Korean BBQ lunch in Mokdong, Seoul: myeoljeot rice bowl at

I had a show to catch at Mokdong Ice Rink today, so I headed to Omokgyo Station and stopped for lunch at Dongnaejeong Mokdong, a well-known spot near the station. I've eaten at Dongnaejeong a few times for family dinners, but this time I visited the Mokdong branch near the venue. From their signature gabrisal to migalmaegi, my personal favorite, I grilled meat in broad daylight~! Today I'll introduce the gabrisal and migalmaegi I tried myself.

Where Dongnaejeong Mokdong is and what the restaurant feels like

Dongnaejeong Mokdong is a 3-minute walk from Exit 5 or 6 of Omokgyo Station. Being so close to the subway made it super easy to get to~!

There were seats outside the restaurant for customers waiting for a table.

We showed up before noon thinking, "We'll probably be the only ones grilling meat at this hour~!" but there were already plenty of people who'd come even earlier..? There was even a group of diners lolol

The tables were spaced generously apart, which made things comfortable, and ventilation — the most important thing in a BBQ restaurant — was excellent. Every table was grilling meat but there wasn't a wisp of smoke.

And here's a tip from Dongnaejeong!! They keep sesame oil on the table, so let me show you how to use it.

What we ordered at Dongnaejeong Mokdong and what it cost

Take a good look at the Dongnaejeong Mokdong menu first~!

Here's what we ordered at Dongnaejeong:

• Gabrisal (₩17,000) x 2 servings
• Migalmaegi (₩17,000) x 1 serving
• Rice (₩1,000)
• Jeju Sanbang bibim mil-myeon (cold mixed noodles, ₩8,000)

The side dishes were all things that pair well with meat: myeong-i namul (wild garlic leaves), baek-kimchi (white kimchi), gat-kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi), and pickled garlic scapes.

And then there's Dongnaejeong's signature myeoljeot (fermented anchovy sauce)!! It comes in a big pot, which is a distinctive touch — and it's absolutely delicious lolol

Do the staff grill the gabrisal for you?

Our 2 servings of gabrisal and 1 serving of migalmaegi arrived! A staff member started grilling the gabrisal right away, skillfully. At Dongnaejeong, staff grill the meat for you by default, but if it's really busy you might have to grill it yourself!

This is why I said there wasn't a wisp of smoke earlier lol — look at that ventilation sucking the smoke right up... the suction power was unreal lolol

The staff member finished grilling the gabrisal in no time, laid the migalmaegi on the grill too, and even left us tips on how to eat it before heading off..👍

How gabrisal tastes and how to eat it with myeoljeot

As instructed, I had a bite dipped only in salt, then another bite with myeong-i namul and wasabi on top~! Gabrisal is known for its moist texture, and the gabrisal at Dongnaejeong Mokdong was tender and full of juice — it burst with flavor every time I bit down!!

And dipping the meat in the myeoljeot that comes as a side dish gives a completely different flavor than dipping in salt! The saltiness of the myeoljeot is balanced out by the meat's juices, and the savory umami really jumps up.

You really have to try scooping some myeoljeot onto rice, mixing it up, and topping it with gabrisal.. it's a totally different flavor from dipping lolol

Migalmaegi: nutty pork with no off smell

My personal favorite, migalmaegi! Since galmaegisal (skirt meat) is close to the internal organs, it can easily have an off smell if not handled well, so many restaurants serve it pre-seasoned. Dongnaejeong's migalmaegi, though, has no seasoning at all, no off smell, and is soft with a distinctive nuttiness and rich meaty aroma — which is exactly why it's my favorite menu item lol

Galmaegisal tastes best dipped straight into the salt-and-oil sauce.

Pairing it with the pickled garlic scapes adds a tangy, refreshing note that really brings out the nutty flavor unique to galmaegisal!

Jeju Sanbang bibim mil-myeon with a swirl of sesame oil

Last up was the Jeju Sanbang bibim mil-myeon! Give the sesame oil on the table a swirl over the noodles before mixing~!

We poured in the broth that came with the noodles right away, but you can add as much as you like to taste~!

Then straight into mixing the noodles. The bibim mil-myeon portion was bigger than expected.

The bibim mil-myeon wasn't spicy, had just the right amount of sweetness, and the noodles were especially chewy — it paired really well with the meat!

To finish, we dipped some moist grilled mushrooms into the salt-oil sauce too~! Then mixed the leftover myeoljeot into rice with sesame oil, and that completed a midday feast of a lunch.

Honest verdict on Dongnaejeong Mokdong

I've eaten at Dongnaejeong a few times before, and once again the gabrisal was juicy and tender, while my favorite migalmaegi delivered that distinctive nutty flavor and rich meaty aroma!! The myeoljeot that comes standard is great for dipping meat, but mixing it into rice with sesame oil is truly, seriously the best!!!!!!!!

Actually, Dongnaejeong has a myeoljeot fried rice menu item that I've wanted to try every time I visit, but I always end up ordering just plain rice because I can't resist mixing it with myeoljeot, so I still haven't tried it^^ Next time I'll really hold off on the rice and order the myeoljeot fried rice.

It's close to Omokgyo Station and the staff grill the meat for you, so it was comfortable and easy to enjoy. The owner and staff all had really friendly faces too, and I'll definitely be back to Dongnaejeong Mokdong whenever I'm craving meat in Mokdong!!

Highly recommend Dongnaejeong Mokdong near Omokgyo Station for delicious gabrisal and migalmaegi in the Mokdong area👍👍👍👍