Incheon grill house Friend Set for 3 and meat doenjang stew: Midonjip

Have you ever heard of pork belly topped with pollack roe?

In over 30 years of living, I'd only ever had pollack roe on rice bowls — never imagined it going on pork belly.

Contrary to what I expected — that it'd be way too salty — the saltiness hits in quick bursts, which somehow makes it even more addictive. That's why I visited Midonjip Incheon Guwol Main Branch, a restaurant known near Incheon Yesulhoegwan Station.

Where is Midonjip Incheon Guwol Main Branch, and what are its hours?

This Guwol-dong restaurant, Midonjip, is 2 minutes by car and 4 minutes on foot from Yesulhoegwan Station. It's also close to Incheon Terminal Station, so it's known there too.

Hours

• Monday–Thursday 16:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Friday 16:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)
• Saturday, Sunday 13:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)

Getting there and where to park

You can use the Moa Medical Town parking lot, and after your meal, request parking registration for free exit.

Seating and mood at Midonjip, including the outdoor tables

The place was fully booked, and I ended up taking the last available seat. I was surprised a Korean BBQ restaurant could be this popular — there were even people waiting.

There's a section classified as outdoor seating with a pop-up-bar kind of vibe. But since it was summer and I risked a mosquito ambush, I went inside instead — though you can absolutely eat outside too.

Come in a baseball uniform and you get 10% off, and if you keep your receipt from Midonjip, you can take it to Chungking Mansion for a fried flower bread event.

The Midonjip menu and how to order

This is the menu board at Midonjip Incheon Guwol Main Branch, known near Incheon Terminal. If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, you get a free bowl of buldak naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles).

The kiosk has more detailed descriptions and photos attached, so check that when ordering.

There was a line on the wall that stuck with me — something like 'drinking is a waste of time, but not drinking is a waste of life' — and true to that, they have makgeolli, highballs, soju, and more, making it a good choice for drinks in Guwol-dong too.

The outdoor tables don't have a kiosk, so just check the menu placed on the table and call a staff member over to order.

What comes in the 600g Friend Set for 3 at 54,900 won?

Friend Set (for 3), ₩54,900 — pollack roe pork belly 200g + mango hangjeongsal (pork jowl) or gabrisal 200g + salchi mokssal (chuck flap) 200g + stew.

The total weight is 600g, which is one geun (a traditional meat weight unit) of meat. I usually eat about 400g with two people, so with the stew and side dishes, this might be a lot even for three.

Here, staff grill the meat for you first — and when someone who's good at grilling does it, you end up getting the quality of a ₩100,000 meal instead of a ₩50,000 one.

They walked me through it step by step while grilling — I couldn't tell if they were the owner or staff, and they weren't exactly smiling, but they were kind in their own way, telling me how to eat it deliciously, and that's when my expectations went up.

They put the minari (water dropwort) on last — if it sits on the grill too long it gets tough and ruins the texture, so they told me to pull it off as soon as it's cooked.

The sauces were a salty myeolchijeot (anchovy sauce) with cheongyang chili and sliced garlic in sesame oil.

When making the pork belly, the owner packed pollack roe generously into slits cut into the meat — it wasn't just salty pork belly, it had this bursting texture that wasn't at all what I expected.

From here on, just keep it on low heat to keep it warm as you eat.

How the pollack roe pork belly and mango pork jowl taste

What surprised me about the pollack roe pork belly was that it wasn't just brushed with pollack roe — it seemed like mayonnaise was mixed in too, giving it an overall soft, nutty flavor. When the pork belly fat bursts, the roe pops in your mouth right along with it. Eaten with fragrant minari, it's a truly unique way to experience pork belly at this Guwol-dong restaurant.

I've had hangjeongsal (pork jowl) many times, but mango hangjeongsal? The diced pieces genuinely looked like chunks of mango. I expected the fatty skin-attached hangjeongsal to be greasy through and through, but it had a chewy texture that paired well with any side dish — it reminded me of jjondeugi (Korean chewy candy)!

Meat-loaded doenjang jjigae, 7,000 won: the best side here

Meat-loaded doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), ₩7,000. It's the kind of savory, deep-flavored doenjang jjigae you'd imagine your grandmother making.

Shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, tofu — packed with meat, just like a grandma-style stew.

Out of all the doenjang jjigae I've had as a side dish at Korean BBQ restaurants, this is number one. They really pack in this much meat? And the price is so reasonable too.

Is Midonjip worth it? Final verdict

Midonjip, a Guwol-dong Korean BBQ restaurant, lets you taste pollack roe pork belly, something you don't easily find elsewhere. It's such a unique, memorable flavor that I hope they keep selling it.

It's the kind of place I'd want to bring friends to when they visit — unique, but the kind of taste that stays with you haha.