Gwangjin Korean BBQ for juicy pork neck: Donstar Charcoal Grill

This is Donstar Charcoal Grill, a Korean BBQ spot in Jayang-dong that my wife and I visited for dinner after work!

I had heard it was quite famous as a great restaurant, so I worried there might be a wait, but luckily we were able to walk right in when we arrived!

But the dining room was already nearly full!

There was no wait, but lots of diners were already eating, haha. And there were celebrity autographs everywhere!

A separate space for groups of six or more

One side of the restaurant also had tables in a room-like separated space. It is available for groups of six or more, so it could be useful to know for family gatherings or larger groups!

Donstar also has a guide to recommended combinations for enjoying the meat!

Ordering pork belly through soft tofu stew

Looking over the menu, it had just the right number of meat and meal options—not too many and not too few!

• Pork belly
• Pork skirt meat
• Pork neck
• Spicy soft tofu stew

Once we ordered, they set out the side dishes first, and the basic table setting includes doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew)!

The bean-sprout pickles, garlic sauce, and saeujeot (salted shrimp) from the recommended combinations also came out! The pork skirt meat and pork belly arrived first, along with meljeot sauce to eat with them. I liked that the pork belly had already been partially grilled!

Partially grilled Korean pork cooked by the staff

The staff grill the meat themselves, so all we had to do was enjoy it, haha.

Pork skirt meat can get tough and lose its distinctive texture if it is overcooked, so I was glad the staff grilled it just right!

We finely chopped garlic and chili peppers into the meljeot sauce ourselves. It brought an extra sharp kick and really made the savory flavor pop compared with eating it plain!

The staff placed the fully cooked pork belly and skirt meat separately so the pieces would not overlap. They looked so perfectly cooked, right?!

Spicy soft tofu stew that paired well with the meat

The spicy soft tofu stew arrived just as the meat was finishing. It was generously filled, and the spicy, warming broth was so good! It paired wonderfully with the rich meat. There is soybean paste stew included as well, but I recommend adding the soft tofu stew if you enjoy a spicy broth!

I started with the nicely cooked pork skirt meat, which was pleasantly chewy and clean-tasting, while the pork belly was rich and had a wonderful meaty flavor!

Meat combinations with bean-sprout pickles and meljeot

I also loved that Donstar offers so many ways to enjoy the meat! We lightly dipped it in salt, paired it with garlic sauce, and ate it with bean-sprout pickles—especially, be sure to put them in a ssam (Korean lettuce wrap)! They freshen up your palate all at once. So delicious, and such a good match!

We made wraps and dipped the meat deeply in meljeot too, and the conclusion is: everything was delicious, haha.

The juicy pork neck we ordered extra

It was so good that we ordered one more serving of pork neck! Before grilling it, the staff neatly cleaned the grill, and the pork neck also arrived partially grilled. Once they cooked it nicely for us, I waited and took a bite—the pork neck juices were insane!

With just a light dip in salt, I could taste the meat's natural flavor and juices even more clearly!

Donstar says it uses top-grade Korean pork, and everything from the pork belly to the skirt meat and pork neck was delicious! I wanted to have naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) too, but we were already far too full, so I gave up... Next time we visit, I am definitely trying the naengmyeon, haha. The staff and owner were all kind, so I felt great throughout the meal, and I even made sure to take a candy on the way out! If you are looking in Jayang-dong for pork belly grilled by staff or a Korean pork place with great-quality meat, I highly recommend Donstar! We enjoyed it so much that we plan to return!