Sangnam-dong Changwon pork BBQ with free kimchi stew: Jeju Doldam

Where to park at Jeju Doldam Sangnam Main Branch

I visited Jeju Doldam Sangnam Main Branch. You can use the building's basement parking, and if you mention it after your meal, they'll help with parking support too.

The parking goes down to B2, so there's plenty of space. Parking is often a hassle when driving to eat in Sangnam-dong, but this place made it easy.

Inside Jeju Doldam: why so many tables come with kids

I visited in the evening and the place was really packed. Since staff grill the meat for you here, there seemed to be a lot of families too.

Quite a few tables had kids, and baby chairs were ready and waiting. The place is also spacious, so it looks like a good spot for group meals in Sangnam-dong.

Every table has a T-order tablet, so you can order right from your seat. No need to flag down staff whenever you need something, which is convenient.

What side dishes come with the pork

Small plates and cups are already set on the table. You just take as many as you need.

They also gave bottled water separately, which felt cleaner to me personally. The side dishes were more varied than I expected too.

Pickles, green onion kimchi, sliced green onion, mountain garlic leaves, macaroni salad, even sausage — they all came out.

True to the restaurant's name, fermented anchovy sauce (melljeot) is on the table too.

The free kimchi jjigae, and why there is a paid 'extra kimchi jjigae'

While looking at the menu, I noticed a meal item called 'extra kimchi jjigae' and wondered at first why it said 'extra.'

Turns out kimchi jjigae already comes as a basic side dish. I tried a spoonful and was surprised at how good it was.

It's the kind of flavor you keep spooning up even before the meat arrives. I immediately understood why there's a separate 'extra' version.

If there weren't an extra option, I feel like I'd just ask them to keep refilling this one. Eating the kimchi jjigae made me crave rice, so I ordered nurungji right away.

400g of Jeju black pork oegyeopsal, grilled by the staff

We ordered the Jeju black pork belly, 400g. Since we came to Sangnam-dong specifically for black pork belly, we started with the signature dish first.

Once the charcoal goes into the grill, staff cook the meat from start to finish.

They brown it nicely on both sides and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Since the meat is thick, it's tricky to get the doneness right yourself, so it's nice to just leave it to them.

This place would especially suit people who want black pork belly in Sangnam-dong but find grilling it themselves a hassle.

Once cooked, the meat gets moved onto a small shelf beside the grill. Thanks to that, there's less worry about it burning or drying out from staying on the heat too long.

How the pork tastes with myeoljeot and the side dishes

The meat itself is savory. The lean-to-fat ratio is good, and the skin part is chewy, giving a different texture.

It's good wrapped in lettuce, and also goes well with a light dip in the fermented anchovy sauce.

Wrapped in mountain garlic leaves, or with just a touch of wasabi on top, works well too.

With so many things to pair it with, you don't end up eating it just one way. There's a fun in trying the Sangnam-dong black pork belly in different combinations.

Finishing with nurungji and kimchi jjigae

The nurungji we ordered to eat with the kimchi jjigae came out quickly. Taking a bite of the nutty scorched rice and following it with the spicy kimchi jjigae — the pairing really works.

When you order nurungji, they also bring out extra side dishes. It feels like a proper finish after the meat, right through to the final meal.

Coming here for a group gathering in Sangnam-dong, it looks like a good place to handle everything from meat to a full meal in one sitting.

Is Jeju Doldam Sangnam Main Branch worth it for a family dinner?

Even with a lot of customers, the staff grilled all the meat, so it was easy to just focus on eating. I could see a bit why so many families with kids were there.

The space is spacious and you can get parking support too, so it looks like a good fit for group dinners or family gatherings in Sangnam-dong.

Zero Pay is also accepted, which makes it convenient. If I'm ever craving Sangnam-dong black pork belly and looking for a place where staff do the grilling, I think I'd come back.

Next time, I'd like to try some of the other meat menu items too. This place seems like a great fit for anyone looking for a group dining spot in Sangnam-dong who cares about parking and having someone else grill the meat.