Cheonan pork belly grilled crisp with potato slices: Cham Dwaejitgan

I was searching for a good samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) place in the Dujeong-dong restaurant alley when I found Cham Dwaejitgan. The meat itself was delicious, but the way they grill it was a bit special too — they smoke it using top-grade charcoal and Korean rice husk.

And above all, the way they wrap the pork in potato slices really stood out. I'd never eaten samgyeopsal that way before. I had such a delicious time here — let's get into the review :)

Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch: atmosphere and menu prices

Cham Dwaejitgan Cheonan Dujeong Branch is a samgyeopsal restaurant in the Dujeong-dong restaurant alley in Cheonan. Despite being a BBQ place, the interior felt clean and pleasant. It's a spacious spot that works for anything from a 4-person table to a large group gathering, and the place was spotless.

• Chamsamgyeopsal (Boseong nokdon pork belly) ₩16,000
• Kkotmokssal (Boseong nokdon pork collar) ₩16,000
• Jirisan black pork belly (ogyeopsal) ₩19,000
• Jirisan black pork collar ₩18,000
• Cheongyeopsal (Boseong nokdon pork jowl) ₩19,000

How does the rice husk and charcoal smoking with a dual grill work?

Cham Dwaejitgan uses Korean rice husk and charcoal to grill the meat

and the specially made grill plate was also unique. Meat goes on the round plate on top, and the fat drips down the edges into the plate below,

and you can grill kimchi, bean sprouts, minari (water dropwort), and peppers in that dripped-down pork fat. Also, since the heat reaches all the way down, the food stayed warm the whole time, which I liked.

What comes with the Boseong nokdon pork belly? Table setting and banchan

We ordered Cham Dwaejitgan's signature dish, the Boseong nokdon pork belly, and they set the table quickly.

You can't have samgyeopsal without a drink, right? Haha. But the thoughtful touch — they gave us liver supplements along with it! Hahaha

The fresh meat arrived~♬

Do the staff grill the pork for you?

At Cham Dwaejitgan, a staff member grills the meat for you. They cut it into easy-to-eat pieces, so all we had to do was enjoy it. ♥ The staff asked how well-done we liked our meat. I like mine crispy on the outside!

(Though I wonder if we're the only ones who go completely silent at the table while the staff grills the meat, haha.)

The pork belly was cooking up nicely. Ah... I was drooling!

Pork belly on crisp potato slices: how to eat it

One more special thing about Cham Dwaejitgan! They serve potato slices, which you're meant to grill until crisp and use as a wrap for the meat. (Later, when I got them really crispy near the end of the meal, it was like eating a chip!)

They recommended a combo: put the meat on top of the potato slice, then add wasabi, mushroom wasabi, and garlic scape banchan.

At first I wondered what it would taste like, but after one bite I kept eating it this way. The savory, juicy pork paired really well with the light, crispy texture of the potato slice. It even tasted a bit like bacon, hahaha.

I don't usually eat much meat, you know? But I ended up ordering an extra serving of potato slices and meat. (This genuinely never happens!)

I've eaten pork belly all kinds of ways, but wrapping it in potato slices was a first for me, and it left an impression. It tasted great too. The combo with lettuce, garlic, and ssamjang (thick dipping sauce)... well, no need to say more, haha.

On top of grilling the meat so well, the staff was also incredibly kind and gave us good tips on how to eat it. I heard the fried rice here is great, but I ate so much meat I couldn't manage rice. Next time I'll have to try the fried rice.

Verdict — who should book a table at Cham Dwaejitgan

Cham Dwaejitgan's meat was delicious of course, but it's a place where you can enjoy pork belly in a way unique to them, so if you're looking for a samgyeopsal place that isn't your everyday BBQ spot, I really recommend it! The potato slice and pork belly combo was surprisingly delicious and made this a memorable place.

• Recommend the potato slice + pork belly combo
• A clean, pleasant BBQ restaurant
• Friendly service

Where do you park at Cham Dwaejitgan in Dujeong-dong?

Parking is available in front of Cham Dwaejitgan, but I'd recommend calling ahead to check availability. (Parking in the Dujeong-dong restaurant alley is notoriously difficult.)