# Korean BBQ in Jongno 3-ga with an hour walk-in wait: Chowon Restaurant - By Haerin (https://superchart.com/en/@kitchen-lights-seoul/) - Written Sep 16, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a visit sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@kitchen-lights-seoul/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@kitchen-lights-seoul/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/index.md) ## In short Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor tent-style Korean BBQ restaurant a 2-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5 in Seoul. Arriving on a Saturday at 8:30 pm meant a 1-hour walk-in wait, then hanwoo (Korean beef) striploin at 28,000 won, frozen pork belly at 18,000 won and steamed egg at 5,000 won, with a staff member grilling the striploin tableside complete with a fire show. Chowon Restaurant takes no remote queuing, so an opening run or a visit after 8 pm is the easiest way in. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (2-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5) - **Hanwoo set for two**: 55,000 won - **Hanwoo striploin**: 28,000 won - **Frozen pork belly**: 18,000 won - **Yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef mixed rice)**: 9,000 won - **Steamed egg**: 5,000 won - **Waiting**: No remote queuing, walk-in only (about 1 hour when visiting Saturday at 8:30 pm) - **Seating**: Outdoor tables plus indoor tables (remodeling complete) - **Side dishes**: Napa cabbage kimchi and green onion kimchi set out as standard, with a self-serve bar - **Price reference**: ₩50,000 ≈ $37 (2026-09-16) *as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026* ![Chowon Restaurant, a pork belly spot in the Jongno 3-ga outdoor tent street](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-01-15hqa-900.webp) 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! ![Evening view of the Jongno 3-ga outdoor tent street](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-02-vpf10-900.webp) 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? ![Red tables along the street at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-03-o7m2h-900.webp) 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. ![Outdoor tent tables at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-04-15cz6-900.webp) ![Remodeled indoor tables at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-05-rdzlw-m-900.webp) 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 board with prices](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-06-l19pz-900.webp) ## 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? ![Walk-in waiting sign at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-07-levkl-900.webp) Just so you know, Chowon Restaurant doesn't support remote queuing apps like Catch Table or Tabling — it's walk-in waiting only! ![Line waiting outside Chowon Restaurant on a Saturday night](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-08-1ichk-m-900.webp) 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 ![Standard side dishes of napa cabbage kimchi and green onion kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-09-9e6wz-900.webp) 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! ![Self-serve side dish bar at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-10-a7cxp-900.webp) If you need more side dishes, there's a self-serve bar you can use. ![Table setting with ordered hanwoo striploin and frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-11-blbrm-900.webp) We ordered the hanwoo striploin and frozen pork belly. ![Heavily marbled hanwoo striploin](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-12-g2530-900.webp) ### 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! ![Flames rising from the hanwoo fire show at the outdoor tent table](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-13-107fj-900.webp) 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 grilled with smoky flavor](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-14-p8j68-900.webp) ![A grilled piece of hanwoo striploin](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-15-1ymeg-900.webp) ![Hanwoo striploin grilling on the outdoor tent table](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-16-1cyu1-966.webp) ![Hanwoo striploin with side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-17-148mr-900.webp) 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. ![A single serving plate of frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-18-1gz18-900.webp) 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. ![Frozen pork belly grilling to golden brown on the pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-19-1aocq-1200.webp) 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. ![Pork belly with kimchi and bean sprouts](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-20-14k7x-900.webp) Eating the pork belly outside in the cool breeze made the flavor and nuttiness feel twice as good, haha. ![A piece of pork belly eaten outdoors](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-21-1681l-900.webp) ![Steamed egg at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-22-tk6rb-900.webp) 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? ![Final spread on the outdoor tent table at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-23-1x72j-966.webp) ![Outdoor seating at Chowon Restaurant on a cool night](https://img.superchart.com/images/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting-24-1pqtt-966.webp) 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! ## Where it is - Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch (초원식당 종로3가점) - 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1F) - 서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당 - 37.5717479, 126.9887101 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B4%88%EC%9B%90%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5717479,126.9887101,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@kitchen-lights-seoul/chowon-restaurant-jongno-night-grill-waiting/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt