Gangneung Korean BBQ restaurant private-room dinner: Gangneungok

Gangneungok Hongje Branch (강릉옥 홍제점) is a meat restaurant in central Gangneung where you can enjoy charcoal grilling in a hanok-style setting. They serve both A++ Korean beef and pork, with choices ranging from charcoal-grilled marinated pork ribs and pork belly to various cuts of Korean beef. The seating is divided by partitions, and there are private rooms and group tables too, so the layout felt convenient for family meals or gatherings.

My husband and I made a Naver reservation for 5:30 p.m. for dinner and visited Gangneungok Hongje Branch, a well-known spot for pork ribs in Gangneung. We had a satisfying dinner of nicely browned charcoal-grilled pork ribs and refreshing naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles).

Parking and how to get there

Gangneungok Hongje Branch is at 82 Toseong-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea.

Its hanok-style exterior made it easy enough to find,

and there is space for about 10 cars right in front of the restaurant.

Hanok-style interior and private-room seating

Inside, it was decorated with a hanok feel, making use of wooden pillars and exposed rafters.

I also liked that partitions between the tables meant you were less likely to be directly facing diners at the next table.

Since we had reserved, we were shown to a quiet private room, where the basic side dishes had already been set out.

There were plenty of sides to eat with the meat too: lettuce, perilla leaves, peppers, garlic, sliced onion, chives, kimchi, and more.

Gangneungok menu and prices

The menu was divided into Korean beef and pork. The Korean beef is A++ grade, while the pork options include charcoal-grilled marinated pork ribs, pork jowl, and domestic pork belly. The charcoal-grilled marinated pork ribs we ordered were ₩20,000 for 250 g, and the dessert naengmyeon was ₩7,000.

Charcoal-grilled marinated pork ribs and mul-naengmyeon

We ordered two portions of charcoal-grilled marinated pork ribs. The meat was scored and thoroughly soaked with marinade, so it already looked appetizing before it even hit the grill.

Marinated ribs can burn if you are not careful, so we flipped them often on both sides. As the marinade sizzled over the charcoal and the edges of the meat turned golden and glossy, the smell alone was incredible, haha.

We cut them into bite-size pieces, grilled them a little longer, then tried a piece right away while it was still hot.

The marinade was sweet and savory, with a subtle charcoal-grilled aroma. The meat was tender to chew, and the seasoning was delicious too.

My husband said soju naturally goes well with pork ribs and had a drink, while I had cola. We spent dinner chatting about this and that, haha.

And of course, we finished with mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth)!! The cool broth, noodles, radish, and boiled egg, seasoned with mustard and vinegar—just as good as always, haha.

Who this suits

• People wanting a quiet family meal with seating divided by partitions
• Married couples or couples looking for somewhere to eat meat comfortably without being too aware of other tables
• Anyone looking for a meat restaurant for a family gathering or small get-together

Overall visit review

Gangneungok Hongje Branch was a place where I liked both the charcoal-grilled pork ribs and the dining space. Because we reserved ahead, the quiet private room and the already prepared side dishes made it easy to settle into our meal from the start. The staff were kind, and it was comfortable for my husband and me to take our time over dinner while talking.