Hanam Korean BBQ with grilled kimchi pork belly: Ikkjujeokku

When I go out for samgyeopsal (pork belly), the meat matters, of course, but I think the way it is grilled changes the whole experience too. I especially love grilling kimchi in the pork belly fat, so this time I visited a Hanam barbecue restaurant where I could cook kimchi and pork belly together on a wide griddle. The name was so distinctive that it stuck with me: Ikkjujeokku (이꾸저꾸), short for “Grill This Too, Grill That Too.” That day, we grilled kimchi pork belly on the griddle and even tried mul-naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth).

Can you choose between charcoal, a griddle, and outdoor seating?

What made Ikkjujeokku feel a little different from a typical Korean barbecue restaurant was that you can choose your dining space based on your preference. According to the business, it is broadly divided into a charcoal hall, a griddle hall, and outdoor charcoal seating. You can comfortably enjoy charcoal-grilled meat indoors, cook all sorts of things together on a griddle, or enjoy an outdoor atmosphere on a nice day. We chose the griddle. Pork belly is delicious on a grill too, but when I want to add kimchi and other ingredients alongside it, a wide griddle is definitely the better fit.

Build your own sides at the self-serve bar

When you are eating meat, you do not just stop with the side dishes that first arrive. You want more ssam vegetables (wrap greens), and things you eat often, like garlic or ssamjang (savory soybean dipping paste), run out quickly. Ikkjujeokku had a self-serve bar where you could bring back whatever side dishes you needed. According to the business, it offers fresh wrap greens, Maldon salt, house-made ssamjang, salted hairtail innards, fresh wasabi, napa cabbage kimchi, gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi), scallion salad, myeonginamul (pickled wild garlic leaves), chili peppers, garlic, and more. Even with one cut of pork belly, it feels different dipped in salt, wrapped in greens, or eaten with grilled kimchi, so it was fun mixing and matching to my taste.

Kimchi pork belly combinations on the griddle

The menu we chose that day was kimchi pork belly. We put the pork belly on the griddle and started cooking each piece; as the meat cooked and the fat began to render, I naturally reached for the kimchi too. We placed it beside the pork belly and grilled it together. Kimchi is good as a side dish, but when you are eating pork belly, grilling it in the meat fat is where the real flavor is, right? Haha. At first, we flipped and ate the pork belly piece by piece, then once the kimchi was cooked just right, the proper kimchi pork belly combination came together. We topped a piece of meat with grilled kimchi, or made big bites with wrap greens and garlic. Rather than eating it in just one way, we could keep changing the combinations, and it really felt like the restaurant’s name: grill this too and grill that too. If you love kimchi pork belly in particular, I think the griddle is a great choice.

Can you grill outside food on the griddle too?

Another thing that caught my eye here was that outside food and delivery food can be brought in. According to the business, you can grill beef, grilled shellfish, seafood, and more that you bring yourself over charcoal or on the griddle. The restaurant provides the basic charcoal and grill. So, you can order pork belly from the restaurant like at a typical Hanam barbecue spot, but you can also use the space a little differently depending on what you want.

You can visit for kimchi pork belly like we did, or come with several people and grill all sorts of things together, so I think I understand a little better why it is called “Grill This Too, Grill That Too.” Haha.

Finishing with mul-naengmyeon after kimchi pork belly

After we had thoroughly enjoyed the kimchi pork belly on the griddle, I was craving something refreshing at the end. So we ordered mul-naengmyeon! I love finishing a barbecue meal with naengmyeon, and after fatty meat like pork belly, chilled mul-naengmyeon seems especially fitting. Moving from kimchi pork belly to mul-naengmyeon made my mouth feel refreshed too. And of course, you cannot skip saving a little meat to eat with the noodles. It is a familiar combination—starting with meat and ending with naengmyeon—but it is a pairing that is very hard to get wrong. Haha.

Is it suitable for family meals and group gatherings?

The variety of seating options is another feature. There are indoor tables that are good regardless of the weather, and private rooms are available too. Choose the griddle hall and, like us, you can grill meat on a wide griddle. If you prefer an outdoor atmosphere, you can choose the outdoor charcoal area. The business introduction says there is a cozy tented terrace outside where you can enjoy barbecue under the night sky. There is also parking, separate restrooms for men and women, indoor tables, and private rooms, so it is worth keeping in mind when looking for a place for a family meal or a gathering with several people. The business says reservations are available for group gatherings and company dinners of up to 56 people, so if you are planning a company dinner or group visit while looking for pork belly in Hanam, it would be a good idea to check reservation availability in advance. If you enjoy pork belly with grilled kimchi, you might like trying it on the griddle as we did. If you are looking for somewhere in Hanam for a family meal, gathering, or company dinner, or want to grill meat in a slightly different atmosphere than usual, keep Ikkjujeokku in mind :)