Late-night Korean BBQ after overtime in Jongno 3-ga: Tapgol Gongwon

A Monday night after overtime: a naengsam spot found in Jongno 3-ga

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch (탑골공원 종로3가점) is an outdoor naengsam (frozen pork belly) BBQ place on Supyo-ro, near Jongno 3-ga Station. I'd just finished working late on a Monday.. every place near my office had already closed, and I was staggering with hunger. Somehow I ended up walking all the way to Jongno 3-ga and stepping into a restaurant with a great vibe! That was Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch ❤️

• Address: 111 Supyo-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: daily 17:00 - 01:00
• Parking: not available
• Restroom: separate

What do the exterior and outdoor seating look like?

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch has no indoor hall; you walk around the side to the outdoor seating. I tried to go inside, but.. there was no inside!!? 😮 Huh..?? But then

I turned a little to the side

The atmosphere, what is this..?? Wow.. I could only stare

I was seated near the restroom, and the outdoor view was just art..🥺❤️

Menu and prices at Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch

The menu starts with the Tapgol set, then flash-frozen pork belly ₩18,000, flower pork neck ₩19,000 and duck loin ₩18,000. Sides are kimchi fried rice ₩6,000, beef brisket doenjang stew ₩7,000, pork kimchi stew ₩9,000, and steamed egg ₩5,000😋 Side dishes are self-serve!!❤️ I'll show you the self-serve bar in a sec!!

My friend and I had already eaten dinner, so we ordered only 2 servings of naengsam 🤤!! My first thought was that I should come back next time for a proper meal!!

Basic side dishes and an izakaya-like self-serve bar

As you'd expect at a naengsam place, the basic sides are bean sprouts, kimchi and green onion kimchi 🤤 Garlic, chili peppers, ssamjang (dipping paste), bracken, wasabi and pepper come too. There were no lettuce wraps, so I asked, and they told me to go to the self-serve bar. So I headed over, and..?

The self-serve bar is in the prettiest spot ever.. hahaha The interior honestly surprised me at this restaurant..

There's a fridge full of drinks and alcohol, and loads of wrap greens I hadn't spotted earlier 🥬 The outdoor area was already crazy atmospheric, but the self-serve bar had full izakaya (Japanese pub) vibes..😮

The picnic basket beside the table has drinking glasses, spoons, chopsticks, and even cups and wet wipes!!😯

How did the 2 servings of flash-frozen pork belly taste?

The 2 servings of flash-frozen pork belly are today's main event ❤️🥓 Our pretty 2 servings of frozen pork belly have arrived 😋

Straight away I put on the kimchi, bean sprouts and bracken, then the naengsam 😍❤️ Wow.. maybe it's the great outdoor vibe, but the food looks amazing too 😎

I sprinkled on pepper and flipped the kimchi and the meat ❤️ Maybe because it's naengsam, it cooked fast 😆

The atmosphere, seriously, what..😮🔥 Eating naengsam in a place like this made it taste even bigger, like a double portion..

One bite with bean sprouts and kimchi, the next with bean sprouts and green onion kimchi, and the naengsam on the grill vanished in no time..!!🥺❤️

Only four pieces left already...🥺 I'm Cinderella, so it was almost time to go home, and I had to turn away with regret.. but

Ah.. of course I finished everything...🫪

What to know before visiting Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch

There may be a wait on weekends, and the time limit is 1 hour 30 minutes, so keep that in mind!!🤤 I finished this delicious naengsam near Tapgol Park in Jongno 3-ga, completely taken with the unusual outdoor setting and atmosphere ❤️ Ikseon-dong is close too, so if you're out on a date in Jongno, try Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch for dinner, where the outdoor vibe is the real deal ❤️