Torch-grilled pork belly set for 3 at Jongno 3-ga BBQ: Meongseokjip

Where Meongseokjip is in Jongno 3-ga, and its outdoor street seating

Street BBQ season is back. Days are still hot, but nights have turned cool. I made a surprise trip to Jongno 3-ga on a weekday to dodge the weekend crowds that flood the outdoor tables. And of course, street BBQ means pork belly.

Meongseokjip sits not far from Jongno 3-ga Station. To me, the Ikseon-dong pork belly street always felt a bit cramped, tables packed shoulder to shoulder, but Meongseokjip didn't have that problem, which I liked.

I especially had my eye on these outdoor tables lined up along the wall. Last time I passed through Jongno 3-ga, even on a full stomach, watching people eat pork belly here made me hungry all over again. Today it was my turn to make other people jealous.

Indoor seats with an open ceiling still feel like outdoor dining

My friend whined so much about the heat that we ended up moving indoors. But even inside, the ceiling was open, giving it that same airy, outdoor-street feel.

And on top of that, the air conditioning was running in the back — a cool version of street BBQ. Best of both worlds.

Meongseokjip's side dish bar and menu

The banchan (side dishes) were fairly minimal. I feel like a pork belly place with a simple banchan lineup, in a way, is confidently betting on the quality of the meat itself. Though of course you can only really know that once you've put a piece in your mouth.

We stared at the menu for a while. In the end, we went with the set.

Mixed set for 3: how was the meat?

The meat had a deep red color, which to me signals proper aging. And indeed, the meat turned out to be really tender.

The side dishes were self-serve, but generously stocked and kept clean. Everything was fresh, and that green onion kimchi in particular was a real standout. My friend and I aren't the type to grill kimchi on the pan, so we ate it fresh as is. It wasn't too salty or too spicy, which made it pair beautifully with the fresh pork.

The meat arrived. Even though it was for 3 people, it looked like quite a lot. And having staff grill it for us directly made things so easy. It seemed like a great spot for foreign visitors to try a real Korean BBQ experience.

The highlight: torch-grilling at your table

Meongseokjip's highlight — the torch-grilling service. Staff just blast the meat straight with the torch flame.

Meat grilled like this can't possibly taste bad. The friendly staff member grilled each piece with real care.

Brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)

Ah, this photo came out badly. The brisket doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), packed with ingredients and so easy to spoon down... and it just didn't photograph well.

But my blogging instincts always keep a B-cut in reserve. Here's a shot that shows off just how loaded it was with ingredients. My friend even mixed rice into it. It was really delicious.

A shot of the meat sliced and laid on its side. Looked almost like a steak. Cooking it slowly over not-too-strong heat seemed to be Meongseokjip's secret. The juices were practically bursting.

And then they gave it another round of the grilling service. Layering on that smoky flavor multiple times like this, there's no way it could taste bad.

Definitely click through and watch the video. Prices at Ikseon-dong pork belly places are all pretty much the same, so when a place sets itself apart like this, there's no reason not to pick Meongseokjip.

The gorgeous color of the fully-grilled meat. Time to eat, finally. If there's one misstep, it's that the garlic went on the grill a little too late.

Golden brown. Genuinely so delicious. It was tender to the point where it barely felt like pork. Before dinner at Meongseokjip I'd already polished off a large popcorn on my own, but it was good enough that I still had room for the meat.

Also tried wrapping a piece in the green onion kimchi. That kimchi really is something special.

Finishing with kimchi fried rice

I wasn't originally planning to order it, but ended up getting the kimchi fried rice anyway — the table next to us made it look too good to pass up. It comes out pre-cooked on foil, and as it started crisping up from the grill's leftover heat, it got so crunchy and delicious. Maybe fried rice really is Korea's version of dessert.

The sun was setting. That's exactly the mood street BBQ is about. Having staff grill it for us made it even better — for Ikseon-dong outdoor pork belly, I'd recommend Meongseokjip.