Baby-friendly Korean BBQ in Hongdae, Seoul: janchi guksu at Gogi Salon

Today our whole family got together with Yujin too for some serious pork belly demolition!!! Destination: our go-to favorite, Gogi Salon (고기살롱)! A total Hongdae station pork belly restaurant!!

Why Gogi Salon in Hongdae is easy to visit with a baby

There's always a reason we keep going back to the places we love!!!!!! When eating out with a baby, taste matters, but what matters more is that the whole meal feels relaxed and easy — and this place always sends us off well-fed and comfortable, so our feet just keep leading us back here

Parked the stroller neatly outside and off to eat. Strollers are allowed inside, but we left ours outside because of the meat smell. Be right back, off to eat~~

What to order at Gogi Salon: 3 servings of pork belly, 1 of gabrisal, and group seating

As soon as we sat down, we did what we always do and ordered 3 servings of pork belly and 1 of gabrisal. Excited to eat meat again after a while. The scariest thing is a taste you already know 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 Gogi Salon also has group seating set up, so it looks like a lot of groups come here too. Last time we came it was actually booked out for a private event!!!!! Reserving ahead before you visit seems like a good idea

The banchan spread at Gogi Salon

Gogi Salon's banchan (side dishes) are seriously delicious. Seasoned raw crab, pickled chili, salad, dressed greens, and more. You can taste the care that goes into the food even from the banchan alone

Staff grill the meat for you — why that matters with a baby

Not long after we ordered, thick, fresh cuts of meat arrived. A taste you already know is even scarier — my mouth was watering before it was even cooked. One of the biggest reasons we keep coming back to Gogi Salon is that the staff grill the meat perfectly for you. And they grill it really, really well

When you go out to eat with a baby, there's a hundred things to worry about — the smoke from the grill, the dangers around it — and honestly, if I had to grill the meat myself I wouldn't even know whether it was going into my mouth or my nose. But here they check the grill temperature themselves and cook everything to a golden, crisp-outside-tender-inside finish, so all we have to do is eat happily 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Three condiments: salt, fresh wasabi and wholegrain mustard

Hygienically kept condiments at every table. Not just salt, but sharp fresh wasabi and wholegrain mustard too. Dip it plain in salt first to enjoy the meat's natural flavor, then finish clean with wasabi, or pair it with wholegrain mustard for a Western steak-like feel — mixing and matching to your taste is half the fun. However you eat it, it's delicious

How do the pork belly and gabrisal taste?

Golden, well-cooked pork belly. Even after coming here so often, this savory, clean richness never gets old — good, good, good. The quality of the pork belly here is really excellent and so tasty.. I love Jeju black pork so much I go to Jeju just to eat it, but when I can't make it to Jeju, Gogi Salon is a solid substitute

Next up, the grilled gabrisal (pork neck) — chewy yet tender, a real treat. The meat is soft and never dry, so good. It's fascinating how different each cut tastes !!!!!!!!!!!!! why is this so good

So good.. the beer temperature at Gogi Salon is seriously amazing. They keep the beer glasses so cold that even the glass itself is refreshingly chilled. One sip and it hits straight to the back of your head~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ how long has it been since we had a beer together🥹🥹🥹

Finishing with doenjang jjigae and janchi guksu

Gogi Salon's doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) is an absolute must — genuinely delicious. Finished a whole bowl of rice with it. Doenjang jjigae, fully cleared !!!!

The janchi guksu (banquet noodles) was also totally amazing 💚 The definition of janchi guksu done right. Next time I'll get it bibim (spicy mixed) style

The janchi guksu was insanely good!!!! Nagyeom finished a whole bowl too. The adults were stuffed by the end and kept singing about how full they were on the way home

No matter when we visit, they're always just as kind and always grill everything just as deliciously. Always so grateful!!!!! Thank you!!!!!! Gogi Salon, our family's go-to dining spot — I have a feeling we'll be back again soon