Korean BBQ with grilled rinsed kimchi near Gangnam Station: Giun

Giun / Photos and text ©Haru

Giun, a Korean BBQ restaurant between Gangnam and Yeoksam stations

Giun is a Korean BBQ restaurant on the 1st floor of 25 Dogok-ro 7-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, near both Gangnam Station and Yeoksam Station. That day I wanted somewhere clean but with a nice atmosphere. So I looked around the Gangnam/Yeoksam area and found Giun.

• 📍Location: 1F, 25 Dogok-ro 7-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch
• 🕖Hours: Mon–Sun 16:00–23:00

Inside Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch

The first thing I noticed arriving at Giun was that, unlike your typical rustic neighborhood BBQ joint, everything from the exterior on was clean and upscale-looking. The space isn't huge, but since it's not packed with tables or noisy, it felt relatively relaxed and comfortable. Clean interior, warm lighting.

They also sell Asahi draft beer. Every time I see draft beer it looks so refreshing and delicious.

A photo where you can practically feel the heat of the charcoal. Giun uses binjeontan, a top-grade charcoal, in the brazier — it preserves the fire's own aroma and infuses the meat with binjeontan's distinctive scent.

What side dishes come with the meal at Giun?

For a BBQ place, the table is set neatly — it feels like a hanjeongsik (Korean set-course) restaurant. Giun makes all its side dishes and sauces in-house, except for the wild garlic (myeongyi namul), wasabi, and salt. The side dishes are chosen to bring out the meat's natural flavor, and everything except the chili flakes is domestically sourced, so you can eat with confidence.

Galbi samgyeopsal grilled at the table by Giun staff

Here comes the main event. The second the plate came out, the marbling alone told me this was going to be good. Staff grill the meat directly over the strong charcoal fire. You know meat someone else grills for you always tastes best, right? Haha.

Since the staff know exactly the right doneness, you never end up with burnt meat, and it's nice being able to just relax and chat while eating.

Giun's signature dish is galbi samgyeopsal — they bring in pork belly still attached to the bone, cut the bone with a bone saw, and hand-debone each piece before serving. Because the belly ages together with the bone, the flavor turns out much deeper, and you also get to taste neukganssal, the rib meat between the bones with its own distinctive texture.

Crisp outside, juices locked in inside. My first bite was just a dab of salt — the moment I bit down, savory juices burst out and it practically melted. Giun's meat is seriously so savory and delicious.

Grilled scallions steeped in Giun's house soy sauce

If I had to pick the best thing at Giun, it'd be the grilled scallions dipped in house soy sauce. They give you a clear special soy sauce, and staff drop the nicely grilled scallions right into it. Eating the soy-soaked scallions together with the meat gives you a totally different flavor — I think I kept eating this combo the whole meal.

It's like this soy sauce brings out the meat's own flavor while filling in whatever it's missing. Kind of felt like eating yakiniku!

Also really good wrapped with wasabi and wild garlic leaves. The wild garlic cuts through the meat's richness without masking its flavor, so I kept wrapping bite after bite. Wrapping it gives an even cleaner taste.

Grilled kimchi with the seasoning rinsed off

Instead of regular kimchi thick with seasoning, they grill kimchi that's had its seasoning rinsed off once — and this turned out to be a real treat too.

Lightly grilled on the pan, it keeps some of kimchi's signature crunch while turning soft, with no sourness — clean alongside the meat and also great with rice.

The meat itself is delicious, and with the house soy sauce, wild garlic, and grilled kimchi all to go with it, there was no way I wasn't drinking somaek (soju-beer mix). A cold somaek plus a bite of Giun's meat — top tier.

Finishing with a hearty doenjang jjigae

I figured a BBQ place's doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) would just be a token side dish to take a spoonful of, but Giun's was surprisingly hearty. Somewhere between cheonggukjang and regular doenjang jjigae, savory and deep.

Loaded with chives and meat. So packed with ingredients that mixing it into rice feels like eating a boozy doenjang rice bowl. Scoop up a spoonful of broth with the ingredients and meat, pile it on rice, and you'll really be stuffed.

Is Giun Gangnam Station Main Branch worth a visit?

The meat has a distinctive, delicious flavor and the side dish spread is great, so it'd work well for a family gathering — and the clean interior would also suit a get-together for wedding invitations!!