Low-smoke Jongno charcoal BBQ for friends: Jonggak-ap Nosang

The Korean BBQ group dilemma: who's going to grill?

If you go for Korean BBQ with friends or coworkers, you know the dilemma that pops up every time. "Who's going to grill the meat?" And suddenly it's a group-project standoff... You want to enjoy the meat, but when one person is stuck at the grill the whole time, the conversation stops and you feel bad for them. So in the end... somebody volunteers as the sacrificial lamb.

This time I didn't want to worry about any of that, so I went to Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang (고기꾼 김춘배 종로직영점), where the staff grill the meat for you. It's in Jonggak, where lots of office workers go, so it's easy to reach, and since it's an office area I figured it would be quieter on a weekend, so that's when I went.

Location and how to get to Jonggak-ap Nosang Gongyeong Juchajang

The restaurant is on the 5th floor of a building, about a 5-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 4. Just keep an eye out at the start of the alley and it's not hard to find.

The location was good. After the meal you can stroll toward Cheonggyecheon to walk it off, which makes a perfect course, so it looked like a solid Jongno spot for a get-together too.

Seating and first impressions

The moment you walk in, you see dry-aged meat on display, and the BBQ-restaurant mood hits you right away. Little details like that raise your expectations for the meat quality.

The seating is well partitioned, so it didn't feel like you were jammed up against the next table. BBQ places in Jongno can feel really crowded with all the company dinners, but here the layout felt relatively comfortable.

Charcoal grill, but what about smoke and smell?

Another plus was the ventilation. A charcoal place can get really smoky, but it wasn't as bad as I expected, so I worried less about my clothes smelling. For people looking for a Jongno BBQ spot for a group dinner, that's worth knowing.

The recommended set: today's hanwoo, pork neck, pork belly

That day I wanted both pork and beef, so I ordered the recommended set.

The set comes with today's hanwoo (Korean beef), pork neck and pork belly together, so you get to try several cuts at once. You know those days when only beef feels a little lacking, and only pork feels like something's missing? This combination was just right for that.

The hanwoo had great marbling, and it was delicious with just a little dip in salt. The meat has its own nutty richness, so you don't need to lean on sauces.

Charcoal meat grilled by staff: was it convenient?

The staff grilled the meat over charcoal for us, so there was no grilling burden. I do think meat tastes best over charcoal, but honestly, controlling the heat and doneness with charcoal is surprisingly hard.

Look away for a second and the outside burns while the inside is oddly half-cooked.

Here, though, the pros grill it for you, so there's nothing to worry about. Just wait, and when they put the fully cooked meat at the edge of the grill, you eat. Done :)

Pork is fatty and fairly hard to grill, but even the thick pork belly and pork neck were grilled well and stayed juicy.

When flames flared up mid-grilling, they tamed them carefully with ice, which was surprisingly cool to watch. It didn't feel like casual grilling; they watched the state of the meat and kept the quality consistent.

It seemed each table has a server more or less assigned, who checked on the meat from time to time. So all you have to do is chat comfortably and enjoy the meat.

Finishing the meal: kkakdugi fried rice and half-and-half naengmyeon

To finish, we had kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) fried rice and half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles).

The kkakdugi fried rice was a good way to end the meat with some carbs, and the half-and-half naengmyeon is handy when you can't decide between mul naengmyeon (in cold broth) and bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed).

Being able to get half and half means less agonizing over the choice, which I liked. With the fried rice as well, the portion was quite filling.

Why it works for a Jongno group dinner or get-together

With meat prices these days, I look for decent quality meat, side dishes and comfortable service rather than a place that just fills you up. Here's what I liked about this restaurant:

• Staff grill the meat for you
• The meat is grilled over real charcoal
• You can enjoy beef and pork together
• Near Jonggak Station so it's easy to reach, and handy for heading to Cheonggyecheon after the meal

If you're looking for a place where nobody has to be the designated griller, it's worth considering, especially as a Jongno BBQ spot for a company dinner. It's also comfortable for a get-together with friends, and on a weekend it should feel a bit more relaxed than a weekday evening dinner rush.