Gwangju pork barbecue restaurant for black pork: Jeju Oktop JEJU BBQ

Where is Jeju Oktop JEJU BBQ, Gwangju Gyeongan Branch?

I visited Jeju Oktop JEJU BBQ, Gwangju Gyeongan Branch in Gyeongan-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi. I had fond memories of enjoying black pork in Jeju, so I went for black pork again this time.

The address is 11-13 Gwangju-daero, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, on the first floor. The original post lists its hours as 3 PM to midnight on weekdays and noon to midnight on weekends.

What were the atmosphere and side dishes like?

The restaurant was spacious and neat, with a Jeju-like feel in the interior. I was told that the meat is aged using both dry-aging and wet-aging methods.

I do not like pork belly or five-layer pork with an overly thick layer of fat. They said they manage the fat thickness here so it does not exceed their own standard. There was also a varied selection of side dishes, which went well with the meat.

What meat and side dishes were available?

The pork options included bon samgyeop (premium pork belly), fresh ribs, and shoulder-back sets, as well as apgogi and dwi-gogi cuts. I ordered the black pork fresh rib set.

There was also beef and beef set options. I thought the small yukhoe (seasoned raw beef) portion would be good when you want just a little taste or a light dish to have with drinks.

Among the side dishes, ganjang gejang bibimbap (rice mixed with soy-marinated raw crab) and seafood ramyeon caught my eye, but I was too full to order them. There were several kinds of traditional liquor as well.

How is the black pork fresh rib grilled?

Four kinds of salt were prepared. The staff explained which salt suited each cut, so it was easy to choose.

The black pork fresh rib set came with mushrooms and green onions, along with a dol hareubang (Jeju stone grandfather) decoration. The original post noted a weight of 330–350 g, which felt suitable for two people at the time.

They grilled the rib meat first. It was a fatty cut, but it was tender rather than tough when I ate it.

The staff grilled all the meat, so I could eat comfortably. When cutting it, they checked whether the size was right and how I wanted it cooked. I also liked that they did not grill everything at once, instead starting the next meat as what I was eating began to run low.

Which sauces and accompaniments went well with the meat?

I usually dip pork in ssamjang, but that day it was tasty even with just a light dip in the basic salt. The cream cheese sauce suited my taste even when I had plenty with the meat. As someone who likes cheese, I appreciated it even more, and the meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) was not overly fishy.

I also ate it with myeonginamul (pickled wild garlic leaves) and wasabi. The rib meat was tender, and I enjoyed this combination too.

Can the pork belly be cut to your preference?

The staff grilled the pork belly as well. I heard that staff receive grilling training regularly.

The fatty section was cut thick like five-layer pork, but they could cut it off and grill it separately if requested. Since I do not like chewy fat, I had it grilled separately.

I also do not like pork belly cut too thick, so I appreciated that they cut it to the size I wanted. It tasted clean with no off smell, and the grilled green onions were tasty too.

Finally, I had pork rind. Since it took a little time to cook, they kept grilling it while I ate the meat. It went well with barbecue sauce and soybean powder, complementing its chewy texture. At the end of the meal, I also received a Jeju tangerine candy. I was satisfied not only with the meat, but also with the service that paid attention to my eating pace and preferences.