Seoul Korean BBQ in Dongdaemun: 5-second rice cake wraps, Donbyeorak

Today I'm sharing an honest review of Donbyeorak Kimchi Samgyeopsal Jangandong Main Branch (돈벼락김치삼겹살 장안동본점), a well-known Korean BBQ spot in Dongdaemun, where I had kimchi pork belly and cheese fish roe fried rice.

Where is Donbyeorak Jangandong Main Branch, and what are the hours and parking?

Donbyeorak Kimchi Samgyeopsal Jangandong Main Branch is at 24 Janghan-ro 26-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 1st floor, and it's open 15:00–00:50. You can park for free in front of the restaurant.

• 🏡 Location: 24 Janghan-ro 26-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• ⏰ Hours: 15:00–00:50
• 🚗 Parking: free in front of the restaurant

This Dongdaemun BBQ spot is near the Jangan-dong intersection, so it's easy to get to for group gatherings and company dinners.

Is Donbyeorak big enough for a group dinner?

The inside of Donbyeorak in Jangan-dong is spacious and pleasant overall, and it looked like it could easily handle big group dinners. The ventilation is really good too, so no worries about smelling like BBQ afterward!

Side dishes, free steamed egg and tablet ordering

At Donbyeorak, a BBQ spot near Janghanpyeong Station, we got a range of side dishes that go well with meat, like seasoned bean sprouts, radish wraps (musssam) and potato salad, plus fresh lettuce and other wraps.

When you order meat at Donbyeorak Jangandong Main Branch, a steamed egg comes free, so you can enjoy it before or after the meat :)

You order meat from your seat via tableside ordering, so adding more during the meal was easy.

What's on the Donbyeorak menu?

The menu has meats that pair well with kimchi, from kimchi pork belly to kimchi pork neck and kimchi pork jowl. There are plenty of sides too, so it's fun to pick and choose.

Donbyeorak events: pregnancy free pass, roulette and review draw

Donbyeorak in Jangan-dong was running a pregnancy free pass, a roulette event and a review event. Pregnant guests get priority entry and a free cold somyeon (thin wheat noodles), I was told.

• ✔️ Pregnancy free pass: priority entry for pregnant guests, free cold somyeon
• ✔️ Roulette event: free barley gangjeong (crunchy grain snack)
• ✔️ Review event: draw a prize ticket you can use the same day

From the free pass and cold somyeon for pregnant guests to the review and roulette events, there's a lot going on, so it seemed worth joining in and picking up the extras :)

Kimchi pork belly for 2, grilled by the hourglass

We started with 2 servings of kimchi pork belly. They set pork belly, kimchi, mushrooms and onion on the grill, and the meat quality was great and the kimchi looked delicious!!

The restaurant also has a detailed guide on how to eat Donbyeorak kimchi pork belly the tasty way.

When I grill meat on my own, I never really know when to flip it, so it's hard. But flipping by the hourglass as the guide says gave me just the right timing, and the meat came out great!

Here's the golden-brown kimchi pork belly..❤️ A piece of pork belly with kimchi on top adds so much savory depth, and it was a real rice thief (so good you want rice with it). Pork belly and kimchi really are a nearly foolproof winning combo!!

How to eat tteoksam: grill the rice cake wraps 5 seconds per side

Another specialty at Donbyeorak was tteoksam, rice cakes you wrap meat in. Grill the tteoksam on the grill for just 5 seconds per side and the rice cake turns chewy and soft, ready to wrap the meat. It was the first time I'd seen tteoksam at a BBQ restaurant.

The chewy rice cake and savory pork belly go together better than you'd expect, giving the meat a different texture, with a charm all its own compared to a lettuce wrap. I keep thinking about it, haha

Bibim somyeon with a mild, not-spicy sauce

Partway through the meat, I ordered bibim somyeon (spicy-sauce thin wheat noodles) as a side.

Donbyeorak in Jangan-dong has somyeon instead of naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), so I ordered it to eat with the meat, and the sauce isn't spicy, so it's easy to eat without any strain.

Flying fish roe fried rice with extra cheese, torched at the table

We finished with fish roe fried rice with extra cheese. A staff member torched the cheese right at the table, which made it even better. I was already really full by then, but you can't skip fried rice after meat, right?

Lift up the cheese and it stretches out in long strands, here's the Donbyeorak cheese fish roe fried rice. They put a ton of cheese in it, so dessert was a hearty finish too. If you like cheese, definitely add cheese to the fried rice!!

Donbyeorak Jangandong Main Branch: final verdict

At Donbyeorak Kimchi Samgyeopsal Jangandong Main Branch in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun, I had a filling dinner, from golden-grilled kimchi pork belly to fish roe fried rice. The place is huge and kept clean, so it looked good for group gatherings too, and if you're looking for a date-night spot near Janghanpyeong Station or Yongmasan Station, I recommend it :)