Gwangjin Korean BBQ restaurant with minari: Sanggu's Sotttukkeong

It had been a while since I’d had proper cast-iron-lid pork belly, so I visited Sanggu's Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal Gueui Branch (상구네솥뚜껑삼겹살 구의점), haha. The big yellow sign made the place easy to spot, too~!

Lunch menu and location

There was a whole list of lunch dishes in front of the entrance!! From shabu-kalguksu (hot-pot noodle soup) and spicy pork set meals to webfoot octopus and braised pollock, there was plenty of variety~ They also had braised kimchi and green-onion yukgaejang, so it looked like a really hearty lunch, haha.

There was also information on the lunch specials and meat ingredients~~! They say the fresh pork belly and fresh pork neck use Korean pork aged for three days, haha. Even the kimchi had its own introduction, which made it feel like they pay attention to the sides, too~

Sanggu's Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal Gueui Branch is at 1F, 444 Achasan-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul! It’s roughly between Guui and Gangbyeon Stations, so it’s walkable from either one~~ They’re open daily from 11 AM to 2 AM, with last orders at 1 AM, haha.

Tablet ordering and a group-friendly atmosphere

You order using the tablet at the table~! It was convenient to see everything from the meat to the sides at a glance, haha. I also liked being able to place extra orders right away!

Inside, it had a comfortable atmosphere for eating meat~~ There were quite a few tables, so it looked fine for a gathering, too, haha. It would be perfect for meat and drinks in the evening~!

The wall lists a half-platter 500 g set and a full-platter 900 g set, haha. You can choose meat along with accompaniments such as minari and dried radish greens!! The sets also include drinks and fried rice, so they looked very generous~

There was plenty of variety, from fresh and flash-frozen pork belly to pork neck and pork jowl~! They also had pork collar, pork cheek, and beef rib meat, haha. It looked like a great place to choose cuts to suit your taste~~

The ₩1,900 300 cc draft beer really caught my eye!! They even sell Sung Si-kyung’s sundubu yeol ramyeon, a spicy soft-tofu ramen?! It seems like it would hit the spot when you crave a spicy broth while eating meat, haha.

How varied are the self-serve wrap vegetables?

I also loved that the self-serve bar was so generously stocked~! You can take as many side dishes and vegetables as you need!! I think people who love wraps like I do would be especially pleased~~!!!

You can freely get more kimchi, bean sprouts, bracken fern, onions, and any other sides you run short on, haha. It was so nice that the bar was packed with sides that go well with meat! >.<

There were so many types of wrap vegetables, which made choosing fun~~! Along with lettuce, perilla leaves, and cabbage, there were cucumber chilies, kabocha squash, enoki mushrooms, and so much more that pair well with meat, haha. This is a cast-iron-lid pork belly place that’s great for loading up on vegetables~

There was also a separate refrigerator for storing the meat on one side! Since they sell several cuts, it looked nicely varied~~ It felt like a place that takes aging seriously, so I was really looking forward to the meat, haha.

A full platter with minari on the cast-iron lid

When you sit down, they first set up a huge cast-iron lid~! Kimchi, bean sprouts, and bracken fern go around the edge as standard, haha. I was already excited for the combination cooked together in the pork fat~~

The basic sides came as a spread that goes nicely with meat, haha. There was garlic and ssamjang (savory soybean dipping paste), so it was easy to make wraps right away!! You can comfortably refill any sides at the self-serve bar~

This was the cast-iron lid they set up for us at first! Bean sprouts, kimchi, bracken fern, and pork fat together~~ What more is there to say~~~

Ta-da~~ They grilled it up so generously and beautifully! Haha, didn’t they give us a ton of minari, too?! The minari, lightly cooked in the fat, became wonderfully fragrant, haha. With the kimchi and bracken fern alongside it, this was the full cast-iron-lid pork belly combination~~!

Putting meat and garlic on lettuce is familiar, but it’s the tastiest, right? Haha. The nutty meat and pungent garlic were a perfect match~! There were plenty of wrap vegetables, so I made wraps without holding back~~

The golden-brown meat looked mouthwatering just sitting there! It was delicious, with savory juices coming through the more I chewed, haha. And with grilled kimchi attached to it—what more can I say~!

Meat and minari really are best together~~ The fragrant minari balanced the rich, savory fat perfectly, haha. It was a combination I could keep eating without feeling greasy!!

The meat and minari, along with kimchi and bracken fern, cooked all across the lid~! It was so fun picking different things to eat together, haha. With everything cooking so generously, it felt filling just to look at~~

This time, I filled a wrap with meat and onions, too!! Changing the wrap vegetable makes even the same meat feel different, haha. I made it as generously as I wanted and ate it in one bite—so good~~!

A clean finish with mul naengmyeon

At the end, I ordered cold mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) for dessert~ The chilled broth refreshed my whole mouth, haha. It seemed like it would also be a perfect match with a piece of meat on top!

You know the meal was a success when the plates are clean, haha. From the meat to the minari and wrap vegetables, I really ate well~~! After the mul naengmyeon, I felt pleasantly full and completely satisfied~

I loved the fun of grilling meat and kimchi together on the cast-iron lid!! I also liked being able to enjoy all kinds of wrap vegetables to my heart’s content, haha. I properly enjoyed a full cast-iron-lid pork belly platter with minari~~ Sanggu's Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal Gueui Branch was a generous meal from the meat all the way to the mul naengmyeon~!