Dangha-dong Korean BBQ date: thick collar on cold noodles, Dwitgolmok

Today I want to tell you about an all-time great BBQ place that I keep thinking about ever since I went with my girlfriend, and it makes my mouth water every time. I know, there are so many BBQ places these days, right? But Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi (뒷골목 돗갈비) is different. The second I walked in, I thought, "Wow, this place is the real deal." So let me tell you all about the best pork collar and doenjang (soybean paste) stew of my life in Seo-gu, Incheon. Pay attention!

What is the atmosphere like at Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi in Dangha-dong?

Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi is a charcoal-grill BBQ restaurant in Dangha-dong, near Wanjeong Station in Incheon, and the first thing you see is meat aging for 72 hours in the fridge by the entrance. The entrance alone had a special vibe, but what caught my eye the moment I opened the door? The meat sitting beautifully in the fridge, aging for 72 hours.

Just looking at the color of the meat, it was like it had a sign saying "I'm delicious." The interior has exactly the feel we love, you know? That old-school, famous-local-spot vibe that's so hot on social media.

It's the perfect mood for sitting at a round table and sipping a glass of soju! But ordering is totally modern. You just order on the T-order tablet at each table, which was super convenient.

How thick is Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi's 'Thick for a Reason' pork collar?

We started with 2 servings of the signature thick-cut special pork collar (이유있는 두께 특목살), and it comes out as thick as an encyclopedia. The name sounded so confident that I was expecting a lot, but wow... when I saw them carrying it out, I couldn't believe my eyes. The look alone is overwhelming.

Do you have to grill the thick pork collar yourself?

At Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi, experienced staff grill the pork collar for you from start to finish. This is the best part! The meat is so thick that if we grilled it ourselves, it might burn outside and stay raw inside, right?

But here the experts grill everything with care from beginning to end. We just chatted with my girlfriend and waited for it to cook!

And no gas fire here! It's a charcoal grill, so the smoky aroma soaks right into the meat, and that smell is seriously crazy.

I took one bite of the cooked pork collar and thought, "Huh? This is pork collar?" It was that tender. It's incredibly thick, but the juices burst in your mouth and it melts away.

I guess this is why everyone names Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi when it comes to BBQ in Dangha-dong.

What kind of pork does Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi use?

Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi uses only 100% Jeju pork, carefully selected from Jeju Dongbu Chuksan, which is said to raise pigs in the cleanest area in the most eco-friendly way. Eating it, I could see why it's so good. Maybe that's why the natural flavor of the meat is on another level.

By the way, Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi is also famous for its galbi-bone samgyeopsal (bone-in pork belly). I made a promise to myself to try the pork belly next time too.

Which sauces come with the pork collar?

The sauces range from meljeot (salted anchovy sauce), which you can't skip when it comes to Jeju, to the shop's own special garlic salted-shrimp sauce and wasabi. Thanks to the variety of sauces and side dishes, every bite tastes new, so there's no time to get tired of it. That garlic salted-shrimp sauce especially has an explosion of savory flavor, so definitely dip into it!

Sides: seafood doenjang stew and bibim naengmyeon with pork collar

After the meat, we ordered the seafood-packed doenjang stew and bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles). Once you've filled up a bit on meat, it's time to move on to the sides, right? But when I saw the stew, I almost flipped.

It's not seafood stew in name only. There's a really big abalone in it, and shrimp and mussels are packed in generously too.

One sip of the broth and a cool, fresh taste of the sea fills your mouth. This isn't just a meal, it's like a health tonic.

The seafood doenjang stew cuts the richness of the meat really cleanly. And then the bibim naengmyeon! You know it's a crime not to order cold noodles at a BBQ place, right?

The sweet and spicy sauce soaks into the chewy noodles, and if you put a piece of the pork collar you saved on top and eat them together... ah, I don't even need to explain, right?

That familiar taste is the scariest kind. The spice level is just right, so even I, who can't handle spicy food, enjoyed it a lot.

Verdict: Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi for a Korean BBQ date near Wanjeong Station

If you want a really proper piece of meat around Seo-gu, Incheon, go to Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi. Among BBQ places in Seo-gu, Incheon, you'll have a hard time finding one with meat and atmosphere as good as this.

My girlfriend was totally satisfied, saying the meat was so tender, and I'm in a great mood after a proper meat party for the first time in a while. The staff were all friendly too, and I liked that they grilled the meat for us from start to finish.

Next time I go, I plan to have pork belly with a proper glass of soju.

If you're also looking for a BBQ place near Wanjeong Station, definitely stop by Dwitgolmok Ddotgalbi. You won't regret it!