Bucheon pork belly BBQ, rainy window view & cold noodles: Bangatgan

Today I'm sharing a recent visit to what I think is the best-value BBQ place near Sinjungdong Station: Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjung-dong Station Branch. These days the meat itself is a burden when you want samgyeopsal (pork belly), and soju and beer prices aren't friendly either. But the meat here is good quality and the drinks are ridiculously cheap, so if you like a drink, definitely save this place on your map. Here's a full review of the Bangatgan A Set I fell for, plus the cold mulnaengmyeon combo.

Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjungdong Station Branch: location and info

The restaurant is at 110 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi. It's a spacious, clean place that I'd recommend for group gatherings or company dinners. There are baby chairs, and there's a parking lot, though it's small.

• 110 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Clean, comfortable, spacious interior
• Recommended for group gatherings and company dinners
• Baby chairs available
• Parking lot available, but small

What is the atmosphere like at Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan in Sinjungdong?

The restaurant has a retro yet tidy exterior, and even though it's a BBQ place, the floor isn't slippery and the whole room is kept comfortable. Tables are nicely spaced, and baby chairs plus kids' spoons and forks are ready.

There are so many good restaurants around Sinjungdong Station that I agonize over where to go every time. This dinner, I picked Bangatgan for its retro-but-clean look. It also seemed fairly new, so I figured it would be spotless. Inside, even though it's a BBQ restaurant, nothing felt slippery or stuffy; it was really well kept. The tables are spaced well, so it's a great place to eat and chat with friends. They also have baby chairs, kids' spoons and forks.

Cheap drinks and a rainy-day floor-to-ceiling window view

The first thing that caught my eye here was the drink prices. At many restaurants these days, a few bottles of soju or beer can end up costing more than the meat. At Bangatgan, the drinks are really cheap. I'd driven, so sadly I couldn't have a beer.

After looking around and sitting down, I could see the rainy scene outside through the big open floor-to-ceiling window. Sunny days are nice, but eating dinner with family while watching the rain outside is pretty nice too.

How do the side dishes, self-serve bar and drinks work?

The basic side dishes are brought to you right away, and if you need more, you can grab extras from the self bar. Drinks and beverages are self-serve too, and you pay when you leave, so I think it's even more convenient for company dinners or big groups.

Bangatgan A Set: what's included and the price

The signature Bangatgan A Set is ₩57,000 and comes with pork belly, pork neck, pork jowl, smoked makchang (pork intestine) plus minari (water dropwort) and mushrooms. Good value, and the meat looked fresh. The lean-to-fat ratio looked good too.

The moment the meat hit the hot grill, the savory smell really got my mouth watering. I dipped a piece, crisp outside and juicy inside, lightly in salt to taste the meat itself first. Savory juices flowed the second it hit my mouth. Meat after a day of work really is the best, haha.

The hidden kick: a dipping sauce loaded with scallions

The hidden kick at Bangatgan was the dipping sauce loaded with scallions. I ate it without thinking much, but I loved this sauce. It isn't strongly salty and has a savory depth that really brings out the flavor of the meat.

Lettuce wraps with shredded scallions and grilled minari

Delicious pork belly can't go without ssam (wraps). I put a fresh lettuce leaf in my hand, added rice and meat, topped it with scallion salad, and ate it in one big bite. The freshness of the greens, the meat and the sweet scallion salad together were addictive, I could have kept going forever.

I also lightly grilled the fragrant minari that came with the set and ate it with the meat. The minari aroma filled my mouth and made it a really delicious dinner.

Is the mulnaengmyeon at Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan worth ordering?

I ordered the mulnaengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) near the end of the meat to cleanse my greasy palate, and I'd recommend ordering it. The broth with floating ice flakes made my chest feel clear just looking at it. I added a little vinegar and mustard and took a big gulp, and the grease just melted away, so refreshing. The noodles were really chewy too, so good. If I hadn't been full, I'd have ordered another bowl.

The naengmyeon was so clean and refreshing that I scraped the bowl clean. If you go to Bangatgan, please make mulnaengmyeon a must-order!

Would I go back to Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjungdong Station Branch?

The meat quality is good, and you can have a drink at a reasonable price while looking out through the big window, so I think I'll be visiting often. If you're looking for a good samgyeopsal place in Bucheon, give it a try.