Red plastic tables at a Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ tent: Chowon
In short
Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor Korean BBQ tent in Jongno, Seoul, where the red plastic tables face the stone wall of Tapgol Park. Arriving 15 minutes before the 17:00 opening still wasn't early enough to be first in line, and every outdoor seat at Chowon was taken before the meat even hit the grill. Red plastic tables, red baskets and a clean indoor restroom made it an easy place to sit through two bottles of soju.
Good to know
- Hours
- Daily 17:00–01:00
- Location
- 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (141m from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 5, next to the Wongaksa free meal center)
- Parking
- No parking available
- Meat
- 1++ Hanwoo Flame Set 55,000 won / 1++ Hanwoo Striploin 28,000 won / Nutty Beef Brisket 20,000 won / Beef and Pork Belly Set 53,000 won / Frozen Pork Belly 18,000 won / Frozen Beef Belly 18,000 won / Makchang (beef intestine) 18,000 won
- Sides
- Beef Brisket Doenjang Stew 8,000 won / Self-Serve Fried Rice 5,000 won / Steamed Egg 5,000 won / Kimchi Stew 9,000 won
- Drinks
- Gourd-Bottle Makgeolli 6,000 won / Soju 5,000 won / Terra 6,000 won
- Ordering
- You can take a seat early, but orders are only taken from 17:00
- Price reference
- ₩55,000 ≈ $40 · ₩28,000 ≈ $20.5 · ₩20,000 ≈ $14.5 (2026-09-22)
as written by the visitor on Sep 22, 2026
The weather was so good my feet just carried me to Jongno 3-ga again~~ Here I am, back.
Jongno outdoor tent, Jongno 3-ga grilled-pork-belly spot, Tapgol Park tent — Chowon Restaurant.
Among all the outdoor tents in Jongno 3-ga, Seoul's tent paradise, this Tapgol Park stone-wall-view tent is, in my opinion, the most reliably solid one. Haha.
Can you get an outdoor seat 15 minutes before Chowon opens?
Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch opens at 17:00. Worried about not getting a seat, I arrived 15 minutes early — and I wasn't even first!! Why why why.
Great access, breezy, great view — of course it's popular!! Other diners who came earlier were already seated... you can sit down early, but they only start taking orders at 17:00.
Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch: location and hours
- 📍 Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch · 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- ⏰ Monday–Sunday 17:00–01:00
- 🚊 141m from Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3, 5) Exit 5
- 📢 Next to the Wongaksa Free Meal Center
- 🚌 Get off at Jongno 3-ga bus stop
- 🚗 No parking 🚫
Whoa, they haven't even brought out the meat yet and every outdoor seat is already taken~~~
Inside Tapgol Park there seemed to be some pre-Chuseok event going on, and the Jongno / Tapgol Park view from Chowon's tent was lovely, the weather was great, the sky was pretty, the music was good — honestly everything was good!!!
Chowon Restaurant menu and prices
Meat — 1++ Hanwoo Fire Set ₩55,000 / 1++ Hanwoo Chaekkeut Sirloin ₩28,000 / Savory Beef Brisket ₩20,000 / Beef-Pork Belly Set ₩53,000 / Frozen Pork Belly ₩18,000 / Frozen Beef Belly ₩18,000 / Makchang ₩18,000.
Side dishes — Beef Brisket Doenjang Stew ₩8,000 / Self-Serve Fried Rice ₩5,000 / Steamed Egg ₩5,000 / Kimchi Stew ₩9,000. Drinks — Gourd-Bottle Makgeolli ₩6,000 / Soju ₩5,000 / Terra ₩6,000.
A look at the red plastic tables in Chowon's outdoor tent
Jongno's Chowon Restaurant, tent tables in red by Tapgol Park. The indoor tables are round, but the tent seats are exactly my favorite: red plastic tables.
Even the basket holding the wet wipes, tissues, pepper, and bottle opener is red. Such attention to detail?! They even attached a little lamp above the basket in case it's hard to see at night.
What is the restroom like at an outdoor tent like Chowon?
A great Jongno 3-ga spot, this Jongno tent restaurant, Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, having the restroom indoors was really nice. This neighborhood doesn't have many clean buildings, so I was a bit worried about the restroom, but nope — not damp, not dirty.
Chowon's frozen pork belly with kimchi, bracken and bean sprouts
Handsome!!! This frozen pork belly is handsome haha
A full spread at Jongno's outdoor pork-belly spot, Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch. A red tent table packed with food, already stuffed just looking at it. The coated pan at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is impressively smooth, so grilling the meat was super easy.
The inseparable trio for gas-grilled pork belly: kimchi, bracken, bean sprouts. Cut the long strips of pork belly into bite-size pieces, wrap, wrap, wrap — so good!
Frozen pork belly is tastiest wrapped!! Just my taste though... even if you're not a fan of lettuce wraps, give this combo a try just once.
That amazing thing soaking up the pork belly drippings — the kimchi. Cut the kimchi grilled nicely in the pork fat, add rice, add meat, triple combo!!!
Does this even need explaining?
I hustled and went early so I didn't have to wait, but as I ate... the line just kept getting longer and longer haha. I'm not the type to worry about that and just keep eating!! So I quickly finished off two bottles and came home~
Where it is
1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당
