Charcoal pork at a Seohae, Incheon Korean BBQ: Gimgol Yeontan-jip

A retro charcoal-grill atmosphere in Cheongna

Lately, after eating nothing but meat cooked over gas or charcoal, I’d really been missing that distinctive charcoal-briquette grill aroma from childhood, you know?! So after searching around, I visited Gimgol Yeontan-jip Cheongna Branch, a Cheongna Korean BBQ restaurant near Cheongna Lake Park with a properly retro atmosphere from the moment you walk in.

The moment I entered, even the air felt different—the distinctive smell of charcoal briquettes hit my nose right away~ I was so hungry that I ordered as soon as I sat down!

What we ordered and the prices

• Premium pork neck ₩15,900
• Charcoal king salt pork belly ₩15,900
• Mrs. Im So-young's doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) ₩6,900
• Diced charcoal fried rice ₩6,900
• King's tribute-rice white rice ₩1,000
• Omija ade ₩3,900
• Coca-Cola ₩1,900

I already loved that they served hovenia tea in a Del Monte bottle. ✨️ The flower designs on the cutlery set and chair cushions also caught my eye immediately. 💮

I also liked that the side dishes came neatly arranged in an individual bowl for each person. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that at a Korean BBQ restaurant. 👍 I loved being able to have a clean, hygienic meal individually.

My husband said he was having a bowl of rice, then said it was delicious and not mushy as he demolished it in no time. When I asked when he’d finished it all, he said he didn’t know. 🤣🤣

Omija ade that went wonderfully with the meat

And the biggest surprise was the omija ade! ❤️ I ordered it because it was on the menu and I was curious. You don’t normally order ade at a Korean BBQ restaurant, but after fatty meat, one sip made my stomach feel completely refreshed~ It was sweet and tangy with lively fizz, so I recommend it as a final palate cleanser!!! 😋

We also ordered Coca-Cola, and they had both cans and bottles. I wanted to soak up all the retro vibes here, so I chose the bottled Coca-Cola!!! 😍

Sweet diced charcoal fried rice and doenjang-jjigae

I loved that the diced charcoal fried rice stayed warm from start to finish, and this signature charcoal fried rice—with deep flavor, savory umami, and even cheese—was so delicious!! 👨🍳 It was the first fried rice I’ve ever had that was sweet. 😋 My husband and I kept talking about what they could possibly have put in it, but we never figured it out... haha

The doenjang-jjigae was rich and pleasantly spicy, perfect for cutting through the richness between bites of meat. The deeply flavored soybean paste stew, filled with ingredients including clams, blue crab, shepherd’s purse, and green onion, added even more umami. 🦀🦪

Charcoal king salt pork belly and premium pork neck

The pork belly had a good balance of fat and lean meat, and once it took on that charcoal aroma, it was crisp outside and juicy inside without being greasy at all!!! 😆 The charcoal king salt pork belly is thick-salted pork belly slowly grilled over charcoal briquettes! 😚 The fire flavor was deep and the meat was packed with juices.

The hidden star: the complimentary scallion salad

Ah!!! There’s also a real hidden star here. The complimentary pa-chae (seasoned shredded scallion salad) is incredible!! 🫠 The seasoning wasn’t overly sweet or sharply pungent; it was tossed to exactly the right savory, tangy, spicy balance. Pile plenty of it onto thick pork belly and take a bite together, and you’ll keep eating without a break. The scallion salad was so good that I went back and forth to the self-service bar several times. 😃

Pork neck can easily turn dry, but this had just the right amount of fat and a wonderful chew. Personally, the course of having pork belly first and then moving on to leaner pork neck was perfect. 😉 The premium pork neck is selected meat from among the finest Korean pork!!!

The dried-filefish event and free slushies

By the way, I noticed they’re also running an event where you get dried filefish for writing a review! We were so full from the meat and sides that we sadly didn’t join in, but dried filefish grilled over the residual charcoal heat has to be delicious, so visitors may want to give it a try. 😍

And thoughtfully, there was even a free plum slushie machine on one side of the restaurant! After fatty meat, a cold, sweet cup of plum or omija slushie made me feel like I could digest again, and left my mouth perfectly refreshed. It was a place where dessert was perfect too. 😆

A satisfying meal with charcoal aroma

It was such a satisfying meal—I hadn’t had delicious meat with that charcoal-briquette aroma in a long time. The meat was good in both thickness and quality, and the side dishes were all substantial too, so I’m planning to come back and try other items next time. With its retro atmosphere, delicious food, kind staff, and great service, this place was perfect!!! 🫡