Gimpo Korean BBQ couple set, pork neck & wasabi mayo: Donpu The Grill

I finally made it to this meat spot that the neighborhood keeps raving about! The owner used to run a delivery shop that specialized in meat and has just opened a proper restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the grilling know-how is impressive, and the meat was so good. Today I'm introducing Donpu The Grill (돈푸더그릴), a Korean BBQ restaurant in Janggi-dong, Gimpo.

Where is Donpu The Grill, and what are the hours and parking?

Donpu The Grill is at 23-6 Gimpohangang 1-ro 78beon-gil, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea (1st floor). It is open 11:00–23:00 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, and closed every Tuesday. Delivery and takeout are available too.

For parking, turn into the alley by the Lotteria in the Janggi-dong eating street and keep going straight. The Janggi 3 Public Parking Lot is at the end of the alley. The first hour is free, and it's free all day on public holidays.

Exterior and atmosphere

So many chains have popped up lately that independent places like this are hard to find, right? A Donpu The Grill that exists only in Janggi-dong, Gimpo, so I was looking forward to it. They even laid down grass in front of the shop and decorated it neatly.

There's also a seating area out front where you can wait.

Inside it's bright, with wide spacing between tables, and tidy.

Every table has a tablet, and you order through it.

The self-bar is kept super clean too. Today's cardio = walking back and forth to the self-bar = hang in there, partner!

The restroom is inside the restaurant, which is nice and convenient.

Is there a lunch menu at Donpu The Grill?

It's a BBQ place, but it opens early, at 11! I saw several lunch options, like soup jeyuk (spicy pork stew) and meat set meals. It would be perfect for people who work nearby or anyone craving meat at lunchtime.

What's in the Donpu The Grill couple set?

Donpu The Grill has a well-organized lineup of set menus (I'll let the menu on Naver stand in for a menu photo), and we ordered the couple set. We also ordered kimchi stew as a side..! It turned out the couple set already includes a kimchi rice dish. Such a generous deal. The owner thoughtfully took the kimchi stew off our order, haha.

These are the side dishes that come out before the meat, set on a custom-made tray the owner designed. Everything is so neat, with a great lineup. Kimchi and minari (water dropwort) as the basics, plus steamed egg, cold jeyuk (chilled seasoned pork) and all kinds of sauces..! I could tell a lot of thought went into this lineup and that special tray.

A BBQ place that serves minari as a standard side is the best.

Sauces and side dishes

Donpu The Grill has several sauces, like wasabi mayo, tonkatsu sauce and soy sauce, so you can enjoy the meat in different ways, which I loved. There are also plenty of side dishes to eat with the meat.

And even steamed egg...! They really give you a lot. It's a soft, fluffy steamed egg.

How were the stone-pot kimchi rice and cold jeyuk?

Oh, and the stone-pot jjibap (kimchi stew rice) that I'm still thinking about! It's like a stone-pot version of kimchi stew, seasoned just right and delicious, and the egg on top went so well with it.

I had no expectations for the cold jeyuk, but it surprised me by being so good! The owner says a special technique goes into it too. It was perfect for a bite each before the meat arrived.

How were the pork belly and pork neck?

The meat in the couple set is pork belly + pork neck, pre-seared before it comes out. And here comes the meat~ Look at that color, right? Green onion and mushrooms come along too, and the owner grills it for you himself~

I love thick cuts of meat, so this is exactly my style.

While grilling, he cuts it up nicely like this~~

The meat is slowly getting done now.

You can tell at a glance it's good quality meat. That pork neck looks so tempting.

Finally cooked, and time for a bite!! The meat was tender, juicy and nutty, just as I expected. I especially loved the pork neck. A BBQ place with great pork neck is the real deal, b

Minari and kimchi grilled in the meat's fat

Thanks to Donpu The Grill's handmade grill, the meat fat runs off to one side, and the minari and kimchi get grilled in that fat.

Meat + kimchi + minari, a heavenly combo.

Is Donpu The Grill worth going back to?

We cleaned out everything like this. With so many tasty side dishes and sides coming out, the meat went down easily. And the owner grills so attentively that it tasted even better. Next time I'm craving meat, I'll visit Donpu The Grill in Janggi-dong, Gimpo again~~