Gimpo pork belly dinner near Lavenice Square: Donpu The Grill

I went on a weekend drive out to Janggi-dong in Gimpo. I ended up stopping by Lavenice Square, famous as Korea's version of Venice, but before that I dropped by a pork belly restaurant nearby for dinner — Donpu The Grill. It's about a 10-minute walk from Lavenice Square.

Of all the pork belly restaurants I've been to recently, Donpu The Grill had the best service and value for money.

Where is Donpu The Grill, and where can you park?

23-6 Gimpohangang 1-ro 78beon-gil, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor. About 4 minutes on foot from Janggi Station Exit 5.

Use nearby paid lots like Janggi 3 Public Parking Lot. First hour free, and fully free on public holidays. When it's full, people usually just park along the street.

Donpu The Grill opening hours and break time

• 11:00 - 23:00
• 15:00 - 17:00 break time
• 13:30, 21:30 last order
• Closed every Tuesday

Inside Donpu The Grill and the group table for 12

Donpu The Grill has a really spacious interior, with group seating for up to 12 people. It felt great for a date with a friend or partner, and just as good for group gatherings or family meals.

On weekend evenings there can be a wait, so for groups I'd recommend booking ahead on Naver. It's close to Lavenice, which is a nice perk for a stroll before or after eating.

Donpu The Grill menu and prices in Gimpo

<Lunch> Aged pork belly, grilled thin pork belly, pork shoulder, grilled jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork), charcoal ribeye, snow cheese jeyuk soup, spam jeyuk soup, and more.

<Set meals> Family, octopus, signature, or Hanwoo-Hanwoo couple set.

<A la carte> Grilled aged pork belly, pork shoulder, whole rib meat, thin pork belly, boiled octopus, and more.

<Sides> Earthenware pot kimchi stew, doenjang stew, stone-pot doenjang stew, kimchi stew, stone-pot kimchi fried rice, stone-pot doenjang fried rice, pudding-soft steamed egg, naengmyeon (cold noodles), bibim noodles, flying fish roe cheese steamed egg, nurungji (scorched rice), earthenware pot corn cheese, black rice, and more.

<Extras> Minari (water dropwort), fried egg, instant rice.

<Drinks> Various alcoholic drinks and beverages.

Side dishes and the six dipping sauces

Minari, kimchi, cold boiled pork slices, salad, aged kimchi, pickled radish, scallion strands, pickled green onion, garlic, chili peppers, ssamjang (dipping paste) all come as standard, along with 6 sauces: wasabi mayo, ponzu sauce, steak sauce, hairtail fish sauce, Maldon salt, and fresh wasabi.

What's at the self-serve bar

Lettuce, perilla leaves, chicory, kimchi, pickled radish, pickled green onion, aged kimchi, chili peppers, garlic, and ssamjang are set out at the self-serve station, so just grab whatever else you need.

Flame-seared aged pork belly, 180g at 16,900 won per person

We ordered the grilled aged pork belly, 180g for 2 people, ₩16,900 per person.

At Donpu The Grill in Gimpo you can grill meat, kimchi, and minari together on their specially made pan. A lot of BBQ places these days won't even let you grill kimchi. This meat is aged, then flame-seared first, then grilled once more over charcoal — the flavor was really impressive. The combo of meat juice-soaked kimchi and minari with the pork belly was great.

A great Janggi-dong restaurant — even while busy, the staff grilled everything perfectly and looked seriously skilled at it. Eat with whatever side dishes and wrap greens you like. Definitely try it with the wasabi mayo, ponzu sauce, steak sauce, hairtail fish sauce, Maldon salt, and fresh wasabi :)

I originally went on this drive to see Lavenice Square, but this place was so good that by the time I got home, Donpu The Grill was all I could remember.

Free stone-plate kimchi fried rice and pudding-soft steamed egg

The stone-pot kimchi rice, loaded with meat, was incredibly savory. There's rice underneath so it's filling. The pudding-soft steamed egg melts in your mouth. Both of these come free — I'm not sure how they're making money on this level of service.

Nurungji for 5,900 won and the flying fish roe cheese steamed egg (review event)

The steamed egg came puffed up soft and fluffy, with melted cheese on top for a savory, salty flavor that was amazing. Plus the pop of flying fish roe. Make sure to write a review and get it free!

The warm nurungji was comforting and nutty, so I kept eating it. A side dish that paired really well.

Is Donpu The Grill worth a stop near Lavenice?

There are hair ties, blankets, and dental floss set out by the entrance, so use them if you need to :) Being close to Lavenice was a real plus, since we could take a walk around the area before or after eating.

Even without that, the value for money was so good that I'd visit often if it were near my house — a bit of a shame it's not. My recommendation for a Janggi-dong, Gimpo pork belly restaurant: Donpu The Grill ♡