Nowon Korean BBQ for in-laws with bibim naengmyeon: Junggye Gogi Party

We hadn't visited my in-laws' place in a while, and it was way too hot to cook at home, so we went out to a Nowon restaurant the whole family could enjoy. This is Junggye Gogi Party.

Parking and atmosphere at Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch

This Nowon restaurant has 7 parking spots in front, and since it's tucked away in a quiet spot rather than a busy street, it's become a Nowon favorite mostly through word of mouth.

This Nowon restaurant has quite a lot of tables inside. It was cool and clean, so eating meat here was totally comfortable.

We'd made a reservation ahead, so all the side dishes were already set at our table when we arrived. Any lettuce wraps or extras we needed were at the self-serve bar, which was really convenient.

Beef and pork in one place

One great thing about this Nowon restaurant is that you can eat both beef and pork here.

We came as a party of four and thoroughly enjoyed both beef and pork, and since they also have lunch specials, plenty of people come in just for a meal, not necessarily for the meat.

Starting with sirloin from the premium beef set 500g

We had to start with beef first! The premium beef set comes to 500g, and it includes sirloin, chuck flap, and prime beef short rib.

We started by grilling the thick, classic sirloin. The charcoal was good so the meat cooked quickly, and true to a good Nowon restaurant, the beef quality was excellent.

With fine, even marbling, the sirloin was gorgeous just to look at! Since it's beef, we didn't cook it too long — tried it around medium-well.

There was a separate tray for setting aside fully cooked meat, and this kind of small thoughtful touch made it a great restaurant to bring parents to.

What's at the self-serve bar

While the beef cooked, we checked out the self-serve bar. It was stocked with ssamjang, lettuce wraps, peppers, wild garlic leaves — all things that go well with beef and pork.

They'd also set us up with small plates and little bowls of garlic and oil to put on the grill.

There was homemade sikhye (sweet rice punch) too, perfect for a refreshing finish after the meat.

The sirloin was fully cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces for us, and we enjoyed the delicious sirloin with all the sauces and side dishes.

The 3-piece sauce set and 3 types of salt

They gave us a separate 3-piece sauce set that pairs well with beef: shiitake wasabi, fresh wasabi, and wholegrain mustard. It's tasty dipped in salt too, but eating it with wasabi cuts the richness and feels like it takes the flavor up a notch.

Grilling a whole king oyster mushroom full of juice alongside was also amazing.

The first bite has to be with salt! This Nowon restaurant has 3 kinds of salt — Andes salt, Himalayan pink salt, and curry salt — so you can pick whichever suits your taste.

The shiitake and fresh wasabi also paired really well with wild garlic leaves. The beef had a nice subtle meaty aroma, and being grilled just right, it was moist and tender rather than chewy.

Brisket doenjang stew

In the middle of the meal, we had the brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), which was packed with enoki mushrooms, zucchini, tofu, and plenty of meat — savory and mildly spicy, exactly the classic doenjang stew you'd want at a BBQ place.

Chuck flap and prime beef short rib

After quickly finishing the clean-tasting sirloin, next up was the chuck flap. The texture was impressive — it truly melted in the mouth — and much more tender than the sirloin, which was honestly amazing.

Grilled just briefly over the charcoal so only the surface browns, it kept its juices while the fat's flavor really came through — it was incredible!

Last was the prime beef short rib. It came out already cut, ready to grill without any extra work.

Unlike the sirloin and chuck flap, if you want that satisfying chew, this rib cut suits you well.

The whole king oyster mushroom, grilled whole, had a browned outside while the inside stayed moist and springy — great to eat with the meat. Grilling it whole meant it was full of juice, which made it even more delicious.

Iberico pork neck and meljeot

After finishing the beef, we moved on to pork, which came with a well-matched dipping sauce called meljeot. It's made from Chuja Island anchovy jeotgal (fermented anchovy sauce), and it didn't have that fishy taste I expected from meljeot — even dipping generously, it wasn't salty at all.

The pork neck at this Nowon restaurant was extra special because it's Iberico black pork. The beef was really good, but after eating everything, I was thinking this place is truly a champion when it comes to pork — thick cuts and great quality.

It went well with garlic grilled in oil, and adding wild garlic leaves plus pickled radish really cut through the richness.

Even though it's pork neck, there was no dryness at all, and dipping it deep into the tangy, umami-rich meljeot kept me going back for more.

Pork jowl, a texture genius

Last up was the pork jowl, a genius when it comes to texture — chewy yet crunchy, a really appealing cut.

Being Iberico pork, it had just the right amount of fat, and a savory flavor that built up the more you chewed, made even better grilled over charcoal.

The jowl's distinctive grain came through beautifully — crispy on the edges while staying chewy in the middle, giving it a totally different appeal from the pork neck.

Finishing with bibim naengmyeon

We were full, but naengmyeon (cold noodles) after all that meat is non-negotiable. There were so many side dish options that it was hard to choose, but since it was a hot summer day, we picked bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles).

The seasoning sauce that grabs your taste buds, plus cucumber, pickled radish, egg garnish, and even meat topping — it was a really solid dish. There's also a post-meal naengmyeon option, but since the price difference isn't big, we'd recommend ordering the regular size.

They also gave us vinegar and mustard to mix in as we liked. After eating our fill of beef and pork, the bibim naengmyeon cleared away all the lingering meat taste in our mouths.

Finishing a meaty meal with naengmyeon, even when you're already full, is always the way to go.

On our way out, they gave us coffee, iced tea, and yakult, which was a perfect palate cleanser after all that meat. If you add Junggye Gogi Party on KakaoTalk Channel after your first visit, they regularly give out free coupons and let you earn 5-10% in points, so come enjoy the meat and grab the perks too!