Ikseon-dong pork belly restaurant with brisket stew: Meongseokjip

The weather's getting cooler these days — perfect for enjoying an outdoor patio (yajang) dinner!

I headed out to Jongno with a friend for the first time in a while to properly enjoy the outdoor patio vibe. Ikseon-dong is so hot right now with so many places to go and great atmosphere, and this time I visited Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch. It's right by the Ikseon-dong hanok street, so it's easy to get to, and with the grilled meat plus that outdoor-patio feel, it was a perfect Friday evening spot :)

Where is Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga, and what is the patio like?

Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch is located at 7 Donhwamun-ro 11-da-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's near the Ikseon-dong hanok street, so it's easy to find after getting off at Jongno 3-ga Station and wandering around Ikseon-dong.

Above all, I really loved the atmosphere here. We sat outside, and eating at a table set up in that outdoor space made it feel like a proper yajang! In weather like this, grilling meat outside is the best, haha. But the inside was also nice and open, so it didn't feel cramped at all and you could still catch that patio feeling. I think it'd be a great spot for people looking for an Ikseon-dong date course too.

How long is the Friday evening wait at Meongseokjip?

I visited on a Friday and waited about 10 minutes. It's a kiosk sign-up system, so I'd recommend registering right when you arrive!

There were already quite a lot of people when I got there, and it seemed to get even busier as time went on. That said, they say the wait isn't too long before 7pm, so going a bit earlier could be a good move. If you're hanging out in Ikseon-dong and head over for meat around 6pm, that timing sounds just right.

Meongseokjip menu and what we ordered

The menu is simpler than I expected. There's the Meongseok set, aged pork belly, skirt steak, pork jowl, flower pork neck, beef short rib, beef chuck flap, and for sides there's kimchi fried rice, chadol doenjang jjigae, pork kimchi jjigae, and steamed egg. We ordered two servings of pork belly that day.

And of course, when eating meat, carbs are a must, right? So we added chadol doenjang jjigae and rice.

How does pork belly aged over 80 hours taste?

Meongseokjip's aged pork belly is apparently aged for over 80 hours. The meat was incredibly soft and delicious right off the bat.

When grilled, you could really taste the juices, and it had a clean flavor with no gamey smell, which I really liked. The pork belly itself was so tender that it was great even dipped in just salt, and it also paired well with the side dishes.

I also liked that the table setting came out more generously than I expected. It wasn't just the meat plopped down alone — there were various side dishes to go with it, so it was fun mixing and matching.

Grilling green onion kimchi from the self-bar

Personally, what I loved was that there's a self-bar! You can help yourself to whatever vegetables or kimchi you want, which was so convenient. I especially like grilling kimchi or bean sprouts alongside the meat, and here I got to throw kimchi, bean sprouts, and even green onion kimchi onto the grill — it was genuinely delicious.

I especially recommend grilling the green onion kimchi lol. As it lightly cooks in the meat's fat, that distinctive green onion kimchi flavor softens up and pairs so well with the pork belly. The bean sprouts grilled up nice and crunchy too, and they were great alongside!

Eating like this, the pork belly just kept disappearing, haha.

Why order the chadol doenjang jjigae too

Midway through the pork belly, I suddenly craved doenjang jjigae. So we added the chadol doenjang jjigae and rice. And honestly, I'm so glad we ordered it.

It was packed with not just beef brisket but also tofu, zucchini, radish, potatoes, and more, so the ingredients were generous and the broth was refreshing. A warm spoonful of doenjang jjigae in between bites of meat cut through the richness nicely, and mixing it into the rice was — well, just so good lol. If you like doenjang jjigae with your pork belly, I'd definitely recommend ordering it together!

Friday nights on the patio, plus a parking tip

In cooler weather like this, it's really the place to enjoy that outdoor-patio feeling properly. You get the distinctive atmosphere of the Ikseon-dong hanok street, and grilling meat outside gives a different kind of fun compared to a regular BBQ place.

Meeting a friend on a Friday evening, wandering the Ikseon-dong hanok street, then grilling pork belly at Meongseokjip, then heading to a nearby café afterward — that would make a perfect Ikseon-dong date course.

Parking is a bit of a letdown. On-site parking at Meongseokjip is difficult, so it's better to use a nearby public parking lot. I'd recommend going by public transport if possible!

Looking for outdoor pork belly grilling near Ikseon-dong?

The pork belly at Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch was tasty, but honestly the atmosphere is what I'll remember most. Sitting outside really delivered that distinctive patio feeling, and the open interior kept things from feeling cramped overall. The pork belly, aged over 80 hours, was tender with great juices, and grilling kimchi, bean sprouts, and green onion kimchi made for a perfect match with the meat. Add the chadol doenjang jjigae mixed into rice, and it's the perfect ending, haha.

If you're planning an Ikseon-dong outing, I'd recommend Meongseokjip Jongno 3-ga Branch to anyone looking for Ikseon-dong restaurants, Jongno 3-ga restaurants, or Ikseon-dong outdoor patio dining. If you especially love that patio atmosphere, definitely go when the weather's nice! Next time, I'll try going a bit earlier so I can enjoy the patio at leisure without the wait 🤎