# Self-serve banchan bar at a Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ: Chowon Restaurant

- By Yerin Doh L. (https://superchart.com/en/@mapo-lantern-table/)
- Written Sep 18, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@mapo-lantern-table/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@mapo-lantern-table/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/index.md)

## In short

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is a frozen pork belly BBQ restaurant in the outdoor tent alley behind Tapgol Park in Jongno, Seoul. On a weeknight after work, the writer and friends took an outdoor table and ordered the pork belly set (53,000 won) and beef brisket doenjang jjigae (8,000 won) with soju-beer, refilling banchan as often as they liked from the self-serve bar. Between the lively tent atmosphere and the value for money, Chowon Restaurant made for a fully satisfying evening.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 30 Jongno 17-gil, 1F, Jongno-gu, Seoul (초원식당)
- **Hours**: Daily 12:00–22:00 (as stated in the original post)
- **Pork belly set**: 53,000 won — 270g frozen pork belly + 270g beef brisket belly (540g total)
- **Beef brisket doenjang jjigae**: 8,000 won
- **Banchan**: Self-serve bar (green onion salad, garlic, ssamjang and more)
- **Seating**: Outdoor tent tables — waits possible at peak hours
- **Price reference**: ₩53,000 ≈ $38 · ₩8,000 ≈ $5.8 (2026-09-19)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026*

Lately the evenings have turned cool with a gentle breeze, and it's been one of those stretches where going straight home just feels like a waste. On nights like this, you basically need meat and a shot of soju at an outdoor tent table to feel properly recharged! So the second I clocked out, I made plans with friends and headed straight to Chowon Restaurant, which has been blowing up on Instagram and blogs around Jongno 3-ga lately.

![Exterior of Chowon Restaurant in the Jongno 3-ga outdoor tent alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-01-gskvz-1200.webp)

![View of the outdoor tent street behind Tapgol Park near Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-02-1s6wf-966.webp)

## Where is Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, and when is it open?

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is at 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the outdoor tent alley behind Tapgol Park. It's a quick walk from Jongno 3-ga Station, and it's open daily from noon to 10pm.

The Jongno 3-ga tent street usually gets packed once night falls, but since the restaurant is right in the alley, it wasn't hard to find. We got there just after 7pm after leaving work right on time, and the tent atmosphere was already in full swing.

![Chowon Restaurant's outdoor tables around 7pm](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-03-1eb2k-m-966.webp)

## Outdoor tent tables at Chowon Restaurant: is there a wait?

Heads up: on weekends or during evening peak hours, the outdoor tent seats at Chowon are popular enough that a wait can happen, so I'd recommend getting there a bit early. The moment we arrived we grabbed a spot at one of the outdoor tables, and the lively, homey buzz of the place had us in a good mood before we'd even ordered the meat.

![Our seats at Chowon Restaurant's outdoor tent](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-04-32k9w-966.webp)

Watching people pass by, feeling the open-air breeze while grilling meat — that tent atmosphere alone made the trip worth it.

## Free refills at the self-serve banchan bar

For the basic banchan (side dishes), Chowon has a separate self-serve bar where you grab as much as you like yourself.

![Chowon Restaurant's basic banchan self-serve bar](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-05-186t2-966.webp)

![Green onion salad, garlic and ssamjang brought over from the self-serve bar](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-06-pvy5p-966.webp)

Honestly, at a lot of BBQ places it feels awkward to keep asking staff for banchan refills, but here you can go back to the self-serve bar for green onion salad, garlic, ssamjang and more as many times as you want without any awkwardness — genuinely convenient. The bar was kept very clean too, and every single banchan was seasoned just right to go with the meat.

![Chowon Restaurant's menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-07-x4mg2-966.webp)

## What comes in the 53,000 won pork belly set

After going back and forth over the menu, we went with the pork belly set, the signature dish everyone apparently orders most. It costs ₩53,000, and the portion was seriously generous — 270g of frozen pork belly plus 270g of beef short rib belly, about 540g total, just the right amount for two or three people to enjoy as drinking food.

![The pork belly set spread with frozen pork belly and beef short rib belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-08-cpj8f-966.webp)

![Plate of the 540g pork belly set](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-09-12j30-966.webp)

Given how expensive Seoul has gotten, getting this much meat for this price right in the middle of the Jongno tent street feels like excellent value.

![Beef short rib belly and frozen pork belly laid on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-10-1mfye-966.webp)

![The tent-side grill sizzling with meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-11-1cka7-966.webp)

### Grilling frozen pork belly and beef brisket belly

Once we laid the beef short rib belly and frozen pork belly on the heated grill, it started sizzling and cooking fast. The beef short rib belly is thin so it cooks quickly — I tried a piece first dipped lightly in sesame oil sauce, and the moment it hit my mouth, savory fat spread through and the tender texture was fantastic.

![A piece of beef short rib belly dipped in sesame oil sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-12-1o8mn-966.webp)

![Beef short rib belly grilled to a golden brown](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-13-1qo3g-966.webp)

The pork belly, grilled until nicely crisp and wrapped up with green onion kimchi, garlic and chili, had zero dryness — the savoriness was incredible!

![A pork belly wrap with green onion kimchi and garlic](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-14-ubn6j-966.webp)

![Crisply grilled pork belly with side dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-15-1m7cx-966.webp)

At some cheaper pork belly places you sometimes get a gamey smell or way too much rendered fat that turns greasy, but Chowon's meat had absolutely no gamey smell — clean and savory, the kind you can't stop eating.

## Is the 8,000 won beef brisket doenjang jjigae worth adding?

After going hard on the meat, we started craving something hot and rich in broth, so we ordered the beef brisket doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew, ₩8,000) as a side.

![Chowon Restaurant's beef brisket doenjang jjigae, ₩8,000](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-16-asl10-966.webp)

![Doenjang jjigae broth with brisket and tofu](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-17-zm5jt-966.webp)

This doenjang jjigae was a genuine plot twist. Along with tofu and vegetables, the stew was loaded with brisket, so the broth flavor was incredibly deep and rich. The savory soybean paste base with just the right amount of brisket fat melted in — the moment we tried a spoonful, we all shouted that the broth was insane!

> After all that fatty meat, one sip of this brisket doenjang jjigae broth washed away the greasiness completely and settled my stomach — perfect as a side dish and somehow like a hangover cure at the same time!

If you visit, definitely add the beef brisket doenjang jjigae!

![Outdoor tent table set with meat and beef brisket doenjang jjigae](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-18-1lu16-966.webp)

![A spoonful of the doenjang jjigae broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-19-pbxb6-966.webp)

## Mixing soju-beer with soju and Terra

With a combo this perfect between the meat and the stew, drinks were non-negotiable, so we ordered soju and Terra and mixed up a refreshing soju-beer. With the breeze drifting through the outdoor air, the lively vibe, and the meat and stew both on point, the drinks went down way too smoothly that night.

![A glass of soju-beer mixed from soju and Terra](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-20-1om4e-966.webp)

![Soju-beer and a piece of pork belly at the outdoor tent](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set-21-hotul-966.webp)

Downing a cold glass of soju-beer and then popping in a perfectly grilled piece of pork belly — the whole day's fatigue just melted away.

## Who should eat at Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga?

Overall, between the food, the convenience of the banchan bar, the service, and above all that distinct tent-street atmosphere, there was nothing lacking about this visit.

- Anyone near Jongno who wants pork belly and soju-beer with real outdoor tent vibes after work
- Couples looking for a date with a different kind of atmosphere
- Friend groups planning a drinking night out

Before it gets any colder, I'd really recommend grabbing an outdoor tent table and trying the pork belly set with the beef brisket doenjang jjigae combo. I'm already thinking about rounding up my friends again for a repeat visit soon!

## Where it is

- Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch (초원식당 종로3가점)
- 30 Jongno 17-gil, 1F, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당
- 37.5717479, 126.9887101
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B4%88%EC%9B%90%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5717479,126.9887101,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@mapo-lantern-table/jongno-chowon-sikdang-self-bar-samgyeop-set/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt