Gangnam Station Korean BBQ restaurant with private seats: Gogikkun

Gangnam, Seoul Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam

I went to Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam, located between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station. It's great for group dinners, but also felt private enough for a blind date or a couple's date. Today I'm writing about the ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and mokssal (pork neck) at Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam, a place where you can try both beef and pork.

Where is Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam, and what is it like inside?

Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam sits in the main commercial district between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station. Being roughly halfway between the two stations made it easy to pick as a meeting spot in Gangnam, and when we visited around 6:30pm on a weekday, we saw plenty of office workers stopping by for dinner after work.

There were tables full of what looked like company dinners, and on one side, people who looked like they were on a blind date or a date — the crowd was more varied than I expected.

3rd-floor tables or 4th-floor private room: which should you book?

Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam operates across two floors, the 3rd and 4th. Since there were two of us, we were seated on the 3rd floor.

The 3rd floor is mostly regular tables, but the chairs have such high backs that you can barely see the tables in front of or behind you.

It's not a fully separated space, but apart from the table right next to you, you rarely make eye contact with other guests, which made it feel more private than a typical Korean BBQ restaurant.

The 4th floor is set up as a room and can hold anywhere from 3 to 12 people. If you're planning a company dinner or a family meal with a decent-sized group, I'd recommend the 4th-floor room!

What we ordered at Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam and what it cost

You order using the tablet installed at the table. Looking through the menu, besides pork like ogyeopsal and mokssal, they also serve several kinds of beef, including yukhoe (beef tartare) and beef tongue.

Here's what we ordered:

• Ogyeopsal / five-layer pork belly (200g / ₩24,000)
• Mokssal / pork neck (200g / ₩22,000)
• Kimchi mari guksu / cold kimchi noodle soup (₩9,000)
• Omija highball (₩11,000)
• Doenjang jjigae / soybean paste stew (free via review event)
• Steamed rice, 1 serving (₩1,500)

Best side dish combo: myeongnan (pollock roe) with scallion salad

The basic side dishes included myeong-i namul (wild garlic leaves), shredded scallions, myeongran (salted pollock roe), and salt — all things you can pair with the meat. Personally, I found the tastiest combo was putting a bit of myeongran on the meat or eating it together with the scallions.

The salty flavor of the myeongran brought out the savory richness of the meat even more, and the scallions added a crisp, refreshing texture that kept things from getting monotonous even after eating a lot of meat.

Charcoal-grilled ogyeopsal and mokssal: how they tasted

Since Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam uses charcoal, flames can flare up a bit while grilling — they said you can cool the grill down with ice whenever that happens.

We were given ice just in case, but luckily (?) no flames flared up, so we never actually needed it.

I personally prefer ogyeopsal over samgyeopsal for its plump balance of fat and lean meat. Gogikkun Kimchunbae's ogyeopsal had just the right mix of lean meat and fat layers, so it was savory and juicy at the same time.

Grilled over charcoal in particular, the surface had a lightly charred aroma while the inside stayed moist — exactly the texture and flavor I hope for in ogyeopsal.

Mokssal can sometimes turn out a bit dry when grilled at other places, but here it was tender and clean-tasting. Since it's mostly lean meat, it was light yet still juicy with each bite, making it great to eat alternating with the ogyeopsal.

Omija highball, kimchi mari guksu and doenjang jjigae

The omija (schisandra berry) highball came topped with a bear-shaped ice cube, which was so cute.

The tangy-sweet omija flavor was strong, so you barely noticed the alcohol, making it easy to sip alongside the meal. Even in a BBQ restaurant, it felt a bit like having a drink at a stylish cocktail bar — a great fit if you like sweet highballs.

The kimchi mari guksu (cold kimchi noodle soup) that came out afterward paired perfectly with the pork. After eating pork for a while your mouth can start to feel greasy, but the cold kimchi soup broth cleaned everything up nicely.

And the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) we got through the review event had a savory taste with a bit of spiciness, which made me want to dig into a hearty bowl of rice. We ordered a lot of different things, but every single dish was delicious.

Is Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam worth it?

Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam, located in the main commercial district of Gangnam, has both great accessibility and great food. If you're looking for a Korean BBQ spot that's relatively private and not too loud, I'd recommend Gogikkun Kimchunbae Gangnam.