Aewol black pork BBQ: why the belly beat medium neck, Nopo Dwaeji

Black pork is a must-eat on any Jeju trip! So while looking for dinner near Gwakji Beach, we stopped by Nopo Dwaeji Aewol (노포돼지 애월). It has a high Kakao Map rating and is known for black pork near Gwakji Beach, so I was curious. The staff grilled the meat for us, which was so easy, and the 600g black pork geun-gogi (thick-cut pork) set let us try both neck and belly. The belly was a real highlight, so I'm leaving this for anyone looking for black pork in Aewol. If you want a place where the meat is grilled for you in Aewol, it's worth a visit.

What's the atmosphere like at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol?

The restaurant was clean and fairly spacious, and the tables were spaced well enough that it never felt cramped. There were lots of families and travelers, and even though it's a BBQ place, it wasn't packed to the brim, which I liked. Best of all, staff were grilling the meat at every table, so everyone could eat in comfort.

Menu and minimum order at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol

The signature dish is black pork geun-gogi, and the basic order is 600g. That means the minimum order is ₩72,000 (lunch special excluded), so keep that in mind!! We ordered the 600g black pork geun-gogi, and it came as neck and belly together.

Basic table setting and self-bar

The basic table setting was neat. Ssam vegetables, pickled chili, meljeot (salted fermented anchovy sauce), salt, wasabi and more were ready, and they went well with the meat. There isn't a huge variety of side dishes, but I never felt anything was missing. The ssam vegetables and other sides could be refilled for free at the self-bar.

How many people does 600g of black pork feed?

I think the 600g black pork geun-gogi is just right for 2 people. For 3 or more, you'll probably need to order extra! The meat came pre-seared, and the neck and belly were thick cuts that got me excited just looking at them.

A Aewol BBQ place where staff grill for you

As I'd read before going, the staff grilled the black pork for us at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol. So we didn't have to worry about grilling and could just eat. They watched the meat and adjusted how done it was, which was great, haha. On a Jeju trip there are times you just can't be bothered to grill, so a place that grills for you was very convenient.

Neck is best grilled medium

I'd heard the black pork neck at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol tastes best grilled medium! So I started with the neck, and it was reasonably juicy and just a solid, easy-to-eat cut. It wasn't dry, it went well with salt or wasabi, and I especially liked it with the pickled chili.

The belly was more memorable than the neck

The black pork belly at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol was even tastier than the neck! It was golden on the outside and juicy inside, with a great texture. You could really taste that nutty black pork flavor, and it was good dipped in meljeot too. Honestly, the belly stayed in my memory far more than the neck, haha. If I went back, I'd want to eat mostly belly.

That said, all belly could get heavy, so a half-and-half order works best. They kept grilling the black pork for us throughout the meal, which was so convenient. It's a good pick near Gwakji Beach at the end of a trip, before heading back to your stay. We'd just been swimming at the beach and had no energy left to grill, so this was a real relief ^__^ Overall, from the grilling service to the taste of belly and neck, it was a satisfying meal.

Recommended combo: neck with wasabi, pickled chili and radish salad

This was my favorite combo at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol. Neck with wasabi, pickled chili and mu-saengchae (seasoned shredded radish) all together never got boring, and I loved it! The ssam vegetables were fresh too, and the pickled chili was the real kicker.

And then we cleaned the plate, as you can see below~~

How to order at Nopo Dwaeji Aewol

I recommend Nopo Dwaeji Aewol to anyone looking for a BBQ place in Aewol where the meat is grilled for you. Personally, I liked the belly more than the neck. Start with the 600g black pork geun-gogi, then add neck or belly to suit your taste~!!