Double-date Korean BBQ in Hapjeong: bone-in pork ribs, Jeongyukdo

On a Saturday evening I met up with a friend and her partner in Hapjeong. It was hot, and rather than wander around crowded streets we wanted to settle in one place and eat well, so we headed to Jeongyukdo (정육도), a Hapjeong Station favorite. I remembered from my last visit that the place was spacious and the meat was great.

This time we centered the meal on fresh pork ribs, and ordered the Handon (Korean pork) set with extra pork ribs so we could also enjoy pork neck and pork belly. From the charcoal-grilled ribs to the final bowl of cold noodles, we ate so much that I thought I might actually survive the summer heat. It was a really satisfying dinner.

Where is Jeongyukdo? A 3-minute walk from Hapjeong Station Exit 5

Jeongyukdo is about a 3-minute walk from Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station. Enter the Hapjeong food alley, head toward the inner lane where you can see a Compose Coffee, and Jeongyukdo is right there. It's close to the station so it's an easy meeting point, and since you can also get there from the Hongik University Station side, it's reasonably accessible for anyone looking for a Hongdae BBQ spot.

Wide tables for a group of four and individual tray settings

Inside, the restaurant feels clean and tidy. The tables are generous and the space between them is fairly roomy, so even with a group it didn't feel cramped.

We came on a Saturday evening and it was a nice place to chat with friends over dinner. It also looked good for a family meal or a company dinner in Hapjeong.

The table setting is banjang style, with plates and sauces separated for each person. It reminded me a little of the tidy garden-style BBQ restaurants I used to go to with my parents.

Jeongyukdo is so confident in its meat quality that it even puts the meat grading certificate on the last page of the menu. It gives the impression of a Hapjeong BBQ restaurant that cares about the meat itself, not just the interior.

Handon set plus extra fresh pork ribs: what four people ordered

Four of us went, and we ordered the Handon set with extra pork ribs. We also got steamed egg and naengmyeon (cold noodles).

The Handon set comes with fresh pork ribs, flower pork neck and pork belly, and you can choose either an earthenware pot of myeoljeot (salted anchovy sauce) or hanwoo (Korean beef) doenjang stew.

We chose the hanwoo doenjang stew. On top of that we added pork ribs separately to give the ribs a bit more weight in the meal.

Four people ate meat, steamed egg and even naengmyeon, and considering Hapjeong prices, getting domestic pork at this price was really nice :)

Bomb steamed egg and hanwoo doenjang stew

While the meat was cooking, the bomb steamed egg (a puffed-up, volcano-style steamed egg) came out first. You can eat it right while it's hot, so it was perfect for taking the edge off our hunger before the first meat was ready. Soft, warm steamed egg, then charcoal-grilled meat afterward — the flow of the meal felt natural.

The hanwoo doenjang stew that comes with the Handon set was served too. Its savory broth was nice to sip a spoonful at a time between bites of meat, and it also cleared the richness of the pork belly.

Charcoal grilling order: pork ribs first, pork belly last

After the meat arrived, a staff member cut the rib section so it was easier to eat. Lots of dishes sold as pork ribs these days are actually marinated pork neck, but Jeongyukdo's fresh pork ribs are the real thing, with the rib bones still attached.

When grilling over charcoal, they say to start with the leaner ribs, then move on to pork neck and pork belly. If you put fatty pork belly on first, the fat drips onto the charcoal and the fire can flare up, so it was definitely easier to grill the pork belly once the fire had calmed down a bit.

Bone-in fresh pork ribs that taste great with just salt

Fresh ribs are unmarinated, so you taste the meat as it is and its quality shows honestly. After browning the surface, I found the juices were still there and the texture wasn't tough.

The meat sauces were Himalayan salt and whole-grain mustard. They're good with the different sauces, but the savoriness of the meat came through so well that dipping lightly in just salt was my favorite combination.

Next we grilled the flower pork neck and pork belly. The pork neck was mild yet tender, and even the fatty part of the pork belly was so savory that we ate every bit.

They say good pork depends on the taste of the fat as well as the lean meat, and this Handon set was exactly that.

If you're looking for a Hapjeong Station restaurant where the meat is the focus, I'd say order the fresh pork ribs together with the Handon set.

Finishing with 6,000-won mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon

After finishing the meat, each of us ordered naengmyeon (cold noodles) to taste. After eating plenty of meat in front of a charcoal fire in the summer heat, the cold noodles went down especially well. At ₩6,000 a bowl, it's an easy add-on after a BBQ meal.

Who Jeongyukdo, a Hapjeong Korean BBQ, suits best

Jeongyukdo is a Hapjeong Station restaurant I liked for its clean interior, wide tables and meat-focused menu.

Order the Handon set and you get to enjoy ribs, pork neck and pork belly evenly. Add extra pork ribs and you can taste the natural juiciness and texture of the ribs even more fully. Publishing the grading certificate on the menu and explaining the grilling order for each cut also showed real sincerity about the meat.

I think it suits anyone planning a gathering of friends or a family meal in Hapjeong, looking for a Hapjeong Station BBQ restaurant with wide tables, or wanting a clean Hongdae BBQ spot between Hongdae and Hapjeong. It was an evening of meat and cold noodles so filling that I felt ready to survive the summer.