Sunday Korean BBQ at Suwon Station: pork cheek & roe egg, Ssosam 208

Suwon Station Korean BBQ: Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch · Open 15:30–02:00 (Sat & Sun from 12:00)

Where is Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch, and when does it get crowded?

Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch (쏘삼208 수원역점) is a Korean BBQ restaurant two minutes from Exit 13 of Suwon Station. After my solo-meal run of Suwon Station restaurants, I came back for the Korean BBQ round. Not a solo meal this time, of course, and the place is Ssosam 208. It's a great last meal for anyone leaving by train or on Line 1.

I visited around 6 PM on a Sunday and the place was already packed. I almost had to wait! Yes, it's a real Suwon Station BBQ spot.

What's on the Ssosam 208 menu, and what is cheongyeopsal?

The signature items at Ssosam 208 are pork belly, pork neck and cheonggyeopsal (천겹살, "thousand-layer" pork). It's another name for pork jowl, apparently sliced differently from regular jowl. They also have pork cheek (볼항정꽃살), makchang (pork intestine) and pork skin. When you can't decide, just start with the set, the mixed stone grill (₩35,500).

For wrapping and dipping you get scallion salad and myeongi pickles, led by Ssosam 208's own volcano soy sauce, plus a variety of other sides.

There's also kimchi rice noodle soup included by default. Rice noodles at a BBQ place, what an unusual combo.

What are the volcano stone grill and lava fondue cheese like?

What makes Ssosam 208 special is this odd-looking volcano stone grill. I've never seen a BBQ grill like it.

First, they put tofu and kimchi on the stone grill. You can order extra tofu.

The grill has a crater shape, a space to hold the lava fondue cheese. Pork belly with fondue cheese is something I think you can only find at Ssosam 208 in Suwon Station.

The lava fondue cheese comes with the receipt review event, so there's no reason not to join.

• Cheongdo wild minari (water dropwort) ₩4,500
• Grilling cheese + rice cake wraps ₩4,500
• Mixed stone grill set ₩35,500

I also added minari, grilling cheese and rice cake wraps to eat alongside. The meat arrived with them, on a stone-like plate too. They really committed to the concept.

What does the 208 in Ssosam 208 mean?

The 208 means 208°C. They say the grill is always set to get above 208°C before the meat goes on. So even though the meat had arrived, a staff member waited at the table until the temperature rose.

Once it hit 208°C, the meat went right on: pork belly, pork neck and cheonggyeopsal, evenly spread. The staff grilled it diligently on the well-heated stone.

They serve it once it's cooked, and the pieces are a nice size, neither too small nor too big.

208, and now the "ssosam" (soju + pork belly) is complete. The leisure of soju on a Sunday.

What are good combinations to eat at Ssosam 208?

They put the extra minari, rice cake and cheese on the stone grill too, and I started with the cheonggyeopsal, not the jowl. I dipped it in salt first, and yes, chewy and melting at once, the best.

Ssosam 208 has so many things to eat alongside that you can try lots of variations,

but what I was most looking forward to were the signatures: lava fondue cheese and volcano soy sauce. The soy sauce is exactly the kind you dip meat in, and then came the grand finale, the fondue cheese. I think it has a bit of fire chicken sauce (buldak sauce) in it. A slightly spicy cheese sauce, and of course it goes with meat.

I also tried the classic meat pairing of myeongi pickles and meljeot (salted fermented anchovy dip). I'd had each two-item combo before, but meat + grilling cheese + rice cake wraps all together was a first. And it doesn't stop there, I ate it with minari too. The meat combos really are endless.

How were the fish roe steamed egg and the extra pork cheek?

The fish roe steamed egg at Ssosam 208 is ₩4,500. For some reason lately, if there's steamed egg on the menu I always order it. Roe aside, I personally love the pudding-like texture, so I was very happy.

Pork cheek (볼항정꽃살) 150g, ₩14,000.

Eating this way and that, I'd finished all the meat before I knew it, so I ordered a pork cheek too. My recommended way to enjoy Ssosam 208: the pork cheek with rice cake wraps, cheese and soy sauce.

What about the dessert, basalt snowflake kimchi fried rice?

Basalt snowflake kimchi fried rice, ₩6,000.

For a carb finish there was also beef-belly doenjang stew (우삼겹 된장찌개), which made me agonize, but I went with the basalt snowflake kimchi fried rice, whose name alone sounded special.

The fried rice comes pre-cooked, and they put it on the grill and sprinkle seaweed flakes and snowflake cheese over it.

The generous snowflake cheese melts and stretches, perfect cheesy kimchi fried rice for a finish. Ssosam 208 Suwon Station Branch isn't a Suwon Station BBQ place that only plays up the volcano concept; it takes meat quality and taste seriously too.