Pork belly for two in Myeon-mok-dong, Seoul: Daepan Sotddukkeong

I just got back from a trip to Vietnam and was craving Korean food so badly, so I went to Daepan Sotddukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal, a neighborhood favorite in Myeon-mok-dong.

Daepan Sotddukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal / 151-30 Myeon-mok-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul / 11:00–22:00 (open every day) / No parking

Daepan Sotddukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal, the always-busy meat spot in Myeon-mok-dong

My boyfriend and I used to walk by this place a lot on strolls around the neighborhood, and it was always full of people, so I always thought it must be good.

After getting back from Vietnam and craving Korean food so much, we finally visited ourselves~ And again, it was packed — lots of local aunties and uncles from the neighborhood. Doesn't that basically confirm it's a real neighborhood favorite? haha

180g of pork belly for 16,000 won: what happens to the doenjang jjigae if you add kimchi jjigae?

The meat options were varied — samgyeopsal, mokssal, daepae, chadol — and 180g of samgyeopsal or mokssal for ₩16,000 seemed pretty affordable!

We couldn't resist adding kimchi jjigae to go with our two servings of samgyeopsal.

* Normally doenjang jjigae comes as part of the basic table setting, but apparently if you order kimchi jjigae as an add-on, the doenjang jjigae doesn't come out.

Green onion kimchi at the self-serve side dish bar

What I loved was that they had green onion kimchi. It's rare to find that at a BBQ restaurant, so this place is a real gem.

The basic side dishes were varied too — aged kimchi, bean sprouts, mushrooms, potatoes, green onion kimchi, lettuce wraps, green onion salad, and more, all looking fresh and delicious.

The green onion kimchi was fermented just the right amount — not too ripe (exactly how I like it).

If you leave food behind, you'll get a talking-to from the ajumma, so just take as much as you'll actually eat.

Since it's self-serve, it felt easy and low-pressure to use.

Kimchi pancake you fry yourself at the table

Another highlight of Daepan Samgyeopsal is that you can fry your own delicious kimchi pancake.

Not bad at all, if I do say so myself.

Loaded with kimchi, crispy and crunchy — done. I love a kimchi pancake packed with kimchi and crispy texture, and this one hit the spot exactly. There's more kimchi than flour, and since you fry it yourself, you can get it as crispy as you want. Seriously perfect drinking food.

Domestic fresh pork grilled on a cast-iron pot lid

Can you see the color of the meat? Maybe it's because it's domestic fresh pork, but the quality looks really good.

Honestly it's rare these days to eat meat grilled on an iron lid, so eating this way felt like a bit of a special treat. Am I the only one who thinks iron lid meat just tastes better than a regular grill pan? haha The kimchi and potatoes cooking in the meat drippings looked delicious too.

Is the kimchi jjigae thick or clean-tasting?

Finally, the kimchi jjigae arrived — loaded generously with tofu, meat, and kimchi. It had a clean flavor rather than a really thick, heavy one.

Truly the perfect Korean meal spread I'd been craving.

The meat browned up nicely in no time.

A spoonful of rice with green onion kimchi and meat together is pure bliss.

The combo of mushrooms, lettuce, pickled vegetables, and meat is great too.

Mixing and matching all these combinations, we polished off everything in no time.

Are two servings enough for two people?

When we first ordered, I worried two servings of meat wouldn't be enough for us and thought about adding one more serving of mokssal partway through — but nope, it was more than plenty, and we ended up stuffed. The portions weren't small at all, and between the kimchi pancake, the stew, and the rice, we got so full we couldn't order anything more...

At the end, the owner even gave us yogurt drinks on the house... Is it really okay to give away this much, sir? T.T

The prices were affordable, the meat quality was great, the side dishes were varied, and the owner and staff were all kind, so we had a really pleasant meal. We'd walked by so many times but never eaten there until now, and I get why it's always packed. We even talked about coming back again while we were eating. If you're looking for a good samgyeopsal spot in Myeon-mok, Jungnang-gu, I'd recommend this one~