Gangnam pork BBQ pub with frozen pork belly and pork skin: Jabdam

I heard a delicious pork place had opened up near Ananti Seoul, so I hurried over — turns out it's a hidden gem plenty of celebrities have already visited. It keeps the old-school style of thinly sliced, quickly grilled frozen pork belly made from premium hanwoo pork, but the flavor is nothing like your average frozen pork belly — savory and packed with real meaty aroma. Let me show you around, piece by piece.

Where Jabdam is and when it opens

Jabdam is located in an alley near Hakdong Station and Ananti Seoul, at 16-4 Dosan-daero 30-gil, Unit 102, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It's open Monday to Thursday 16:00–23:00 (last order 22:00) and Friday to Saturday 16:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), closed every Sunday.

Come on in, all the way!

A back-alley pojangmacha feel in Gangnam

Follow the Jabdam sign into this quiet, cozy little alley and step through the door — suddenly you're in a whole new world, a pojangmacha (Korean street tent pub) come to life indoors. About six round tables and soft neon lighting give the space a mysterious, distinctive atmosphere.

Jabdam menu and prices

• Frozen pork belly (premium hanwoo pork) ₩15,000
• Back-alley pork (premium hanwoo pork) ₩18,000
• Pork skin (domestic hanwoo pork) ₩10,000
• Frozen pork belly gimbap ₩6,000
• Frozen pork belly fried rice ₩6,000
• Draft beer in an iced glass ₩5,000

The winning combo you've gotta try

As you grill up a plate of meat, try following this winning combo step by step.

The grilled gim (seaweed) alone had incredible texture. Crispy, savory gim, thin pork with all its juices, plus pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) adding another layer of umami — an absolutely perfect combo.

Even the water — roasted barley tea — is so savory and clean. That water was so good 🫶

Homemade side dishes and sauces at Jabdam

This is the basic table setting! It's massive

You can tell at a glance it's clean and tidy, and that the owner makes everything by hand. From the homemade side dishes to the special sauces, plus chogochujang (vinegared chili paste), sriracha, and whole peppercorns — there were so many flavor combos prepared that dipping into each one was half the fun.

Seaweed dishes loaded up with chogochujang!

The round table was pretty big, but more than half of it got covered in banchan. Since the owner makes everything herself, she carefully explains what each dish is and how to eat it.

You have to get the draft beer! It's so smooth and savory.

How to grill Jabdam's back-alley pork

Jabdam's grill heats up fast! The thinly sliced pork cooks quickly once it hits the grill, so it doesn't take long at all — just get your wrap ready. Because the meat itself is thin, it's especially convenient when eating with a group, and the outdoor-pojangmacha feel means you don't have to worry about being too loud.

Keep one side fully cooked while laying fresh meat on the other — split the grill in half like this and use every bit of space.

I really didn't repeat a single combo — wrapped the meat with all sorts of different banchan each time. The tongs were easy to handle and the meat cooked so fast there was hardly a moment my mouth wasn't busy. 🫶

Finishing with pork skin, 10,000 won

After eating enough meat, I ordered pork skin to wrap things up. Grilled golden-brown on the pan, the texture was genuinely fun to eat. Try it as a light drinking snack! The outside crisps up while the inside stays chewy, giving it a real satisfying bite.

A full plate of frozen back-alley pork made with premium hanwoo pork! Time flew by and I truly got to relax and unwind. Highly, highly recommend.