too, the staff grill the well-aged pork themselves so deliciously that all you need to do is wait patiently.

Banchan and sauce combinations

To introduce the banchan (Korean side dishes) first,

there are five sauces,

green onion kimchi, pickled mustard greens, and chilled shredded radish,

plus seasoned lettuce and scallion salad. I tried every single one, and Donmi Gaok's basic side dishes were really tasty. They were clean-tasting but kept me reaching back for more :)

At last, the aged pork, shishito peppers, and king oyster mushrooms arrived.

Thick aged pork grilled by the staff

One thing that stood out at Donmi Gaok was just how thick all the cuts of pork were!

When you cook thick pork yourself, it often ends up overdone outside but undercooked in the middle,

but at Donmi Gaok, the staff expertly grill it themselves, so I could enjoy meat that was properly cooked and full of juices 💗

Once it is cooked, they place the meat over solid fuel so it stays warm to the very end. They also put bracken fern on the tray; I think it had a perilla-seed dressing? The sauce went beautifully with the fern, so it was delicious on its own and with the meat too.

The salted fermented cutlassfish innards were savory too, and delicious as a dip,

First bite of the signature flower pork neck

The first bite was flower pork neck. With just a dab of salt, you can taste it as it is: even though it is neck meat, it is not dry at all, but moist and full of rich flavor ♥

After one bite, you will immediately understand why flower pork neck, rather than pork belly, is Donmi Gaok's signature item. It is also fun to choose sauces and make different combinations. Yum with shiitake-wasabi, too! Like I said earlier, even cut up, each piece is seriously thick, right!?

Pork neck fat and gabrisal texture

Next was pork neck fat.

It was my first time eating just the fatty section of pork neck, and I would describe it as right between pork neck and pork belly. It was a little richer than pork neck ✨

Last was gabrisal, the pork cheek/neck-adjacent cut. Its first bite had the tender texture of pork neck but with a little more fat, and as I chewed, I could also feel its pleasantly springy texture.

The highlight: foil-roasted king oyster mushroom

Ah, the Donmi Gaok highlight that absolutely cannot be left out is the king oyster mushroom. Lots of barbecue places grill king oyster mushrooms alongside the meat, but for this mushroom, Donmi Gaok is truly top-tier!!

They wrapped the king oyster mushroom in foil and grilled it from the start, so it came out sooo full of mushroom juices, bouncy and moist—just as delicious as the meat❣️

That is not oil by the side of the bowl—it is king oyster mushroom juice!!

Kimchi stew comes as a basic side, which I loved because you only need to order a bowl of rice to make a full meal—no need to order doenjang stew or a separate finishing dish :)

The bowl of rice was freshly cooked black rice too, so it made for a delicious end to the meal~!

The atmosphere: bar, tables, and private rooms

Donmi Gaok has a stylish yet neat atmosphere. The muted gray and black tones are warmed up with the lighting.

There is bar seating too,

as well as tables for four to six people,

and separate private rooms, so it looked like a good spot for group gatherings too. Next time, I would love to reserve ahead and use a private room.

Payment and parking information

Changwon Love Gift Certificate (ZeroPay) payment is accepted.

There is dedicated Donmi Gaok parking by the first-floor entrance. If it is full, roadside parking is also possible nearby since this is a residential area.

If you are looking for a neat, delicious pork barbecue restaurant in Jinhae—especially one known for pork neck—I highly recommend Donmi Gaok Jinhae Main Branch!