Sharosu-gil pork BBQ, bulpaghetti and chadolbagi: Gogigupneunsaramdeul

I went to Gogigupneunsaramdeul and had the pork shoulder set and it was seriously insanely good, like top-tier level.

I love meat in general so I go looking for good BBQ places pretty often, but this time I was genuinely amazed the second I took a bite. It's up there with the best meat I've ever had, and the pork shoulder in particular — which I was trying for the first time — really left an impression.

What is the pork shoulder set at Gogigupneunsaramdeul?

The pork shoulder set is a limited one-time menu, said to be made from a very small amount of a rare pork cut and pork neck cross-aged together for 20 days. The description mentioned savory fat and a chewy texture as its highlights — and once I actually tried it, I immediately understood why they described it that way.

What we ordered at Gogigupneunsaramdeul and the first bite

We ordered the pork shoulder set and added bulpaghetti and chadolbagi (beef brisket) on top. For the stew, we went with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).

The meat looked great from the moment it arrived, and honestly, since I'd never tried pork shoulder as a cut before, I was a little curious what it would taste like. But the very first bite was pure bliss — genuinely so delicious.

The meat was really chewy but not tough at all, and the more you chewed, the more the savory flavor came through — even the fatty part wasn't greasy. It felt like the flavor was already fully seasoned into the meat itself, so it tasted great even without dipping it much in salt or sauce. I'm usually the type who cares about how well-grilled meat needs to be to taste good, but this felt like meat that would taste good even if you grilled it carelessly, haha.

The meat itself was so good that it felt like it would turn out great even without the person grilling it paying that much attention. So right after that first bite, I wanted to order more shoulder immediately — but the portion we'd already been served was pretty generous. At first I thought I'd add more later, but as I kept eating I ended up way fuller than expected, so in the end I couldn't order more.

Chadolbagi, bulpaghetti and doenjang jjigae on the side

Even thinking back on it now, that's a little disappointing, haha. Next time I go, I'm definitely getting more shoulder. The chadolbagi we also ordered had its own great savory meat flavor, and switching between cuts partway through let us enjoy a different feeling from the shoulder, which was nice.

We also ordered the bulpaghetti, and having something spicy mixed in while eating the meat worked really well together. Having the doenjang jjigae alongside made the meal feel a lot more substantial than just eating meat non-stop.

In the photos you can see steamed egg and various other side dishes served alongside the meat, and it was fun trying each one along the way. But since the meat itself was so good, no matter how many other dishes we ordered, our chopsticks kept going right back to the meat, haha.

How does pork shoulder taste and chew?

It was seriously so good.

The biggest thing I felt eating this was that the meat itself was just genuinely delicious. Maybe because of the long aging, the texture definitely felt a bit different from typical pork, and I liked how the savory flavor kept building the more I chewed. The pork shoulder in particular stuck with me since it was a cut I was trying for the first time. At first I had no idea what kind of cut it was just from the name, but one bite in, I was already sold.

It had a chewy texture while still being savory, without feeling too greasy or too tough. Personally, when I eat pork, I'm not a fan of lean meat that's too dry or fatty meat that's too rich, but this hit the texture right in the middle. And honestly, because it was just so good, I kept eating more of it.

Usually when you eat a lot of meat, at some point you start to get sick of it, but that day I was actually sad about not being able to eat more simply because I was too full. It wasn't disappointing because the portion was too small — it was more funny that I just physically couldn't fit more in, haha. Between the chadolbagi, bulpaghetti, and doenjang jjigae, by the end I was completely stuffed but still found myself wanting more meat. That's how memorable the pork shoulder was.

And I loved that they gave us a yogurt at the end too. It was perfect for cleansing the palate after all that meat, and having a small finishing touch like that left me in a good mood after the meal.

Is the Sharosu-gil pork shoulder set worth it?

Personally, out of all the meat I've had recently, this place was genuinely excellent. In particular, trying the pork shoulder for the first time made me realize I had no idea such a delicious cut even existed. I went in having read the description about 20-day cross-aging, and after actually eating it, the texture and savory flavor definitely stuck with me. Above all, I loved that the meat itself was simply delicious.

It felt like meat that would turn out tasty no matter who grilled it. Of course grilling technique matters for good meat, but there's a certain feeling that when the meat itself is good, the flavor comes through no matter how you cook it — and this place was exactly like that. The pork shoulder I tried for the first time was so good I wanted to order more, and not being able to because I was too full still bugs me a little, ugh. If I visit again, I definitely want to have the shoulder again, and I've already decided I should go with a bit more room in my stomach next time, haha. If you love meat, the pork shoulder set is worth trying at least once. And if you're trying pork shoulder for the first time like I was, it'll probably stick with you even more. I went in wanting to eat some really good meat properly, and I walked out completely satisfied!!