Seongnam pork belly restaurant with a free mukbap side: Mat Chandeul

Today I went out to Moran and ended up having dinner at Mat Chandeul Wang Sogeum Gui Moran Branch 💕

I actually visit the Jeongja branch of Mat Chandeul often enough to call myself a regular there. It's a samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) place I always enjoy, so I suddenly got curious about how this other branch compares.

Why a Jeongja branch regular tried Mat Chandeul Moran

"It's the same chain, but would a different branch really taste the same?" Honestly, even within the same chain, the grilling style, side dish lineup, and staff service can vary enough between branches that the taste ends up feeling different haha.

So this time, partly for a change of scenery, I headed to Mat Chandeul Wang Sogeum Gui Moran Branch! Spoiler: the classics really are classics for a reason hahaha.

Sunday evening at Mat Chandeul Moran and booking a table

Even though I visited on a Sunday evening, the restaurant was pretty packed. There were tables of friends, couples, family dinners, and even larger group tables that looked like work dinners. I could see why this is such a popular Moran hoesik (work dinner) spot.

We'd booked ahead, so the table was already set up neatly when we arrived. I loved that there was so much to pair with the meat beyond just the meat itself — and of course my favorites, wasabi and salted shrimp sauce, were right there!

The free mukbap the Jeongja branch never served

On top of that, they'd set out pickled peppers, spicy radish salad, and scallion salad, so every bite of meat could be a different combo — so fun. And then, out came a mukbap (acorn jelly salad) as a complimentary extra, something I'd never seen at the Jeongja branch — total bonus moment 🍀 haha. Eating the tangy, cooling mukbap between bites kept my palate clean so I could just keep eating meat 😂

What comes in the 650g B Set, and what does it cost?

We ordered the B Set! It's 650g of meat plus a stew — half pork belly, half pork neck. You can choose doenjang stew or kimchi stew; we didn't hesitate and went straight for kimchi stew. Price: ₩73,000!

I figured 650g would be a decent amount, but when the meat actually arrived, it was more than I expected. The cuts were laid out so neatly — the visual alone was gorgeous hahaha.

And the staff grilled it for us — arranging each piece so precisely on the grill, it was oddly satisfying to watch. Watching the meat cook only built up my anticipation more.

How the pork belly tasted

🥓 Pork belly first, woohoo! I grabbed a golden-brown piece and the outside was nutty and savory while the inside stayed juicy. The rich, deep pork belly flavor really came through, and the fat wasn't overly greasy or mushy — just pleasantly chewy and tender.

It was great dipped in just plain salt, and a tiny dab of wasabi cut through the richness for a totally different vibe. I personally love the pork belly + wasabi combo, so I kept eating it that way haha. Dipped in the salted shrimp sauce, it got salty and savory, the kind of flavor that has you eating meat nonstop without even needing rice!

How the pork neck differs from the pork belly

🥩 Next up, pork neck~~ It's leaner than the belly but never dry — you get that thick-cut chewiness and juiciness. The outside grilled up nutty and golden, and biting in, the inside was moist with a firm bite, clearly a different charm from the belly.

It was especially good with the pickled peppers or spicy radish salad — the tangy crunch kept things from getting greasy, so I just kept eating. Add a bit of scallion salad on top and you get meat + tangy-spicy seasoning + crisp scallion all in one bite — so good 👍

Finishing the meal with kimchi stew

I was already pretty full from all the meat, but there's no skipping the stew haha. We'd chosen kimchi stew, and it was a spicy, deep, hearty one — perfect to finish with rice after all that meat. The kimchi had fermented down nicely, so its tangy, savory flavor had really soaked into the broth, and one hot spoonful cleared away all the richness from the meat!

A spoonful of rice topped with kimchi stew broth and a bit of kimchi, and... I was completely stuffed hahaha. Meat plus stew really felt like a full, proper meal.

Different branch, still the same Mat Chandeul

Mat Chandeul is a chain samgyeopsal restaurant I've always been satisfied with, so this time I went into the Moran branch with an open mind, ready for a new experience. And honestly — different branch or not, Mat Chandeul is Mat Chandeul haha. The meat quality was satisfying, having staff grill it made everything easy, and there were so many side dishes to pair with the meat. Best of all, the 650g set lets you properly enjoy both pork belly and pork neck, which makes it a solid order for a group too.

If you're looking for a good pork restaurant around Moran, Mat Chandeul Wang Sogeum Gui Moran Branch is a familiar, never-fails choice worth trying :)