Hapjeong terrace Korean BBQ with spicy crab rice: Gim Sukseong

Autumn has arrived, which means the weather is just right for outdoor dining, so before it gets any colder I headed to Hapjeong in the evening to a well-known BBQ spot called 'Gim Sukseong'! Eating great meat outdoors in the cool weather, I got to fully enjoy that autumn vibe haha.

Gim Sukseong Hapjeong Branch: hours, private events and parking

• Hours: Daily 11:30 - 01:00
• Private rental available (up to 40 people)
• Corkage available
• No parking - use nearby public parking lot

What is the terrace seating at Gim Sukseong like?

Gim Sukseong Hapjeong Branch has that classic old-school vibe from the exterior alone~~ Since our goal was outdoor dining, we grabbed a terrace seat! The weather was cool too, so it was the perfect setting to eat meat outside haha.

The weather was so nice, and the inner window seats had their doors wide open too, so you could feel both the retro atmosphere and the outdoor dining vibe together~ Eating meat with the cool breeze blowing was such a great mood haha.

What comes with Gim Sukseong Special 2, 550g for 56,000 won

I ordered the signature menu item, the Gim Sukseong Special 2~ It comes with two servings of thick pork neck and two servings of limited-edition aged meat, totaling 550g for ₩56,000! It's a pretty generous amount even for two people, great for really digging into meat while dining outdoors haha.

Looking at the meat when it arrived, the pork neck was really thick, and the aged meat looked fresh from the color alone, which got my expectations up! In particular the meat had noticeable thickness overall, so it looked like it would be full of juice once grilled. Eating it myself, the meat quality was really excellent haha. It was chewy yet juicy, and it suited the outdoor dining mood perfectly!

Spicy marinated crab comes free with the banchan

For banchan, they set out a generous spread of kimchi, shredded scallion, scallion kimchi, spicy crab, and sauces! For basic side dishes at a BBQ restaurant, it was amazing that every single one happened to be something I love haha. Especially since there were so many different sides that paired well with the meat, I never got tired of it and kept mixing in different things the whole meal~

The presentation of the basic banchan was great too! And here's the real kicker: spicy crab!! I couldn't believe a BBQ restaurant would give you spicy crab as a basic side dish ㅜㅜ As a crab lover, I was so happy the moment I saw it haha. The seasoning was nicely infused too, so picking up a piece of crab between bites of meat was so delicious! Personally, this was the first place where even the basic banchan lineup matched my taste this perfectly, which made it even more satisfying 😋

Why tissue rolls hang all over the Hapjeong terrace

Looking around the terrace, I noticed tissue rolls hanging everywhere haha. It seemed a little strange at first, but once I actually sat down it was way more convenient than I expected! It was easy to pull one out whenever needed, and having the tissue rolls dangling like that was kind of cute and fit the outdoor dining mood well haha. Little details like this really brought out that old-school charm, which I found fun~

Is the spicy crab rice at Gim Sukseong worth ordering?

And I also ordered the spicy crab rice!! As a crab lover, there was no way I could skip this menu item haha. I'd already decided before coming that I absolutely had to try the spicy crab rice, so I was excited walking in! And sure enough, when it arrived the presentation was amazing... 🤤 The rice was piled generously with spicy crab, and it came with scallion, seaweed, pickled radish, and even a raw egg, making it look incredibly appetizing from the start!

I cracked the raw egg on top and mixed everything together — the crab, rice, scallion, seaweed, and pickled radish — and one bite in, it was even more delicious than I'd expected haha. The salty, savory seasoning of the spicy crab combined with the richness of the raw egg, and with the seaweed, scallion, and pickled radish adding different textures, I kept going back for more! Crab rice really never disappoints... 🤭 If you love crab, I'd definitely recommend ordering the spicy crab rice alongside your meat haha.

Staff grill the pork for you at the table

Another great thing about Gim Sukseong is that the staff grill the meat for you! We just sat comfortably and waited, and a staff member came over and grilled the meat beautifully haha. Grilling meat at a BBQ restaurant can be surprisingly stressful, but having it done for us meant we could just relax and chat while eating, which was so nice! Along with the meat, they also placed thinly sliced potato and mushrooms on the grill for us to enjoy~ Watching the potato and mushrooms turn golden brown while the meat cooked made my mouth water haha.

Grilling thick cuts of meat is honestly pretty tricky, right? Keeping the outside from burning while cooking the inside just right isn't easy, but at Gim Sukseong you don't need to worry about any of that at all! You can just sit there while the staff member watches the meat and grills it skillfully haha. Even the thick cuts were cut into easy-to-eat pieces while grilling to a nice golden brown, and they made sure we could eat it right at the perfect moment — it was so convenient! Especially when dining outdoors, being able to sit comfortably and chat while eating rather than fussing over the grill yourself is such a plus haha.

They didn't just carelessly cut the meat either — each piece was carefully cut into an easy-to-eat size! The thick cuts could be a bit much to eat in one bite, but since they were cut to just the right size, it was easy to pick up and eat haha. Since the staff handled everything from grilling to cutting, we really just got to sit there and enjoy eating, which was so nice!

Minari (water dropwort) laid over the grilling meat

The owner really seems to know meat!! While grilling, they gently laid minari (water dropwort) on top of the meat, letting its fragrance subtly infuse into it?? I was genuinely touched by this level of detail... 🥹 The meat was already delicious, but with the minari fragrance added, it felt even more aromatic and brought out the meat's flavor even more! It's really a skill that guarantees the meat can't taste bad haha. They grilled it so well that all we did was sit there and marvel while eating! I guess it really does matter who grills your meat and how haha.

They even cut the cooked minari into bite-sized pieces for easy eating! Not just the meat but even the minari side dish was prepared with such care, which felt really thoughtful haha.

Thick pork neck with salt, pork belly with scallion kimchi

They also cut the rest of the meat and kimchi into easy-to-eat pieces while grilling, and arranged everything on the grill so nothing would burn! Thanks to that, we didn't have to worry about anything while the meat cooked, and could just pick up pieces one by one right when they were ready haha. The staff member also told us that pork neck is full of juice right after grilling, so it's best eaten first!

As soon as it was grilled, the staff recommended dipping the pork neck in salt, so I tried it right away! Biting into the thick pork neck, I could feel the juiciness, and with the salty touch of salt added, the natural flavor of the meat really came through haha. Especially since it was freshly grilled, it was packed with juice and so delicious... Pairing the mild yet nutty pork neck with just a bit of salt let me really taste the meat's own flavor! Turns out eating it right at the peak moment, just as the staff suggested, really is the answer haha. They grilled the meat so well that I was satisfied from the very first bite!

Eating the fragrant, well-cooked minari together with the meat was such a great combination too~ The minari cut through the richness of the meat nicely, so I kept reaching for both together!

And scallion kimchi with samgyeopsal (pork belly) is always the best combo!! I tried the well-grilled samgyeopsal with scallion kimchi, and the nutty, juicy flavor of the meat combined with the sharp, tangy taste of the scallion kimchi was seriously delicious haha. Wrapping a piece of samgyeopsal with scallion kimchi, I kept reaching for more and it disappeared in no time 🤤

Minari, grilled kimchi, and samgyeopsal all together.... it was such a treat haha. Looking back at these photos while writing this, my mouth is already watering ㅠㅠ

They also served fermented anchovy sauce (mel젓), which was also really tasty haha. Dipping the meat in it added a savory depth, giving it a whole different kind of appeal!

The spicy crab was also plump and full of meat, which was great! The seasoning wasn't too strong and was just right, so it was perfect to pick at between bites of meat haha. As a crab lover, I really enjoyed it!!

Gim Sukseong as a Hapjeong terrace BBQ spot: the verdict

Overall, from the meat to the basic banchan to the spicy crab, everything at Gim Sukseong was really delicious! Above all, in this cool autumn weather, eating meat with that outdoor dining atmosphere really is the best haha. Eating thick pork neck and samgyeopsal on the terrace with a cool breeze blowing let me fully enjoy the mood as well, which was so satisfying! With the staff grilling the meat for us and a variety of sides to pair it with — minari, grilled kimchi, spicy crab — it was such a treat for the taste buds~ I'd recommend this place to anyone who wants to enjoy outdoor dining and great meat in Hapjeong before it gets any colder haha.