Geumcheon pork belly restaurant for solo diners: Daepan couple set

Samgyeopsal (pork belly) is already delicious grilled on a plain pan, but somehow it tastes even better piled onto a giant iron hot plate along with kimchi and bean sprouts. Especially the kimchi that's slow-cooked in pork belly fat — that's a combination you reach for just as much as the meat itself. This time I visited Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal, a spot near Geumcheon-gu Office Station known for proper hot-plate samgyeopsal.

It's located in the Doksan Lotte Castle Gold Park commercial building, so it's walkable from Geumcheon-gu Office Station, and parking is available too — good accessibility whether you're grabbing a meal nearby or looking for a Doksan-dong group dinner spot. With thick cuts of meat, kimchi, and bean sprouts all sizzling together on a huge iron hot plate, it really felt like a proper meat feast after a while!

How to walk to Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal from Geumcheon-gu Office Station

Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal is located at 2F, Unit 240, WEST Building, Doksan Lotte Castle Gold Park 3, 1155 Doksan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. It's about 488m, roughly a 6-minute walk, from Geumcheon-gu Office Station on Line 1, so accessibility is pretty good.

🚇 From Geumcheon-gu Office Station, head toward Lotte Castle Gold Park 3-cha; once you reach the building, go up to the 2nd floor of the WEST building and you'll find it. If you're taking the bus, the Lotte Castle 3-cha stop is about 24m away — practically right in front — so it's convenient by bus too.

🚗 If you're driving, I'd recommend checking with the restaurant ahead of time about parking availability at the Doksan Lotte Castle Gold Park 3 lot and how long the free parking period is.

When you arrive at the Doksan Lotte Castle Gold Park building, the Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal sign is clearly visible on the 2nd floor, so it wasn't hard to find at all. The name stands out even from a distance, so I spotted it quickly on my first visit. Go inside the building and up to the 2nd floor and you'll find the restaurant.

Since it's walkable from Geumcheon-gu Office Station, it's a solid location for anyone looking for Doksan-dong restaurants who wants to get there by public transit.

Inside Daepan: seating for solo diners and Doksan-dong group dinners

Inside Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal, wood-tone tables and green chairs give the space a comfortable, clean feel overall. Each table has a large iron hot plate built right into the middle.

The tables are mostly set up for groups to sit around together, so it looked like a good spot for family meals as well as Doksan-dong group dinners. I visited alone that day and was still able to settle in comfortably and enjoy my meal. I was already excited just thinking about grilling meat on that hot plate :)

Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal menu and prices

🥩 The signature menu items at Daepan Sotttukkeong Kimchi Samgyeopsal are the 1+ grade Korean sow pork belly (samgyeopsal) and pork neck (mokssal). Both are 180g for ₩17,000, and the defining feature here is grilling the meat together with kimchi and bean sprouts on a large iron hot plate. As the meat cooks, the rendered fat naturally flows down and cooks the kimchi and bean sprouts alongside it, making them even more delicious.

Beyond samgyeopsal and mokssal, there's also Korean sow pork brisket (chadolbagi) at 180g for ₩16,000 and 1++ No.9 Korean beef brisket at 150g for ₩25,000, among other options. Side dishes include yeolmu kimchi noodles, water naengmyeon, and bibim naengmyeon, plus a basic Gangwon-do makjang doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) served as standard — a nice pairing with the meat.

The highlight is definitely eating golden-brown samgyeopsal together with kimchi slow-cooked on the hot plate! If you're looking for samgyeopsal in Doksan-dong, this place is great for enjoying the generous, hot-plate-style spread.

Ordering the couple set as one person

I visited alone that day, but since I wanted to try a variety of things, I ordered the couple set. The couple set includes samgyeopsal + pork neck + grilled cheese + steamed egg.

Before the meat arrived, the staff piled the large iron hot plate generously with kimchi and seasoned bean sprouts. Even the visual of the whole kimchi being laid on and grilled was impressive. The basic side dishes and sauces that pair well with meat were set out too, so all that was left was for the meat to arrive!

Samgyeopsal grilled on the iron lid, cut to bite size

🥩 The staff put the samgyeopsal and pork neck onto the large hot plate along with potatoes, onions, and king oyster mushrooms. They also placed the cheese included in the couple set onto the potatoes, one piece at a time, and grilled it golden brown. Since the staff grilled everything themselves until the meat was cut into bite-size pieces, all I had to do was sit back and wait :)

As everything cooked golden brown, the fat from the samgyeopsal spread across the hot plate, and the kimchi and bean sprouts nearby soaked up that savory fat, looking more and more appetizing by the minute. The samgyeopsal in particular had a good balance of fat and lean meat, crisping up golden on the outside while staying juicy inside. Grilling the meat together with kimchi, bean sprouts, potatoes, and mushrooms on one plate was genuinely fun.

The golden-brown meat had a really appetizing sear on the outside. Tasting it plain first, the savory juices and chewy texture were great, and dipping it into the spicy sauce that came alongside cut through the richness nicely.

The real highlight of hot-plate samgyeopsal is definitely the combination with the grilled kimchi! Piling the kimchi and bean sprouts, slow-cooked in pork belly fat, generously on top of the meat and taking a bite was savory and spicy at the same time — I kept reaching for more. I also tried it with pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi), which added a sharp, spicy kick and a different kind of appeal. If you're after samgyeopsal in Doksan-dong, try mixing and matching the various sides to your taste.

Steamed egg and doenjang jjigae fill out the set

🍲 The couple set also came with steamed egg. Soft and fluffy, it was mild and light, making it a nice palate cleanser between bites of the rich meat.

I also enjoyed a warm bowl of doenjang jjigae alongside everything. With tofu and vegetables in a hearty, savory broth, it was perfect for spooning up between bites of meat. Between the samgyeopsal, pork neck, grilled kimchi, bean sprouts, grilled cheese, steamed egg, and doenjang jjigae, I ended up eating quite the feast even though I was alone haha.

Why the pork-fat kimchi is the best bite at Daepan

🥢 The meat alone was delicious, but adding the kimchi and bean sprouts, properly cooked on the hot plate, was the finishing touch! The kimchi, soaked in samgyeopsal fat, grew richer and more flavorful as it slow-cooked, and piling the crisp bean sprouts on top of the meat gave a hit of both savoriness and spice all at once.

What I liked most was wrapping a well-grilled piece of meat in a big piece of kimchi and eating it in one bite.

What I personally appreciated was that it wasn't just about the meat. On one side of the hot plate, the samgyeopsal and pork neck grilled golden brown, while around the edges, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and cheese cooked together — giving you plenty to pick and choose from on a single plate. The cheese melted stretchy and golden on top of the potatoes in particular, and the combination of mild potato and savory cheese was quietly a real treat.

Since the staff grilled the meat into easy-to-eat pieces, dining solo was comfortable, and being able to enjoy both samgyeopsal and pork neck at once was satisfying too.

Honest verdict: taste, price, atmosphere and service

• ✔️ Taste: Golden-brown samgyeopsal and pork neck paired with kimchi and bean sprouts soaked in meat fat — the finishing touch, as expected! Grilled cheese on potatoes added extra variety.
• ✔️ Price: The couple set lets you sample several items at once, which felt more worthwhile than ordering items individually.
• ✔️ Atmosphere: A relaxed vibe centered around the big iron hot plate. Tables are spacious too, making it a good fit for Doksan-dong group dinners or gatherings.
• ✔️ Service: The staff grilled the meat into bite-size pieces themselves, which made things easy. Even dining alone, I was able to eat comfortably without feeling out of place.
• ✔️ Would I return: A place I'd want to come back to whenever I crave that meat-fat-soaked kimchi. Next time I'd like to try some of the other side dishes too.
• ✔️ Recommended for: anyone looking for good samgyeopsal in Doksan-dong, anyone who likes properly grilling kimchi along with meat on a hot plate, and anyone near Geumcheon-gu Office Station looking for a spot for a group dinner or gathering.