Grilled minari and melgeot at a Hongdae Korean BBQ: Gogikkun

On a nice day, I went out for a walk and to eat some good meat, so I headed to the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, which is great for dates. That's how I ended up at Gogikkun Gimchunbae, a Hongdae Korean BBQ restaurant with a great atmosphere where staff grill quality meat for you so you can just relax and eat!

Where is Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch, and when is it open?

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch sits right on the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a 5-minute walk from both Hongik Univ. Station and Sinchon Station, haha. If you visit in the evening, the quiet hanok-style exterior blending into the forest path scenery really sets the date mood from the moment you arrive — such a good Hongdae Korean BBQ spot.

• Recommended Hongdae restaurant! Gyeongui Line Forest Park date spot, Hongdae Korean BBQ Gogikkun Gimchunbae
• Address – 31-2 Seogang-ro 13-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours – Daily 12:00–23:00 (last order 22:00)
• Amenities – Group-friendly, reservations, gender-separated restrooms, free wifi
• No on-site parking, need to use nearby lots

Outdoor seats on the Gyeongui Line Forest Park and drum-barrel tables

First off, what I loved about this Hongdae restaurant is that alongside indoor seating, there's outdoor seating where you can really enjoy the view of the Gyeongui Line Forest Park while eating, haha. This would be even better on a day with the cool breeze we've been getting lately.

The inside also had spacious seating, and with the doors open to the outside, it felt a bit more natural and had a nice emotional vibe. The tables were round drum-can style.

What we ordered at Gogikkun Gimchunbae and what it cost

The menu at Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch had set menus, individual meat cuts, some simple sides, and tasty drinks. We ordered the set menu plus sides, haha.

• Hanwoo/Hanwoo Pork 2-Person Set ₩109,000
• Diced radish kimchi fried rice ₩8,000
• Half-and-half naengmyeon ₩7,000

And then the meat came out...! Wow, the bright red color looked so delicious, and they even had an aging fridge inside — the flavor and umami of aged meat is always amazing, ㅠㅠㅠ. The set came with hanwoo (Korean beef) skirt steak and hanwoo pork neck and galbi.

The side dishes were kimchi, bean sprouts, and seasoned scallion salad, plus wild garlic leaves and pickled onion. If you run low, they'll bring you more, haha.

Hanwoo chuck flap (salchisal), grilled for you by the staff

At Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch, a staff member grills the meat for you — explaining each cut and even bringing side dishes first, which was such a nice touch, and the way they grilled it so well was great service. They grilled the hanwoo skirt steak first, so I tried it, haha.

The skirt steak has a nutty, fatty flavor, so I dipped it in salt first — the fatty nuttiness spread through my mouth while the salt's saltiness cut through the richness just a bit. Really delicious.

Topping it with wild garlic leaves and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), the umami of the greens and the savoriness of the ssamjang blended together really well, letting me enjoy an even wider range of flavors, haha.

Half-and-half naengmyeon: cold broth and spicy noodles in one order

Being able to enjoy mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) and bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) half and half was such a clever, welcome touch, haha. It's always hard to decide between the two, so being able to get both this way was so nice.

Korean pork neck and rib meat with grilled minari and kimchi

After the beef, they grilled the hanwoo pork right away — the thick pork neck and galbi looked so mouthwatering.

They even grilled fragrant minari (water dropwort) and kimchi alongside it, putting together a really delicious spread, haha.

Trying the pork neck first, the balance of fat and lean meat made it tender, with juices bursting in my mouth — really delicious.

And you know how meat on the bone is always the best?! The galbi comes attached to a big rib bone, and compared to the pork neck it had a bit more chew and a stronger meaty aroma — the galbi was really delicious too, haha.

Wrapping it up with scallion salad on the side, the fragrance of the herbs and the flavor of the wrap together in my mouth was so good, haha. I never used to eat wraps as a kid... never thought I'd end up enjoying them so much.

And then eating this grilled minari and kimchi together with melt (fermented anchovy sauce)...! This was the best combination I had all day! The aroma of the minari, the flavor of the kimchi, and the umami of the melt all came together so well — really delicious, haha.

Finishing with diced radish kimchi fried rice, 8,000 won

And you can't skip the diced radish kimchi fried rice to finish off a meat meal — the staff even shaped it into a cute heart, which I loved. One bite in, the seasoning was really good, and the crunch of the diced kimchi mixed in with the meat flavor made for a delicious fried rice.

They even gave us candy at the end, which made for a really nice finish, haha.

Is Gogikkun Gimchunbae good for a date or a group dinner?

Today I took a walk along the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, got an early taste of the cooling autumn air on a date, and visited Gogikkun Gimchunbae, famous as a Hongdae restaurant, for a delicious dinner. With its outdoor-tent vibe, this Hongdae Korean BBQ spot has such a good atmosphere that it works great for both dates and group gatherings. The staff were so kind, and the meat especially was really fresh and delicious, so I came away from a very satisfying dinner, haha. If you're looking for a Hongdae restaurant or Hongdae Korean BBQ, I'd definitely recommend Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch.