Korean BBQ in Jongno 3-ga with an hour walk-in wait: Chowon Restaurant

Chowon Restaurant is a pork belly spot known for its outdoor tent tables in Jongno 3-ga.

With the weather cooling down, a lot of people are looking for outdoor tent-style dining, right? And when it comes to that, the Jongno 3-ga tent street is probably the first place that comes to mind!

I wanted the full outdoor vibe, so I headed to Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga this time! I went in with high expectations for the atmosphere, and I came away completely won over by the meat too, haha. I'll share everything from the weekend wait to an honest taste review, so please read all the way through!!

Where is Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, and what is it like?

Chowon Restaurant has that classic red-table-lined-the-street feel, haha. It's a 2-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5, so it's really easy to get to.

Chowon Restaurant has tables set up not just outdoors but inside too. They recently remodeled, so the interior is clean, and even the bathroom was spotless — really comfortable to use! And since the structure has all the windows open, sitting inside still feels like the outdoor tent experience!

Chowon Restaurant menu and prices

Chowon Restaurant's menu ranges from sets to à la carte options. From hanwoo striploin to frozen pork belly to yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice), there were a lot of dishes that made my mouth water just looking at them!

• Hanwoo set for 2: ₩55,000
• Hanwoo striploin: ₩28,000
• Frozen pork belly: ₩18,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap: ₩9,000
• Steamed egg: ₩5,000

A hanwoo set for two in the ₩50,000s — isn't that pretty great value?

How long is the weekend wait at Chowon Restaurant?

Just so you know, Chowon Restaurant doesn't support remote queuing apps like Catch Table or Tabling — it's walk-in waiting only!

I visited around 8:30 pm on a Saturday! Even though it was slightly past peak time, there was quite a wait, ugh. Still, a lot of people had put their names down and never showed up, so it took about an hour to actually get seated.

💡 Waiting tip

• I'd recommend an opening run to catch the first seating
• Or a late visit after 8 pm to minimize the wait

Hanwoo striploin and frozen pork belly: an honest review

As soon as we sat down, they set up the side dishes — napa cabbage kimchi, which pairs perfectly with meat, and green onion kimchi too!

If you need more side dishes, there's a self-serve bar you can use.

We ordered the hanwoo striploin and frozen pork belly.

The tableside fire show that comes with the hanwoo striploin

The staff grilled the hanwoo striploin for us first. It was so marbled that I was drooling before it was even cooked. 💡 Here's a tip! If you order the hanwoo striploin, you get to watch a fire show!

Watching the dramatic flames shoot up right at our outdoor tent table was such a fun spectacle! It grabbed everyone's attention, of course, and the meat got completely infused with that smoky flavor — the aroma was incredible!

They seared the outside completely with high heat, so the juices flooded my mouth the second I took a bite. Fun and delicious at the same time — total win-win, haha.

Hanwoo striploin eaten in this outdoor tent atmosphere — honestly, it was so good. The meat was so tender it just melted the moment it hit my mouth. Hanwoo really is hanwoo, I thought.

Round two: frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant

After finishing round one with the hanwoo, we grilled pork belly for round two, haha. Even though it was a single serving, the pork belly looked like a pretty generous portion.

When you think outdoor tent dining, pork belly comes to mind, right? Just watching it grill on the pan got me excited to eat, haha.

Doesn't that golden-brown pork belly just look delicious? Unlike thick-cut pork belly, frozen pork belly has its own charm! Add the outdoor tent atmosphere on top of the pork belly, and it really was the perfect combination, haha.

Wrapping the golden-brown pork belly with the kimchi and bean sprouts that came as side dishes made for a fantastic combination.

Eating the pork belly outside in the cool breeze made the flavor and nuttiness feel twice as good, haha.

And on top of that, the salty steamed egg! A bite of meat, then a bite of steamed egg — the nuttiness and saltiness mix together into this incredible savory depth. I want to go back and eat it again right now, ugh.

Who should visit Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga?

Chowon Restaurant is perfect for enjoying great meat with a drink while catching a cool breeze!

• Anyone who wants that distinctive Jongno 3-ga outdoor tent atmosphere
• Anyone looking for juicy hanwoo and pork belly
• Anyone who cares about hygiene and clean bathrooms even in an outdoor tent setting

If you miss this outdoor tent atmosphere now, you'll have to wait until next year, ugh. This place nails the taste, the hygiene, and the atmosphere, so go have a great time at the Jongno 3-ga tent street before it gets any colder!