Gangnam Seoul Korean BBQ with pre-grilled pork: Ongijip

Today I went to Ongijip Main Branch (옹기집 본점), a Korean barbecue restaurant in Apgujeong. I had Pre-Grilled Set A with beer and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), and because the meat comes pre-grilled from the kitchen, there was barely any grilling pressure at all.

Getting to Ongijip Main Branch from Apgujeong Station

It is about 600 m from Exit 3 of Apgujeong Station, or a 7–8 minute walk. It sits at the entrance to the Seven Eleven alley behind Sunshine Hotel near the Eulji Hospital Intersection, so using the hotel as your landmark makes it easy to find. It takes around 12 minutes from Exit 8 of Hakdong Station and around 14 minutes from Exit 8 of Sinsa Station.

It is slightly removed from the busy area right in front of Apgujeong Station, so the alley was fairly quiet. There is a simple menu introduction out front, plus a small waiting area.

If you are driving, the restaurant does not have its own parking lot. Valet is available for ₩5,000, but it is best to contact them beforehand; if you are parking yourself, set Apgujeong Overpass Street Public Parking Lot as your destination—it is a 10-minute walk away. It costs ₩3,000 per 30 minutes.

An interior with less smoke and lingering smell

Inside, there are no smoke ducts hanging over every table like at a typical Korean barbecue restaurant. The meat is pre-grilled on a kitchen grill before it comes out, so there is hardly any smoke; the open ceiling also made the space feel roomy.

The lighting is a little dim, and there are tables for four as well as group seating. The tables are generously spaced, so it was easy to chat without worrying about the next table. Without that characteristic stale barbecue smell, it felt closer to a neat Korean restaurant.

The grill on the table is the highlight here. It is a patented onggi grill developed in-house using traditional Korean earthenware as inspiration; they say it renders fat while retaining juices and holds its temperature for a long time, so every last piece stays warm.

What comes with Pre-Grilled Set A

Pre-Grilled Set A is ₩57,000 for 500 g, meant for 2–3 people: 200 g aged premium pork neck, 150 g aged pork belly, and 150 g low-temperature-aged gabrisal (pork collar). It is a popular menu because you can try all three cuts at once. A mixed mushroom platter and Ongijip’s myeoljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) come with it too.

They use only domestic female pork, and the kimchi is said to be 100% Korean-grown too. Beyond pork, there is 1++ Korean beef sirloin, thin-sliced brisket, and yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), while drinks include traditional Korean liquor, wine, and highballs as well as soju and beer. Corkage is charged.

The basic table setting

Once you sit down, seasoned scallion salad, lettuce, garlic, chili peppers, ssamjang (savory dipping paste), and salt are set out first. They say all the side dishes are made in-house, and the ssamjang and scallion salad are specialties here. The sweet-and-tangy scallion salad went especially well with the meat. The kimchi is house-made with domestic ingredients, and one serving comes as part of the basics.

Pre-Grilled Set A, finished by the staff

When you order, the pre-grilled meat comes out from the kitchen, and a staff member puts it on the onggi grill and finishes cooking it at the table. I barely had to pick up the tongs, so I could simply eat without worrying that the conversation would be interrupted.

Pre-grilling means cooking the exterior ahead of time to render some fat while keeping the juices in. The meat was thick, but thanks to the pre-grilling it did not need long on the grill, which was nice when I was hungry and did not want to wait.

Of the three cuts, I was surprised by how lean and not at all dry the pork neck was. The gabrisal had a crisp bite, while the pork belly was savory even with just salt. They grilled enoki mushrooms and garlic alongside it, then sliced and added onions at the end. The onions turned sweet as they cooked, making them great with the meat.

Gangneung-style doenjang stew with a makjang base

I also had doenjang-jjigae with the meat. Listed as Gangneung Grandma Doenjang for ₩7,000 on the menu, it has a Gangwon-do-style makjang (aged soybean paste) base, so it was more deeply savory and pleasantly spicy than regular doenjang stew. There was plenty of mushroom and tofu in it.

Ongijip began in Gyodong, Gangneung, in 1996, which is why the doenjang carries the Gangneung name. They opened a Seoul branch near Sinnonhyeon Station in 2011, then moved to their current Apgujeong, Sinsa-dong location in 2023.

They sometimes offer doenjang stew free through a Naver review event, so ask a staff member before ordering. There is also a separate save-and-notification event.

For the finish, the Flying Fish Roe Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice for ₩5,000 is popular. I had it, but I was so busy eating that I forgot to take a photo, haha. I recommend it to anyone looking for a company dinner spot in Apgujeong!