Korean BBQ group dinner in Hongdae with 80 seats: Bongnimdaepae

Bongnimdaepae Hongdae (봉림대패 홍대점) is a thin-sliced pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal) restaurant near Hongik Univ. Station. It's known as a go-to Hongdae spot for company dinners and a champion of value, so I went for a dinner with a kind price and good taste.

• Location: 22 Yanghwa-ro 18an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• Hours: weekdays 11:00–01:00, weekends 12:00–01:00
• Reservations: available via Naver Reservation
• Parking: use a public parking lot
• Restrooms: inside the restaurant, separate for men and women

How do you get to Bongnimdaepae Hongdae from Hongik Univ. Station?

You can walk to Bongnimdaepae Hongdae from Exit 8 of Hongik Univ. Station. Go straight 50m down the alley to the right of Exit 8, then head diagonally left toward Yeonnam's Yutjandari Park (윗잔다리 공원) and go straight another 80m. The restaurant is on your right.

Is Bongnimdaepae a good spot for a group dinner in Hongdae?

Bongnimdaepae Hongdae is a spacious, comfortable place with 80 seats, which makes it ideal for company dinners and gatherings. A size like this is hard to find in Hongdae, and I could see office workers from the area coming often as a Hongdae group-dinner favorite.

Luckily there were seats when I visited, but as evening approached the place filled with customers and even a waiting line formed. If you're coming as a group, I'd definitely book on Naver Reservation so you don't have to wait.

How much is the Bongnimdaepae salad bar, and what's on it?

When you order a menu at Bongnimdaepae, you can use the unlimited salad bar for ₩2,000 per person. Since the meat is so well priced, ssam vegetables (leaves for wrapping), sauces and extra veggies are all at the salad bar for ₩2,000 a head, so help yourself.

The salad bar has all kinds of vegetables, fruit, several kinds of kimchi, side dishes, dumplings, bean sprouts and sauces. Let's enjoy the daepae samgyeopsal with fresh vegetables from the 31-item unlimited salad bar 😝

First order at Bongnimdaepae: the 600g mixed pork set

To start at Bongnimdaepae Hongdae, I ordered the pork set (600g), made up of 300g of Bongnim, 150g of special cuts and 150g of hangjeong (pork neck). If you order à la carte, the first order starts at 400g and after that you can add 100g at a time. But I wanted to taste a variety of cuts first and then add whichever one I liked best, so I went with the set.

The meat felt super fresh, and they say it uses Gowondon pork raised in a clean environment! Because daepae is sliced so thin, it cooks fast and we didn't wait long, and the chewy, nutty texture of daepae samgyeopsal, which I hadn't had in a while, was charming.

Sides: slushy cold noodles and kongbul-style bean sprouts

For a side that goes well with the meat, I ordered icy mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth), and there happened to be an event, so it was only ₩3,000. The size was just right, like a single-serving dessert noodle.

Bean sprouts with sauce come out by default, so I added vegetables and kimchi from the salad bar and ate it kongbul style (spicy pork with bean sprouts). The crunchy texture went really well with the daepae samgyeopsal.

What to add at Bongnimdaepae: Korean Handon pork special-cut daepae

Order the tasty stuff once more! The special-cut daepae (100g) I added at Bongnimdaepae Hongdae had a nice balance of lean meat and fat plus a chewy texture, and it made me realize daepae could be this good. It was worth adding, and I enjoyed it even more.

Finishing with self-cooked flying fish roe fried rice and cheese

With the oil left from grilling the daepae samgyeopsal, you have to stir-fry the self-serve flying fish roe fried rice to finish. After some hesitation I added cheese too, and carbs really are what complete the meal. I chopped up the leftover daepae and mixed it in, and it tasted even better.

How busy is Bongnimdaepae Hongdae in the evening?

By the time I left, Bongnimdaepae Hongdae had filled up like this. It seems to be already famous as a Hongdae group-dinner spot. Even without a gathering, lots of customers seemed drawn in by the smell, by the prices (beer and soju ₩3,900!), or by the clean interior.

The staff were all friendly and thoughtful, so it was a pleasant meal. I recommend Bongnimdaepae Hongdae, which made me realize how good daepae can be.