Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ, after-work soju and potato wraps: Cham

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch / Jongno Korean BBQ, Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ, Jongno 3-ga meat restaurant

• Hours: daily 12:00-23:00
• Location: 137 Donui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Parking: none
• Reservations: call ahead

One minute from Jongno 3-ga Station: Cham Dwaejitgan after work

Hi there :) I was craving pork belly after work the other day, so I headed to Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch! It's about a one-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station..? so I found it easily, and it's already famous as a great Korean BBQ spot in Jongno, so my hopes were up haha. The restaurant is fairly big! It was a weekday, so there were lots of company dinner groups and quite a few couples on dates too.

A aging fridge that builds trust right away

Right as you walk in there's an aging fridge, and being able to see the meat actually aging in there shows how fresh it is, so I trusted the place even more.

What we ordered

• Boseong black pork belly, 2 servings
• Steamed egg (gyeran-jjim)
• Fried rice

That's what we ordered! You can order at a kiosk, which was convenient, and there's a Naver review event going on, so it's worth joining in.

I liked the table setup from the start

The side dishes seemed generous too. Kimchi, bean sprouts and even minari (water dropwort) are set out for grilling, and there are plenty of sauces, so you can eat it however you like.

They also brought milk thistle along with the soju. Such a fun touch for people who drink haha. A BBQ place that even thinks about your liver health? First time I've seen that..? hahaha

Thick Boseong black pork belly, grilled by the staff

See how thick the Boseong black pork belly is.. The ratio of fat to lean meat was just right, and it looked amazing even before grilling. And as you'd expect from a Jongno 3-ga BBQ favorite, the staff grill it for you from start to finish! Meat really does taste best when an expert grills it hahaha

Juicy pork belly

Golden brown.. drooling.. They grill it so the inside stays moist, you know? Not a drop of juice was lost, it was seriously delicious!!

Grilling minari, kimchi, mushrooms and bean sprouts alongside makes the drinks go down so easily.. no wonder it's famous as a Jongno BBQ spot 🙏🏻

The signature at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno is the potato wrap

I've actually been to other Cham Dwaejitgan branches, but the signature here is definitely the potato wrap!!! You wrap pork belly, scallion and 💗the signature mushroom wasabi💗 in a thin grilled potato slice, and this combo is seriously amazing. The mildness of the potato, the pork fat getting balanced out, plus the savory depth of the mushroom wasabi.. I think I ate all the potato wraps myself.. hahaha

Fluffy steamed egg

I recommend the steamed egg too. It's not like it has some extraordinary flavor, but the basics are the best.

The looks are not bad either!! It goes well with the meat and is just right for a bite now and then haha

Korea's dessert: fried rice with mushroom wasabi

If you eat meat and skip the fried rice, you're not Korean. Just not.

The staff fry it for you, and try putting a little mushroom wasabi on top. The savory flavor really pops, such a treat!! Highly recommend!!!

Self-serve bar and extras: fine for company dinners and dates

At the end I checked out the self-serve bar and the service notice. There are aprons, hair ties, phone chargers and more, so it felt really thoughtful! It's good for company dinners and the mood works for dates too, so if you're looking for Korean BBQ in Jongno or Jongno 3-ga, I recommend giving it a visit. Definitely try the potato wrap, it's much better than you'd expect 😋