Namdong Korean BBQ with pork and scallops: Euljiro Charcoal Grill

There are lots of barbecue places in Guwol-dong, but it is hard to find one that really does it well. So often, you eat just-okay meat and head home—but that will not happen here! This is Euljiro Charcoal Grill Guwol Branch 🔥

What is the charcoal-grill atmosphere like in Guwol-dong's Rodeo district?

Euljiro Charcoal Grill Guwol Branch is in the Guwol-dong Rodeo shopping district. It is easy to find, which makes getting there a breeze!

The interior was unusual the moment I walked in: it felt as though an old-fashioned charcoal-briquette shop had been moved here whole, with a charcoal brazier holding its place at every table! It has such a warm retro feel that one bottle of soju with your meat could bring back an appetite you did not even know you had.

You can refill any side dishes you run short of at the self-service bar, and aprons are available too!

Euljiro Charcoal Grill Guwol Branch menu

Ordering everything from pork belly to makchang and scallops

This is what Jjeonjjeon ordered! Pork belly 200g and grilled scallops, plus 100g each of pork jowl, dwi-gogi (a hidden pork cut), and makchang (pork intestine), followed by soybean paste stew and mul-naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth)!

It is genuinely rare for a barbecue restaurant to serve seafood as well, but this place has not only scallops but also sea squirt and pen shell clam as proper menu items. I was so curious that I decided to order the scallops!

The side dishes arrived first, and I have to mention this restaurant's museangchae (seasoned shredded radish). It came with a thin layer of ice on it, so it was sweet, tangy, and cool. A bite of rich meat followed by a chopstickful of museangchae was the perfect finishing touch—they went so well together.

Then the meat dishes came out. Every piece looked thick and fresh, so I put them onto the heated charcoal.

The Guwol-dong pork belly on charcoal had a gentle smoky flavor worked into it, which was so interesting. It definitely had a different character from pork belly cooked over gas. The scallops came out too, so I grilled them alongside the meat. Rolling them around over the charcoal while giving them little taps with the tongs cooked them evenly inside and out—and it was fun to watch, too.

Charcoal-grilled pork belly with icy radish salad

First up, the thick Guwol-dong pork belly! The texture was great, and the fat burst with flavor, making already-delicious pork belly even better!

The combination with the seasoned radish was so good, so please try them together at least once!

Pork jowl is the cut Jjeonjjeon has been into lately! It was crunchy and chewy in the best way, and the more I chewed, the more nutty flavor seemed to come through.

And then there was dwi-gogi, which I was trying for the first time! I think I understand why people used to keep this cut to themselves: it was chewy yet clean-tasting, the kind of meat that would be really delicious with alcohol. Overall, it was a cut that paired wonderfully with charcoal.

Grilling and eating meat with scallops

Then came the scallops. I grilled them with the meat and wrapped them up together, like a three-way bite...!! They had that salty scent of the sea and a lively, chewy texture, as if I were eating at the coast. It was my first time having them with meat, but the pairing was seriously good, so I recommend it.

Makchang is a cut that makes you worry about any unpleasant smell first, but this one had none. A must-order if you like offal(?)! On a day when you are craving Guwol-dong makchang, it would be great to order it with soju.

You can have some soybean paste stew in between, and it is nice with rice too.

Finish with mul-naengmyeon for K-dessert, and your Guwol-dong meat course comes to a satisfyingly full close! Pork belly, makchang, shellfish, and cold noodles all together—how could this not be a great Guwol-dong barbecue spot?