Jongno Korean BBQ before a Seosulla-gil walk, Nokdon pork belly: Cham

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch (참돼짓간 종로본점) is a pork restaurant on the ground floor of the Picadilly CGV building, right behind Jongno's pharmacy street. I went last week on a weekday, and the building stands out so much that even first-timers shouldn't have trouble finding it!

Maybe because good restaurants and Seoraunsil-gil are close by, the street was packed with people even on a weekday. Jongno has great food down every alley, so deciding where to eat can be tough, haha. It's a good spot to browse around before or after a meal or head toward Seoraunsil-gil, so I thought it would work well as part of a Jongno outing :) We arrived at about 5:30 PM and got in right away with no wait.

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno menu and the Nokdon cuts we ordered

The menu has plenty of cuts, including neck, pork belly, five-layer belly, Nokdon pork belly and Cheongyeopsal (jowl), so choosing was hard T_T I wanted to try every one, but... I went with what I was most curious about: 2 servings of Nokdon pork belly, 1 serving of Nokdon Cheongyeopsal and doenjang stew (soybean paste stew).

It seems they only handle black pork and grade 1 Boseong Nokdon. It was my first time trying Nokdon, so I was curious and wondering how it would taste.

Drinks and alcohol are of course available too

There are also plenty of sides like steamed egg, cold noodles and stews, so even in a group everyone can pick what they want and share!

Below the table order screen, sauce combinations are listed too, so you can enjoy the meat the way you like~~

What are the side dishes and grill setup like?

After you order, fresh vegetables and side dishes are set out, and the garlic stem pickles were totally my taste. I don't usually eat sour food, but the sharp tang was so appealing that I even got a refill!

On the grill they also put a dropwort-like vegetable, potato, kimchi and bean sprouts, hehe

Staff-grilled Nokdon pork belly and doenjang stew

The Nokdon pork belly, Cheongyeopsal and mushrooms came out soon after, and the staff grilled them for us, so we could eat in comfort.

Meanwhile the tasty-looking doenjang stew arrived too. It was exactly the classic BBQ-restaurant doenjang stew, and I scraped the pot clean.

Cooking nicely...... (loading.. Looks delicious, right? Hehe

I made a wrap and tried it too. Mm... this was a taste that demands a drink, so I quickly ordered a Kelly (beer).

I was touched that they even bring a milk thistle supplement with the bottle...

No wonder it has a reputation: not long after we arrived, the tables filled up fast~

Does Boseong Nokdon pork taste different from regular pork?

The Nokdon at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch wasn't tough even after it cooled, and as I ate I picked up a faint green-tea flavor. Since it was my first time trying Nokdon, I was oddly excited even before eating, haha.

Personally I check whether meat turns tough when it cools a bit, and here it stayed tender even after cooling, which I loved! And what was really amazing was the faint green-tea taste as I kept eating..?! Could be my imagination, but it felt slightly different from the pork I usually eat, which was fascinating...! Next time I'd like to try the other cuts I missed, one by one.

Finally I grilled the shredded potato until golden brown too. Bean sprouts, vegetables, wasabi, pickles, potato and more: it was fun mixing and matching things with the meat the whole time.

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno wait times: what time should you go?

We got in right away at about 5:30 PM on a weekday, but when we finished and came out around 6:30 PM, there was even a waiting line in front of the restaurant.. If you have plans, I recommend going a little early so you're not rushed!

If you want to try different cuts of pork in Jongno or are looking for a BBQ restaurant near Seoraunsil-gil, I recommend Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch!

A Seosulla-gil walk after Korean BBQ in Jongno

After eating I strolled all the way along Seoraunsil-gil, which helped digestion and made a perfect course~ The weather's lovely these days, so I recommend this route!