Jongno3-ga salt-grilled pork belly with subtle smoke: Cham Dwaejitgan

Today I wanted to eat proper Korean BBQ in Jongno3-ga, so I went to Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch. It's on the 1st floor of the Piccadilly CGV building, so it was easy to find, and in the evening it was busy enough to have a wait.

Let me walk through the taste of the meat, the side dishes, and the overall vibe of the place.

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch, and when is it open?

• 📍 Address: 1 Donhwamun-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Piccadilly CGV theater, 1st floor, unit 1-89)
• 📍 Location: about 1 minute on foot from Jongno3-ga Station Exit 2 or 2-1
• 📍 Hours: daily 12:00–23:00
• 📍 Closed: open every day
• 📍 Parking: not available

The storefront and waiting area inside Piccadilly CGV, 1st floor

Since it's located on the 1st floor of the Piccadilly CGV building, it was easy to find once I went inside the building.

True to a BBQ restaurant, the menu and store signage caught my eye even before entering, and there was a waiting area set up too. Sure enough, in the evening there were enough waiting customers to make the place feel lively.

Inside Cham Dwaejitgan: room for groups and company dinners

The interior of Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch was bigger than I expected, so it seemed fine for a group visit too. The tables were spaced comfortably enough for a relaxed meal, and I actually saw plenty of group customers and what looked like company dinners.

Overall it had a bright, lively Korean BBQ atmosphere — good for a meal with friends, and just as suited to a bigger group having meat with drinks.

Cham Dwaejitgan menu: Boseong nokdon, Jirisan black pork, specialty cuts

The signature items were Boseong nokdon pork and Jiri Mountain black pork, and beyond those there were specialty cuts like cheongyeopsal (pork jowl) and gabrisal, so there was plenty of choice by cut.

There was also a good range of dishes to pair with the meat. Jiri Mountain arrowroot cold noodles (mul naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon), kimchi jjigae, doenjang jjigae, steamed egg, fried rice, and margarine soy-sauce egg rice were all on offer, so it was easy to wrap up the meal with a proper dish afterward.

The banchan (side dishes) came out in a pretty wide variety. Minari, bean sprouts, and kimchi could all be grilled on the pan along with the meat, and there were also scallion salad, lettuce wraps, and several sauces, so you could enjoy the meat in all kinds of combinations.

Boseong nokdon pork belly and flower pork collar, 16,000 won each: how smoky was it?

I ordered Boseong nokdon pork belly (16,000 won), Boseong nokdon flower pork collar (16,000 won), and doenjang jjigae (6,000 won).

The pork belly and pork collar had a subtle, seemingly smoked aroma that made the flavor of the meat feel even richer. The outside was grilled golden and savory, while the inside kept its juices, so the more you chewed the more you could taste that clean, distinctive pork flavor.

The smoke flavor in particular wasn't overpowering — it was subtle enough not to spoil the taste of the meat, and it went well with wraps and side dishes too. Eating it plain, just dipped in salt, let me taste the pork's own flavor even more clearly.

It was also convenient that a staff member grilled the meat for us directly, so I didn't have to worry about the grill while eating.

Finishing with doenjang jjigae and fried rice

After the meat, I ordered doenjang jjigae and fried rice. The doenjang jjigae had a savory, salty flavor that felt like it cleanly reset my palate after the meat. Paired with hot broth and rice, it was hearty and kept me reaching for more.

And of course, fried rice to finish! Since the rice was fried right on the grill, it naturally picked up the fat and flavor from the meat, adding a savory, salty note that made it delicious to the last bite.