Gangnam Korean BBQ restaurant with al fresco bone pork: Chobeoljip

A tile-roof-style exterior and outdoor-table atmosphere

The exterior has an elegant, tile-roof-house-inspired look. I think this used to be a duck bulgogi restaurant, and now a BBQ place has opened here!

I loved the outdoor-table atmosphere—it is just perfect for cool weather ~

Ordering par-grilled bone-in pork belly and rice

Two portions of par-grilled bone-in pork belly (ppyeosamgyeop) and one bowl of rice, ordered ~ 💜

Two portions of bone-in pork belly—the meat looked so tender~ Since it is par-grilled first, it cooks up quickly, haha. They said a robot machine does the initial grilling. The world really has gotten better, hasn’t it??

Thick-cut bone-in pork belly grilled by the owner

They spread out the meat for us ~ The owner grilling it personally was simply the best 👍🏻👍🏻 A place that grills the meat for you is always a win, right? It is magic that makes it taste even better ~💜

The dish I was looking forward to most that day was definitely the bone-in pork belly. Pork belly is such a familiar menu item, you know~ So I was curious how bone-in pork belly would differ from regular pork belly. And of course, the look when the meat first arrives is important!! As it came to the table, the thick-cut meat immediately caught my eye.

They even put aged kimchi (mukeunji) on the grill ~ It kind of looks like a heart 💜💗 The owner is such a thoughtful genius, seriously?? They grilled the shishito peppers and the bones from the pork belly too ~ Everything was clean, and having it grilled for us made the meal so easy and comfortable.

A full spread with aged kimchi and vegetable side dishes

It tasted even better with kimchi ~ The combination of kimchi and pork is always a win. The moment it hits the grill, game over. With that sizzle, little bits of fat start rendering from the meat and the surface turns golden~~ They grilled mushrooms too ~

A lettuce wrap—ahh~~ The seasoned bean sprout and chive salad was so good. It was delicious with rice too, the kind of flavor that makes you think of a rice thief, haha. As a vegetable-side-dish lover, I kept reaching for it ~ I want to know the recipe, haha. I want to make it at home, hahaha.

The meat was crisp on the outside, tender inside, and bursting with juices. It could feel rich, but the grilled aged kimchi balances it out.

An Apgujeong Rodeo outdoor-table spot for chatting with friends

The distinctive outdoor-table atmosphere came through even more strongly. There was the lively bustle unique to a BBQ restaurant, plus the delicious smell of meat cooking at every table~ We had not even ordered yet, but the aroma from the next table suddenly doubled my hunger... Meat is unfair from the smell alone. 😂

There are lots of pretty, spotless BBQ restaurants these days, but grilling meat in a more relaxed, lively atmosphere has its own kind of fun too. The outdoor-table vibe especially suited visiting with friends, eating meat, and chatting about this and that. If you want outdoor-table BBQ near Apgujeong Rodeo Station, I recommend Chobeoljip Apgujeong Rodeo Branch ~ 👍🏻