Weeknight walk-in Korean BBQ in Hapjeong, Seoul, with somaek: Ijjok

Hapjeong Station's top-tier kimchi pork belly

This is Hanpyeong Gochujang... I mean 0.9 Ton Gochujang here :) Do you ever finish work and just crave greasy pork belly with a glass of soju? Today I'm introducing a Hapjeong pork belly place that's perfect for exactly those days! This is Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal (이쪽 김치삼겹살), a Korean BBQ spot near Hapjeong Station where I walked in without a reservation after work on a weekday.

The staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, so we could eat comfortably and even have a drink with the meal :) What made this Hapjeong spot even more appealing was the pork jowl (hangjeongsal), a rich, nutty cut that's hard to find at regular BBQ restaurants.

Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal: location, hours and prices

• Hours: 11:30 - 23:00 (closed Sundays)
• Fresh pork belly / pork neck (180g): ₩16,000
• Pork jowl (150g): ₩18,000
• Set for 2-3 people: ₩55,000

3 minutes from Hapjeong Station, walk-in with no reservation

Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is a 3-minute walk from Hapjeong Station, so it's an easy BBQ place to reach!

It's no pressure to drop by after work, and it's a convenient spot to pick for a meetup. We set up a last-minute weekday evening plan and walked in without a reservation, and we got seated right away, lucky us!

Inside: good for dates and company dinners, with staff grilling the meat

The inside is bigger than I expected, and the tables are nicely spaced out. There were lots of couples on dates, and also a company dinner.

It has a great vibe for good meat and a drink. Above all, the staff were really kind, and they grilled all the meat for us, so we just chatted and ate! On a date you don't have to keep fussing over the meat, and at a company dinner nobody is stuck frantically grilling! Even for 10 or more people, they can push tables together, so it seems fine for a group gathering or company dinner too!

Menu and what's in the ₩55,000 set for 2-3 people

On the menu, both fresh pork belly and fresh pork neck are ₩16,000 for 180g. (Good value!)

We ordered the 2-3 person set (₩55,000) without a second thought.

• ✔️ 2 servings of fresh pork belly
• ✔️ 1 serving of pork jowl
• ✔️ Fluffy steamed egg (gyeran-jjim)
• ✔️ Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)

Just looking at the lineup, it's quite generous. You don't need to order the steamed egg or doenjang stew separately, since it's all in one set, which made it good value.

The side dishes are simple, with just what you need: lettuce, scallion salad, and a special sauce with bean sprouts. Nothing over the top, but each one went really well with the meat.

We kicked things off with a refreshing somaek (soju-beer mix)~!

How do the pork belly and pork jowl taste?

And now, today's main event!

You can tell just from the photo that the color of the meat is really good. Maybe because it's fresh, uncured meat, it looked special from the start. And the staff grilled it for us from start to finish, which was honestly the best part.

The grilling timing was perfect and they cut it into bite-size pieces, so all we had to do was sip our somaek and wait. Done!!

The pork belly was crispy outside and moist inside, full of juice and really nutty and rich. The pork jowl was chewy, with the flavor of savory fat coming through the more you chewed :) Put a piece of pork belly on a golden-brown piece of kimchi and you instantly understand why people come looking for kimchi pork belly.

The doenjang stew came out rich and deeply flavored, and was a proper drinking snack. The price is fair and the portions are satisfying, so I'd recommend it most for 2-3 people!

Even the puffy, soft steamed egg left nothing to complain about. I was satisfied with everything at this Hapjeong BBQ spot, Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal! Tasty pork and a cold somaek near Hapjeong Station!! On days when I crave pork belly and soju after work, this is where I'm going now :)