Jongno 3-ga Seoul Korean BBQ: rice fried on the grill, Tapgol Gongwon

What kind of place is Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor tented Korean BBQ restaurant at 111 Suphyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, close to Jongno 3-ga Station. It's open daily from 17:00 to 01:00. If you want to grill meat outdoors in Jongno 3-ga in this kind of weather, this is the place that comes to mind — I went to Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch! Jongno has so many outdoor tented spots, totally my style haha ((still less hyped than the Ikseon-dong hot street, so I recommend it))😮😮

It's pretty close to Jongno 3-ga Station too, and it really fits the bustling alley vibe around Tapgol Park — you get that lively feeling just walking there🫧🫧

How busy is it at 6pm on a weekday?

When we got there it was already busy, but by around 6pm the tables were nearly full! Eventually there was even a waitlist ~) Popular even on a weekday 😲 (Especially recommended on cool evenings like this, perfect weather for drinking outdoors!)

Two servings of flash-frozen pork belly and the rest of the menu

We first ordered two servings of frozen pork belly📌 One of Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch's signature dishes is the Grade 1 sow frozen pork belly — sliced thin the way frozen pork belly is, so it cooks fast on the grill ~~ Besides that there's flower pork neck, roasted duck, beef brisket, plus kimchi fried rice, doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), and steamed egg!! Passes as a pork belly place 🤭

Picnic-basket utensils and how close the tables sit

Next to the table is this picnic basket with soju glasses, utensils, and paper cups ㅋㅋㅋ that little touch was cute haha (though shared with the neighboring table). Seats are pretty close to each other ㅠ but you can't beat this atmosphere ~~,,

Banchan and the self-serve bar

Especially the banchan (side dishes) — kimchi, bean sprouts, bracken, green onion kimchi, and radish salad!! If you need more there's a self-serve bar so you can grab as much as you like haha~~

Grilling frozen pork belly: fat-to-meat ratio

The two servings of frozen pork belly came out looking pretty good quality🙌 Fat-to-meat ratio passes too!! Felt like a generous portion as well

Frozen pork belly is delicious from the moment it hits the grill🥸 The thin meat sizzles as it touches the pan, and once the edges get slightly crispy and you flip it, that savory smell rushes up😵 It's not the juice-bursting style of thick fresh pork belly, but there's a charm unique to frozen belly — thin meat grilled golden brown — that I was craving after a while 🤍

Meeting my twin after work~,, (not a secret that we meet 4-5 days a week ㅋㅋㅋㅋ)

The self-serve bar was neatly stocked and fully filled, which I really liked ✌🏻 Sometimes I actually prefer having a self-serve bar around

Especially if you grill kimchi or other side dishes in the fat that renders from the pork belly, the pork fat soaks in naturally and it tastes way better!! I personally love eating things this way with extra sides✨ Piling toppings on a piece of meat and knocking back a drink with each bite^^ㅎㅎ,,

The trick: frying a bowl of rice on the grill

And the thing I liked most that day ❗️❗️ was not eating the steamed rice plain, but frying it up with the frozen pork belly like fried rice! After eating some meat, we used the leftover pork fat and bits of meat on the grill and mixed the rice in 🙋‍♀️ (my own little trick,,ㅎ) There's kimchi fried rice on the official menu too, but this turned out to go surprisingly well!!!

Especially great when you want rice after finishing the meat)) Feels like instant fried rice made on the spot🫶 (Add lettuce and all the sides, and ssamjang if it's bland ~) If you're looking for outdoor BBQ in Jongno 3-ga, don't just think of the main pojangmacha street — there's this outdoor tented spot around Tapgol Park too, so I recommend it!