Jongno 3-ga charcoal Korean BBQ, garlic stem pickles: Cham Dwaejitgan

I went to Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch (참돼짓간 종로본점) because I heard you can try both Jirisan black pork and Boseong green pork in one place in Jongno. It's a Jongno pork belly spot where you get delicious pork grilled over real charcoal.

Honestly, until I visited Cham Dwaejitgan, it never occurred to me that charcoal or no charcoal could make or break the flavor of the meat... I'll reflect on that, myself...

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch, and where is the entrance?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is a 3-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station, on the ground floor of the Piccadilly CGV building. The door is outside the building, so don't go inside. Turn left at the entrance and you'll find it next to a café!

I visited at 6 on a Sunday, and the hall was full at this Jongno pork belly favorite, Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch.

• Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–23:00
• Closed: No closing days

Inside Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch at 6 PM on a Sunday

Even at 6 on a Sunday, which is early for dinner, Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch was really crowded. Of course, a great restaurant is full no matter the hour...!

The cutlery sets come hygienically wrapped, so the spoons and chopsticks were perfectly clean with no greasy film. Cham Dwaejitgan is a Jongno pork belly spot that uses domestic water dropwort (minari) and Jirisan black pork.

Cham Dwaejitgan menu: Boseong green pork or Jirisan black pork?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch has both Jirisan black pork and Boseong green pork, so after much deliberation I ordered one Boseong green pork belly and one black pork neck.

Gabrisal (the pork "flower neck" cut), my favorite, was sold out, so I debated between belly and neck. Then there was Jirisan black pork versus Boseong green pork, and I agonized over that for ages too! You have to think carefully when you're about to eat something delicious 🤭 In the end I decided to try one of each, so I ordered Boseong green pork belly and black pork neck.

Side dishes at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch

As soon as I ordered, the table was quickly set with seasoned bean sprouts, water dropwort, kimchi, shredded scallion salad, salad, ssam vegetables, garlic stem pickles and a range of sauces.

Seasoned bean sprouts, water dropwort, kimchi, scallion salad, salad, ssam vegetables, garlic stem pickles...! Boss, this is a BBQ place, isn't it unfair to serve a spread this generous like a full Korean set meal? ㅠㅠㅠ

At first I thought only meat would come, but king oyster mushrooms, shishito-style peppers and potatoes came out too. When I went camping with my family as a kid, grilling potatoes next to the meat was the best part, and I never thought I'd feel that vibe here 🥹

Pork belly and neck on a charcoal grill: does it taste different?

At Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch, charcoal burns beneath the grill to cook the pork belly and neck, and a gentle smoky aroma spreads as it grills. The grill is custom-made, so they say the fat drains downward and the smoke gets sucked away.

Premium charcoal is blazing away beneath that grill 🔥 You can really tell charcoal is different, because a gentle smoky aroma spreads while it cooks. As the belly and neck grill, the charcoal scent soaks into the meat and makes the flavor richer.

The custom-made grill at Cham Dwaejitgan, a Jongno pork belly favorite, lets fat drain downward and sucks the smoke away, with vegetables sizzling below and only the meat grilling nicely over the charcoal! I love pork but hate the fat splatter, so I always had to skip it even when I wanted it,,, but here at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch I'm eating my fill!

At Cham Dwaejitgan, the staff grill all the meat for you and cut it into bite-size pieces. Good pork, good charcoal, and they even grill it for you. Nothing beats being able to eat delicious food comfortably.

When the meat is almost done, the staff cut the king oyster mushrooms and put them on the grill with the peppers. Wow, the charcoal aroma spreading while the pork grills gave me the illusion that I was out camping, and it put me in a great mood 😊

Cooked meat gets moved down off the grill, and the potatoes are spread out here and there so they can cook while we eat!

How to eat Boseong green pork belly with wasabi, water dropwort and scallion salad

I ate the Boseong green pork belly first with wasabi, then with water dropwort, then wrapped with scallion salad. Nicely grilled belly with water dropwort and kimchi, time to eat~

As a wasabi evangelist, the first bite is always wasabi 🤭 After belly and wasabi, next is water dropwort! Nothing is more of a GOAT than the water dropwort and pork belly combo. The fat is gone and the savory belly goes so well with the fragrant water dropwort, which makes Cham Dwaejitgan a real water dropwort pork belly spot.

There was scallion salad, so I tried that too. The scallions were fresh and the sauce wasn't spicy, so I wrapped it around the belly with wasabi, and it had a different kind of fragrance from the water dropwort.

Partway through, I got curious about the "golden rule" pork belly combo written under the POS terminal and followed it. Pork with a spicy sauce? Would that work? But the spicy sauce was the kicker...👍 It tasted like something I've had somewhere before ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ the kind of flavor Koreans keep reaching for.

Doenjang jjigae and steamed rice

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch also serves doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), so I ordered extra steamed rice. Doenjang jjigae is my absolute favorite! And you must have rice with it!

The doenjang jjigae was packed with tofu and vegetables. I bet it would have been great with rice stirred in, but I'd already filled up on meat that day haha. Next time I'll go really hungry and put rice in the doenjang jjigae.

Won't Jirisan black pork neck be dry?

The black pork neck at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is thick but not dry at all. It was evenly cooked and chewed tender. Eaten with shiitake wasabi, it cuts the richness nicely.

Oh my, I thought Cham Dwaejitgan was only a pork belly place, but the neck is great too 🥹 The thick neck isn't dry at all, it's evenly cooked and chews tender. With shiitake wasabi, it has a different kick from plain wasabi and keeps the meat from feeling greasy at all.

Garlic stem pickles, shiitake wasabi and potato combo

The combo I recommend most at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is pork with garlic stem pickles, shiitake wasabi and potato. Because of this combo, I ended up ordering one more serving.

Partway through I belatedly saw the note suggesting a combo of garlic stem pickles, shiitake wasabi and potato, and tried it. These garlic stem pickles are just amazing.. the texture is more squeaky-crisp than crunchy, and the clean taste cuts all the richness and goes so well with pork that I ordered one more serving and kept eating this combo nonstop, is the review 🤤

Finally, I finished with the well-cooked potatoes. They were crispy like potato chips, and I could really taste that savory potato flavor.

Honest review of Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch

I was satisfied with everything at Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch: the charcoal aroma, friendly staff, thick belly and neck, and the variety of side dishes. I especially recommend trying the garlic stem pickles with shiitake wasabi.

Honestly, I thought, how big a difference can charcoal make? But yes,,, charcoal is simply brilliant,,,, the charcoal aroma was so strong the whole time that I wondered if I was eating at a campsite, and I was very satisfied. The staff were all friendly, the belly and neck were thick and delicious, and the side dishes were varied and great for sharing. The garlic stem pickle combo is just crazy good, so if you go to Cham Dwaejitgan, the Jongno pork belly favorite, please try the garlic stem pickles with shiitake wasabi 🙏