Gangnam Korean BBQ restaurant for charcoal pork belly: Bongu Hwarro

Craving properly grilled meat with that subtle charcoal aroma, I visited Bongu Hwarro (봉우화로), a longtime favorite Korean BBQ restaurant near Gangnam Station✨ This place is well known by word of mouth for pork belly in Gangnam, too.

Bongu Hwarro in the uphill alley by Gangnam Station

The moment I entered the uphill alley by Gangnam Station, the Bongu Hwarro sign immediately caught my eye! Right from the entrance, it had all the presence of a traditional brazier-grill spot✨

A large menu board out front made it easy to look over the different cuts and choose before going in🥩

The retro, cozy dining room made it a perfect place for a Gangnam Station group dinner, too🍽️

Using the tablet installed at each table, I could browse the menu and conveniently order the meat and sides I wanted📱

Wrap vegetables and banchan

A basket arrived neatly filled with fresh, bright-green lettuce for ssam (Korean lettuce wraps), perfect alongside the meat🥬

The table was filled with neat, generous basic banchan (Korean side dishes), including pa-jeori (seasoned scallion salad), musaengchae (seasoned shredded radish), and dongchimi (water kimchi), all of which brought out the meat's flavor🥗

Grilling pork belly and marinated beef over charcoal

Fresh pink pork belly arrived beautifully curled into rounds with mushrooms🥩 Up close, the balance of lean meat and fat looked excellent, and the meat looked wonderfully moist and fresh✨

A generous serving of red-hued beef, tossed in a flavorful marinade with mushrooms, came out as well🥩

I spread the pork belly and mushrooms wide across the heated grill and started cooking them until they sizzled and turned golden🔥 As the gentle charcoal aroma soaked in, the excess fat rendered away and everything cooked up crisp yet juicy✨

Turning it carefully so it would not burn created the perfect look, with glossy juices flowing from the meat👍

Once it was fully cooked to a delicious golden brown, it was easy to enjoy every last piece while warm💖

Even a hot earthenware stew

The bubbling ttukbaegi (earthenware pot) stew was packed with ingredients, and its savory, pleasantly spicy broth was absolutely excellent🍲

Having a full platter of meat alongside the hot stew made for a perfect, deeply satisfying finish✨

What I liked about Bongu Hwarro

• The meat is grilled with care over a brazier, making it easy to enjoy moist juices and a deep smoky aroma🔥
• From fresh pork belly to marinated meat, there is a generous, filling selection that should suit almost everyone🥩
• With its cozy atmosphere and convenient ordering system, I highly recommend it for a Gangnam Station date or group dinner✨