Korean BBQ near Hapjeong Station where staff grill: Gim Sukseong

I feel like I've been going to Hapjeong at least once a week lately! Today I met up with a friend from high school. :) I had a good memory of visiting the Mapo branch, so this time I went to Gim Sukseong Hapjeong Branch, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station. The place is about a 6-minute walk from Exit 4, so it's pretty close to the station.

The signboard has a rough, handwritten kind of lettering — not flashy at all, but that rough style actually caught my eye more. It matched the vibe of the restaurant well, giving off a simple, cute feeling that made me want to look twice. :)

On a cooler day like today, it feels perfect for grilling meat outside. :) With a cool breeze blowing and weather that's neither too hot nor too cold, sitting at the outdoor tables and grilling meat would probably feel really nice!

We visited at 6 PM on a weekday, and even though I thought that was still early, the restaurant was already nearly full. It seems like the time overlaps with when people get off work, and a lot of people come early for dinner! So if you're planning to visit on a weekday evening, I'd recommend making a reservation ahead of time so you can eat comfortably whenever you'd like. :)

Gim Sukseong Hapjeong Branch menu and the Special 2

The menu is broadly divided into meat, side dishes, and drinks. It's really simple, which actually made it easier to choose haha. After looking through the menu, we ended up ordering the Gim Sukseong Special 2 that day! Rather than picking cuts one by one, this menu lets you try several cuts together, which felt like a good choice. By the way, they're running a review event where you get food service for writing a Naver or Catch Table review, so it's worth trying!

What side dishes come with it? Seasoned marinated crab and kimchi

The side dishes came out quickly after ordering — seasoned crab marinade, scallion salad, napa cabbage kimchi, and scallion kimchi. It was my first time seeing seasoned crab marinade served as a basic side dish at a Korean BBQ place, so that was a bit surprising haha.

There were three types of sauces, and personally the one in the middle that looked like doenjang (fermented soybean paste) was the best! It had a salty yet savory taste that went surprisingly well when dipping the meat. :)

My friend tried the seasoned crab marinade and said it was really good, laughing that it was surprising a Korean BBQ place could serve such delicious crab marinade — almost like it could be a dedicated crab marinade restaurant haha. It was the perfect appetite-opener before the meat!

Inside the Special 2: pork neck, pork belly and gabrisal

Next came the Gim Sukseong Special 2 — pork neck (2 servings), plus Gim Sukseong pork belly and gabrisal totaling 250g. Since it lets you try several cuts at once, it was just the right amount for two friends who love meat!

Staff grill the aged pork at your table

What I liked most was that the staff grilled the meat for us. Thanks to that, we didn't have to worry about the meat burning and could just chat comfortably while we ate. :)

The sight of the meat turning golden brown on the grill alone made my mouth water. The crispy exterior paired with just the right layer of fat made it look moist and tender just by looking at it!

Gim Sukseong apparently only uses the highest-grade domestic Korean pork. In particular, they say it goes through 4 days of dry aging and 16 days of wet aging, cross-aged for over 20 days total — and maybe because of that, it definitely had a different taste and texture from regular pork. Thanks to the aging process, the meat's own flavor felt richer, and the more you chewed, the more the savory taste came through. :)

The fresh scent of minari (water dropwort) cut through the richness of the meat, and pairing it with tangy, well-fermented aged kimchi brought the flavor of the meat even more to life! Alternating between the two let me enjoy the meat all the way through without getting tired of it. :)

At the end, we finished off the meal by ordering fried rice. After eating a hearty amount of meat, finishing with savory fried rice made for such a perfect meal!

Is Gim Sukseong good for a group dinner in Hapjeong?

Gim Sukseong Hapjeong Branch was such a satisfying Korean BBQ place — probably because of the cross-aging process of over 20 days, the meat itself had great flavor, and being able to pair it with minari, aged kimchi, and seasoned crab marinade meant I could enjoy it in all sorts of combinations. :) Best of all, the staff grilled the meat for us, so we could chat comfortably throughout the meal. Finishing it all off with a solid serving of fried rice left me feeling properly full! From the taste of the meat to the menu composition and the service, everything was satisfying overall, so if you're looking for a Korean BBQ spot for a work dinner or gathering in Hapjeong, I definitely recommend paying a visit!