Korean BBQ in Jinhae, Changwon: staff-grilled pork belly at Godansu

Ever since we got married, my wife and I have had one habit: when something good happens, we don't put off celebrating it. Nothing fancy like a trip or a gift — usually it's just one line, "Let's go there tonight." For us, 'there' means Godansu Jinhae.

This time, Mumin won the top award for her AI project. I'd watched her work on it for months, so I was pretty proud, and I drove over the moment I got off work. When I counted, I realized we've been here more than 10 times. I think it's fair to call it our regular spot.

Godansu Jinhae: location, hours and parking in Jinhae

Godansu Jinhae is at 1F, 26 Naengcheon-ro12beon-gil, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, open daily from 17:00 to 23:00. Let's start with the practical info.

• Name: Godansu Jinhae
• Address: 1F, 26 Naengcheon-ro12beon-gil, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00–23:00
• Last order: 22:00
• Parking: No dedicated lot; roadside parking in the residential area
• Reservations: By phone or Naver Reservation

The first reason we come back so often is, honestly, that the meat is really good. The second reason is parking. Since it's tucked into a residential area rather than downtown, you can usually find a spot on the roadside without much trouble. Not worrying about parking on a dinner-out night is a bigger perk than it sounds.

That said, seats fill up fast after 6pm. Go right at opening, or make a reservation to be safe.

Inside Godansu Jinhae: clean tables and room for groups

Inside, Godansu Jinhae has wooden tables lined up under silver exhaust hoods, with seating from 4-tops up to group tables for 6. The exterior is tidy, but the interior is even more so. Tables are spaced generously, so it never feels cramped. Big windows mean you get a full view of the sunset in the evening.

There's a separate room further inside, which makes it a solid option for group gatherings. With 4-seat and 6-seat group tables, it's worth keeping in mind for a work dinner or family gathering.

If you have kids, there's something worth noting: they have baby chairs. In a BBQ restaurant, whether or not this exists makes a real difference. And this matters to me personally — the bathroom is clean. It's inside the restaurant and separated by gender. I think bathroom condition at a BBQ place says a lot about how well the whole place is run, and here, I can relax on that front.

Staff-grilled samgyeopsal, the real reason to come to Godansu Jinhae

The main menu at Godansu Jinhae is three cuts — samgyeopsal (pork belly), mokssal (pork neck), and hangjeongsal (pork jowl) — ordered via tablet. We always go for samgyeopsal. That's how much I like it.

Even the plate the meat comes out on is different. Thick-cut pork belly arrives alongside green onion and a chunk of pork fat. That fat isn't for eating — it's for greasing and coating the grill plate. The first time we came, we didn't know that and tried to eat it grilled.

A staff member grills the meat for you.

With thick-cut pork belly, it's easy to burn the outside while the inside stays underdone, or to miss the flip timing and lose all the juices. But that never happens here. Whoever's grilling clearly knows what they're doing, so you get to eat good meat without any failures. Not having to worry "will this thick cut turn out okay?" is, I think, exactly what you're paying for.

Why the pork belly tastes so good

• They grill on a combination of charcoal and cast iron plates. Cast iron holds heat and releases it evenly, which helps cook thick cuts through to the center.
• The restaurant emphasizes its own in-house meat-processing know-how — they say the trimming and aging process is aimed at removing gamey odor and preserving the grain of the meat.

It's not that hearing this explanation makes it taste better — you just know once you eat it. The outside is crisp, the inside is juicy and moist. When you chew, the fat doesn't linger heavily but goes down with a nutty richness. I'm no food critic so I'm not great with words for this, but it's just delicious.

Sauces and side dishes at Godansu Jinhae

Along with seaweed salt, several sauces come out: tuna ssamjang (dipping paste), fresh wasabi, teriyaki, salted squid jeotgal (fermented seafood), basil-style pesto, and sriracha mayo. At first I wondered why there were so many, but rotating between them depending on the cut and how it's grilled keeps the meat enjoyable all the way through without getting boring.

The basic side dishes are white kimchi, mustard-leaf kimchi, garlic, pickled vegetables, and a dressed lettuce salad.

That lettuce salad is something else. It's dressed tangily and they give you a generous amount. Put it on top of a piece of meat and the richness gets cut through, making room for the next bite. This is my favorite combination.

Japanese-style steamed egg: a different league from the usual pot version

The steamed egg at Godansu Jinhae comes out before the meat, and it's not the stone-pot style — it's closer to Japanese chawanmushi. It's also Mumin's favorite dish here.

Don't picture the usual BBQ-restaurant steamed egg. Forget that puffed-up version in a stone bowl — this is closer to Japanese style. The surface is smooth and the texture is even from top to bottom. Scoop it with a spoon and it comes away with a jiggly cut, but melts softly in your mouth. "Pudding" is probably the most accurate word for it.

The seasoning is spot-on too. It's not salty — it's sweet, so it keeps going down on its own, and works as a proper appetizer that opens up your palate before the meat. It feels less like a free BBQ-restaurant side and more like a menu item in its own right. If you want more, you can order it separately.

Soft tofu soybean paste stew and bibim-myeon

For the meal course, we ordered the soft tofu soybean paste soup. This one's also Mumin's pick.

I learned here that even doenjang jjigae (soybean paste soup) can be called elegant. A whole block of soft tofu sits in the middle of the stone pot, and it just breaks apart when you scoop it with a spoon. The broth isn't salty — it's savory, which makes it a perfect way to finish off after eating meat. BBQ-restaurant soybean paste soup is often quite intense, but this one goes the opposite direction.

And now my personal favorite dish here: the bibim-myeon.

Buckwheat noodles come topped with cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and egg garnish arranged by color, sprinkled with sesame seeds. It looks refined, and it tastes even better. It's set on the tangy side, so you can keep eating without getting weighed down. It's not the spicy-sweet style that gets tiring — it's the kind of sourness that pairs well alternating with meat.

I've tried making store-bought bibim-myeon at home a few times and never get this flavor. I don't know if it's the sauce blend or the noodles themselves that's different. Either way, I always order this when we come here.

💡 How Ori eats here — meat + bibim-myeon, or meat + dressed lettuce. Pick one. I'd recommend this combo to first-timers too.

What the staff at Godansu Jinhae are like

One more thing I want to note: the staff are kind.

At restaurants where staff grill your meat for you, they naturally come to your table often, and there's a difference between places where that feels intrusive and places where it doesn't. This place falls into the latter. They match the grilling pace to how fast you're eating and take care of what you need before you even ask. That's definitely part of why we've come back more than 10 times.

Is Godansu Jinhae worth a visit in Changwon?

• They grill the meat for you. Great if you're not confident grilling yourself.
• The steamed egg isn't the stone-pot kind. It's a pudding-like Japanese style.
• Pair the meat with the bibim-myeon and the dressed lettuce.
• Baby chairs, group seating, and clean bathrooms are all covered.
• Parking is relatively easy since it's in a residential area.

It's not an expensive place you only go on special occasions. But for us, it's become the place that naturally comes to mind whenever something good happens. Something I learned after getting married: celebrating doesn't have to be a big event. Eating something a little nicer than usual, and saying "you worked hard" — that's enough.

Congratulations on the top award, Mumin. Next time something good happens, we'll come back here again.