Incheon pork belly restaurant with chewy thin-cut: Jeongyuk Donthree

Where to park at Jeongyuk Donthree Seonam Main Branch

There are parking lots right in front of Jeongyuk Donthree Seonam Main Branch, but they were all full, so we used the nearby Gangnam Market public parking lot instead. Gangnam Market hahaha.

At the entrance I spotted a banner declaring the first fresh thin-cut pork belly in Seonam-dong.

The most memorable dish at this Seonam-dong pork belly restaurant

Jeongyuk Donthree, a well-known spot in Seonam-dong — the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly here was genuinely delicious!!! I suddenly wanted samgyeopsal and went looking for a good pork belly place in Seonam-dong, which is how I ended up here. I came in hoping for great pork belly, but the dish that ended up standing out the most wasn't what I expected. I went in expecting to be more impressed by the fresh pork belly, but after eating, honestly, the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly was the one that really won me over!!

Walking into the restaurant, I could feel that cozy, lively atmosphere unique to Korean BBQ places. I noticed a few award plaques on the wall too.

The order: frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly, fresh pork belly and doenjang jjigae

Whenever I come to eat meat I end up agonizing over the menu, so since I wanted to try a few things, I ordered the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly, fresh pork belly, and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). I think it's more fun to order a few different kinds and compare them rather than just sticking to one dish. Once we ordered, the side dishes and food started coming out one by one.

Oh, and above all, the bean sprouts here were ridiculously good. What's the secret?

They also sell zero-alcohol beer here!! Ready to eat meat! And now, the frozen aged thin-cut chewy pork belly that turned out to be the best of the day!!

How chewy is the frozen thin-cut pork belly?

Honestly, when I hear 'thin-cut pork belly' I usually picture thinly sliced meat grilled fast and eaten crispy, but Jeongyuk Donthree's frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly lived up to its name — the chewy texture was the whole appeal.

As soon as the meat hit the grill it started sizzling away, and since the slices were thin it cooked quickly, so we didn't wait long. I grilled it until golden brown and took a bite — it was savory and chewy, way more delicious than I expected. Wrapping it up with a bunch of sides instead of just eating the meat alone made me keep reaching for more. My husband usually doesn't eat vegetables like lettuce or bean sprouts, but I never expected him to eat this much lettuce and bean sprouts hahahahaha.

One bite: 'Oh, this is good.' Another bite: 'This is better than I thought.'

In the end, while eating the fresh pork belly, we reordered the frozen thin-cut pork belly hahahaha.

By the end, at some point I realized I was eating the thin-cut pork belly the most out of everything. 😂 Personally, out of everything I ate that day, the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly was my favorite. If you love thin-cut pork belly, I think it's worth trying.

Frozen thin-cut vs fresh pork belly

Still, you can't skip fresh pork belly at a samgyeopsal place. It had a charm definitely different from the thin-cut version.

Laying the thick fresh pork belly on the grill and cooking it golden brown, the meaty aroma rising up really stirred the appetite. Grilling the outside golden and taking a bite let me really taste that signature savory pork belly flavor. Thin and chewy thin-cut pork belly versus thick and juicy fresh pork belly — both were delicious, but for my taste that day, the chewy thin-cut pork belly won! My first time trying the aroma of Spanish pork too..!!

Next time I visit, I think I'll definitely order the thin-cut pork belly again.

Finishing the meat with doenjang jjigae

After eating a good amount of meat, I naturally started craving rice. So we tried the doenjang jjigae we'd ordered along with everything else. Ordering a doenjang jjigae alongside the meat at a BBQ restaurant really makes the meal feel much more complete. A bite of meat, a spoonful of doenjang jjigae, and some rice on the side — it felt like a proper meal! Especially after eating meat for a while, sometimes you crave a warm broth, and the doenjang jjigae hit the spot perfectly. The combo of pork belly and doenjang jjigae really never fails.

Who will like Jeongyuk Donthree Seonam Main Branch

We tried several dishes that day, and the one that stuck with me most was, without a doubt, the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly. The fresh pork belly was tasty too, but personally, the thin texture of the thin-cut style combined with that chewiness kept me reaching for more. At first I assumed it'd just be ordinary thin-cut pork belly, but after eating it, this dish ended up being the most memorable of all.

If you're looking for a Korean BBQ spot in Seonam-dong, or if you're generally a fan of thin-cut pork belly, I'd recommend trying the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly at Jeongyuk Donthree. Ordering the fresh pork belly and doenjang jjigae alongside it is even better, since you get to enjoy different flavors from each dish. A day I finally got to eat pork belly properly again! Next time I have meat in Seonam-dong, I think I'll go straight for the frozen thin-cut chewy pork belly. Hope this helps anyone looking for a good BBQ spot in Seonam-dong. 😊