Pork BBQ restaurant in Gwangju for a family meal: Jeju Oktop JEJU BBQ

My husband, child, and I visited Jeju Oktop JEJU BBQ, Gwangju Gyeongan Branch to eat Jeju pork. We started with the Jeju meokgugi set and added black pork pork belly and bibim naengmyeon. Since I enjoy meat with a chewy texture, I particularly remember the moist apgogi (front pork cut) and pork belly grilled with its skin.

Where is it, and how does parking work?

The restaurant is on the first floor at 11-13 Gwangju-daero, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It is in an alley about five minutes from Gwangju Rodeo Street, and the Jeju atmosphere was apparent from the entrance. We took the bus there on a Saturday.

You cannot park in front of the restaurant. The notice said that when using the Munhwa Wedding Hall parking lot, up to two cars per table can park for two hours. At the time the original post was written, the listed hours were 3 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and noon to midnight on weekends. Delivery was also available.

Was it comfortable to dine with a child?

We had reserved in advance and were shown to our table. There were more tables than I expected, so I thought it would work well for families or groups dining together. The interior also had Jeju-inspired decorations, creating the feeling of eating meat while away on a trip.

The high chair and children’s tableware made it convenient to eat with our child. Our child ate the meat and rice well, and we had it with myeongran gyeranjjim (steamed egg with pollock roe).

What meat and set menus are available?

The restaurant said it ages its meat using both wet-aging and dry-aging methods. I usually enjoy aged meat, so I was looking forward to seeing what the texture would be like.

There was a full-table set featuring Jeju apgogi and a Jeju black pork BBQ set, and items could also be ordered individually. We chose the Jeju meokgugi baby pig set, which was recommended for two people.

Basic side dishes and seasonings for the meat were served. There were said to be 17 accompaniments, including Himalayan pink salt, steak seasoning, sea salt, and pepper, so we could choose according to our preferences.

What did the Jeju meokgugi set cost, and how was it grilled?

At the time of our visit, the Jeju meokgugi baby pig set was ₩39,900. It included 500 g of Jeju meokgugi, daksawoo doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew with sweet shrimp), and two bowls of rice. Because of an allergy, I could not eat the standard stew, so I paid an additional ₩1,500 to change it to kimchi-jjigae.

Jeju meokgugi was introduced to us as Jeju apgogi, combining the savory quality of pork belly with the leaner flavor of pork neck. The meat came in large pieces, which made me anticipate its chewy texture.

Jeju meokgugi is normally a menu item that you grill yourself. However, grilling service was available on the day we visited, so a staff member grilled it for us. They cooked our child’s meat a little longer.

The golden-brown grilled meat was moist inside, and I could taste the juices as I chewed. It had good flavor even on its own, and it was fun to switch between the different accompaniments.

At the time of our visit, as part of a summer promotion with new menu items, soju and beer were being sold for ₩3,000. We ordered beer as well. This was the promotional price at that time.

How were the kimchi-jjigae and myeongran gyeranjjim?

The kimchi-jjigae we changed to contained black pork. The broth was light yet pleasantly spicy, and the kimchi was tasty, making it good with rice.

We also ordered myeongran gyeranjjim to share with our child. It was ₩4,000 at the time of our visit. The egg was soft and moist, and it went well with the pollock roe. Our child said they would eat rice on their own and ate diligently.

How were the added black pork belly and bibim naengmyeon?

Our child ate the meat well, so we wanted a little more and added black pork pork belly. It was ₩16,000 for 150 g at the time of our visit. We were asked whether we wanted the skin grilled separately or together, and we asked for it to be grilled together. I liked the chewy texture of eating the meat and skin together.

We also ordered the ₩7,000 bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) to eat with the pork belly. Its sweet-and-sour seasoning was memorable for being rich rather than light. It was a shame that we were already so full; if we had had more room, I would have wanted to order a bowl each for my husband and me.

Our child also ate a bowl of rice and several large pieces of meat. It was a family meal enjoying Jeju pork at a place with a high chair and children’s tableware. I will need to check separately whether grilling service is available on a future visit.