Cheongdang-dong makchang grill in Cheonan: Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji

I wanted to eat meat with my family today, so we went to Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch! I was only planning on pork belly, but ended up ordering pork jowl, makchang, and bibim naengmyeon too — turns out each dish had its own personality, so it was fun picking through the menu. If you're hunting for a good pork belly spot in Cheongdang-dong, this one's worth keeping an eye on ◡̈

Where is Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch? Hours and parking

The address is 39 Cheongsu 9-ro, 1st floor, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. Hours are 11:30–24:00, with last order at 23:00.

Parking is available in the building's basement lot, or in the temporary public lot right in front of the store!

Outside the restaurant: the pink pig sign and free egg rice for under-5s

The sign with a pink pig illustration is visible even from a distance, so finding the store was easy — the entrance faces the road right on the ground floor, so we found it in one go even on our first visit!

They also give free egg rice to kids under 5, apparently

Inside Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji: seating and the self-serve bar

Inside there's a decent number of tables, each set up with a round grill plate and a smoke vent — a classic BBQ restaurant vibe.

There's a separate self-serve bar on one side, so we could grab as much extra banchan (side dish) as we needed, and the different types were clearly organized so it was easy to use!

What three people ordered, and why the bill came to 81,000 won

Here's what we ate!

• Makchang, 2 servings – ₩32,000
• Pork jowl, 1 serving – ₩16,000
• Fresh pork belly, 1 serving – ₩16,000
• Steamed rice, 1 – ₩1,000
• Kelly beer, 1 bottle – ₩5,000
• Bibim naengmyeon, 1 – ₩6,000
• Terra beer, 1 bottle – ₩5,000
• Total order amount – ₩81,000

Side dishes included: fried egg, corn cheese and doenjang stew

The table filled up quickly before the meat even arrived//o// A fried egg, golden-browned corn cheese, and warm doenjang (soybean paste) stew were all set out together, so they were nice to pick at one by one while the meat was grilling!

The makchang came out pre-grilled, so we just finished it off on the table grill, which was convenient! There was less of that annoying waiting time, and it was much easier to cook it through to the center!

Thick-cut fresh pork belly and crunchy pork jowl

Personally, I prefer thick-cut pork belly over thin, and here, one bite in, there was still plenty of juice left inside — I loved that.

The outside grilled up golden brown while the center stayed non-dry, and the more you chewed, the more that savory fatty flavor came through — it was delicious. If you're looking for pork belly in Cheonan and like meat with some thickness to it, this would suit your taste well haha.

The pork jowl had less fattiness than the belly and, how should I put it, a more distinct chewy texture? It had that crunchy bite to it, giving it a different charm from the belly! Grilled at not-too-thin a cut, the edges had a slight bounce while the inside stayed clean-tasting. Popping in a piece of jowl between bites of belly definitely cut down on the richness fatigue.

Is the pre-grilled makchang gamey or chewy?

When BBQ restaurants also sell makchang, sometimes it smells or is too chewy so you don't reach for it much, but at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch it came pre-grilled, which I liked, and it wasn't so chewy that you had to work at it :) I barely noticed that signature gamey smell, and the outside was slightly chewy but not tough enough that you'd need to chew forever. Dipping it in the soybean powder added a nutty flavor too, so I kept reaching for the makchang without realizing it haha.

With pork belly, pork jowl, and makchang all on one grill together, the textures were different enough that we didn't get tired of it as fast as expected. The three of us each grabbed our favorite piece here and there, and before we knew it, the grill was completely empty haha.

Sides, drinks and finishing with bibim naengmyeon

Once the meat was cooked through a bit, we casually poured a drink to go along with it haha. Sitting down together as a family after a while to grill meat like this was nice too.

The soy sauce dip had chopped garlic mixed in, and dipping the meat in it here and there added a salty, sharp kick that gave a whole different feel.

Last up: bibim naengmyeon! On top of the dark noodles were spicy seasoning, pickled radish, and a boiled egg, with an icy broth served on the side. I tried it first without the broth, mixed — the seasoning came across a bit sweeter before spicy. Adding a little broth softened the spiciness while adding a cool, tangy note that was a real treat! Wrapping a piece of meat around the noodles cleaned up any leftover greasiness nicely ✦

To finish, we cleansed our palates with a cool slushie and hot coffee! I thought it'd end with the meat and noodles, but the fact that they thought of dessert too was a nice touch haha. We ate until we were full and topped it off with the slushie and coffee before heading out haha.

Would I go back to Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji for a family dinner?

Eating a variety of pork belly, jowl, and makchang as a family of three, then finishing with bibim naengmyeon, made for a pretty filling meal. For me, the thick pork belly and the surprisingly-not-chewy makchang stood out the most! Next time, I'd like to try the other cuts one by one too ◝(・▿・)◜