Balsan Station Korean BBQ near Gimpo Airport: Chamdwaejitgan Magok

A grill-it-for-you kind of place

On the way back from a trip, tired and hungry, I wanted something hearty, so I went looking for a samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) place near Gimpo Airport and ended up at Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch, just a 10-minute drive away.

Staff grilled the meat for us, so we could just sit back and eat comfortably, and with minari, bean sprouts, kimchi, potato slices, mushrooms, and garlic stems all on offer, it's a great Balsan Station spot for mixing and matching to your taste.

Location of Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch

Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch is a 10-minute drive from Gimpo Airport and a 1-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 9, so it's easy to reach whether you're driving or taking public transit.

A spacious, comfortable 80-pyeong restaurant

Walking in, the space opened up wide at 80 pyeong (about 264 m²). Silver exhaust ducts hung from the ceiling above every table, pulling smoke away immediately so the place stays comfortable and doesn't get too smoky even after a long meal. With generous table spacing and plenty of seats, it's also a great Balsan Station samgyeopsal spot for group dinners or gatherings.

The back wall was decorated with bamboo blinds for a cozy touch, and rows of tables sat under soft lighting, making for a neatly arranged, comfortable seating area.

Menu and ordering

Browsing the tablet menu at the table, I found a variety of options including Jirisan black pork ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and Boseong nokdon (grain-fed pork) samgyeopsal, along with pairing suggestions like spicy sauce, mushroom wasabi, and a trio of vegetables.

Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal and kkotmoksal (premium pork collar) are both grade-1 pork, and the price was reasonable, so we ordered 3 servings of the Boseong nokdon.

There was also a separate list of side dishes you could order extra. Minari, potato slices, and king oyster mushrooms come as standard, but you can order more of any of them once you run out.

A variety of sauces and side dishes

Before the meat arrived, the sauces were set up first — ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), spicy sauce, salt with sharp wasabi, and mushroom wasabi, all divided into separate compartments so you could dip according to your taste.

The side vegetables also came out in an assortment. Perilla leaves, scallion strips, and tangy cabbage salad each sat in their own bowl of a different color, making the table look generous just to look at. With plenty of wraps to pair with the meat, it never got boring.

Self-serve corner

On one side there was a self-serve corner where you help yourself to side dishes. Lettuce, scallion strips, kimchi, and more were available to take as much as you wanted, which was convenient whenever you needed more.

Everything was well stocked, and even though it's self-serve, it was kept clean, which I appreciated for hygiene at this Magok samgyeopsal spot, Chamdwaejitgan.

Staff heated up the grill first and laid down kimchi and minari. The well-fermented kimchi sizzled away, its sourness mellowing, while the minari wilted and gave off a fragrant aroma.

Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal and moksal

Next came the thick-cut meat. The pink flesh was marbled tightly with fat, its texture clearly visible, and it arrived alongside potato slices, kkwarigochu (shishito-like peppers), and king oyster mushrooms. It looked fresh even before cooking, which got me excited to taste it.

Once the grill heated up, the samgyeopsal went on and cooked over rice husk and charcoal, browning on the outside as a savory aroma spread through the air. A special grill plate kept oil from splattering, so the table stayed clean.

Staff flipped the meat with tongs to cook it just right — crisp and charred on the outside, juicy on the inside, making for appetizing samgyeopsal near Balsan Station.

Every cut glistened with juices, looking delicious, and it was already cut into bite-sized pieces, so it was easy to pick up and eat right away.

The well-grilled meat had a crisp, smoky char on the outside and stayed tender inside, releasing savory juices with every bite. It worked well with either salt or ssamjang — the kind of samgyeopsal near Balsan Station that kept my chopsticks moving.

Switching up the pairings

Topping the meat with mushroom wasabi added a sharp, salty kick that cut through the richness and left the palate feeling clean.

Fragrant minari stalks also cut through the richness of the meat, their slightly bitter aroma refreshing the palate.

This time I wrapped the meat in kimchi that had cooked on the grill alongside it — the warmed kimchi had lost some of its sourness and gained a bit of sweetness, and combined with the meat, the umami really came through.

Pairing it with crunchy bean sprouts was also a nice change, and with so many ingredients cooking on the same grill, it was fun to keep switching combinations — a genuinely enjoyable samgyeopsal spot near Balsan Station.

This time I tried wrapping the meat in a grilled potato slice like a ssam (wrap). The thin, mildly sweet potato paired with the meat made for a different but satisfying combination.

A free corner after paying

On the way out after paying, there was a free corner offering little extras. You could grab a yogurt drink and a lollipop for dessert, along with mouthwash and candy to freshen up. It was a nice touch that left us leaving in a good mood.

Chamdwaejitgan in Magok grilled the smoky, rice-husk-and-charcoal samgyeopsal for us so we could just sit back and enjoy it. With minari, kimchi, potato slices, and a range of sauces to mix and match, it never got repetitive, and being so close to the airport makes it a convenient Balsan Station spot whenever you want an easy, satisfying meal.