Suwon Korean BBQ group dinner for 6 with a side grill: Olheun Gogi

Today I went out for a meal at Olheun Gogi (옳은고기), a Korean BBQ place near Mangpo Station! I'd always been curious because it's packed whenever I walk past, and this was my first visit.

Getting to Olheun Gogi from Mangpo Station, and parking

Olheun Gogi Suwon Main Branch is about a 5-minute walk from Mangpo Station Exit 8, so it's easy by public transport, and you can also park in front of the restaurant if you drive. The parking space isn't generous, though, so I'd recommend coming a bit early in the evening.

I loved how spacious and clean the interior was. The tables are spaced comfortably too. Grease splatters a lot at BBQ places, so cleanliness matters to me, and it seemed like Olheun Gogi really takes care of that.

There are private rooms in the back as well, so it looks good for company dinners or group gatherings. You can also book easily through Naver Reservation.

Olheun Gogi menu

The menu covers everything from beef to pork, with well-put-together set menus that make ordering easy. The pork is hanwoo-grade Korean pork (hando) and the quality looked really good. I liked that the pork belly comes out thick-cut, because thick is the tasty way.

Pork hansang set for 6, plus 2 extra servings of pork belly

I ordered the Olheun pork hansang set, and the lineup is great. It includes yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), grilling cheese and steamed egg, and the meat came in three cuts: pork belly, pork neck and sirloin cap. It seems like a good amount for 4 people. There were 6 of us, so I added 2 more servings of pork belly only!

The basic side dishes were simple: myeongi namul (pickled wild greens), mustard leaf kimchi, white kimchi and so on. Braised fish also came as a side dish.

Doesn't the meat look like great quality even just in the photo? Haha. It's cut thick and looked totally fresh!

Staff grill all the meat at Olheun Gogi

The staff grilled all the meat for us, which was so convenient! At places where you grill yourself, the person grilling barely gets to eat, ugh. That's why these days I look for places that grill for you so everyone can eat comfortably. The grilling skills looked great too, haha. They nailed the timing and cut the meat into bite-size pieces, so we could just chat and eat.

This is the grilling cheese that comes with the set! I love cheese, so grilled cheese is the best for me, haha.

Why the small side grill is great for group dinners

Olheun Gogi does something unusual: they give you a small grill on the side. You can put cooked meat on it to keep it warm, and it's also nice for slowly melting cheese over low heat. Cold meat just isn't as good, and it's annoying when the flow breaks, so I loved that everything stayed warm while the next meat was grilling. Also, with a big group the main grill can be far away for some people, but here everyone can eat from a nearby grill even if the grilling happens at one end, so I think it's a great spot for group gatherings.

Yukhoe and steamed egg in the pork set

This is the yukhoe that came with the set! It's served on a bed of pear, and the plating is so pretty, haha.

Freshness is really important for yukhoe. Can you feel how fresh it is just from the photo? Haha. Everyone loves yukhoe, so it vanished in no time, lol.

The steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) included in the set! The portion was huge and it tasted great, haha. It was packed full all the way through.

Pork belly vs. pork neck vs. sirloin cap: taste comparison

The pork belly looks like it simply can't be bad. It was juicy yet clean-tasting and not tough, and even a picky eater like me ate a ton, lol. We eat fast, so the staff had to keep grilling nonstop, haha;

I actually like pork neck more than pork belly, haha. Pork neck is honestly the worst when it's dry, ugh. But the pork neck here wasn't dry at all, it was really tender. Just dipping it lightly in salt is insanely delicious!

It paired really well with the cheese, and surprisingly well with the white kimchi?? The myeongi namul and wasabi combo is just, no words,, the meat is so good that it's delicious whichever way you eat it, haha. I also liked that vegetables like onions and mushrooms came to grill alongside, and when I asked, they grilled the garlic too!

The sirloin cap was chewy and clean-tasting, and delicious too.

Add-on: beef brisket doenjang stew

I'm someone who has to have rice even when eating meat,, so I added a doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), too, haha. It's a beef brisket doenjang stew with blue crab in it, and it's super hearty, lol. It had lots of big chunks of meat. The broth was slightly spicy, which made it even better.

Olheun Gogi near Mangpo Station: final verdict

There are so many BBQ places these days, but one that grills for you and has satisfying meat quality is rarer than you'd think. Olheun Gogi was good on service too, so I was really satisfied, haha. If you're looking for tasty BBQ near Mangpo Station, I don't think you'll regret a visit :)

The extra pork belly I ordered! They grilled it beautifully in just the right bite-size pieces, and I was totally satisfied. Another day of binge eating,, but meat is protein, so it's fine, ha-haha.