No-wait 8:30pm Korean BBQ in Baegot, Siheung: pork skirt at Hamdon

I have a go-to BBQ place for family dinners and company gatherings: "Hamdon" (함돈), already well known in Siheung as a great meat spot. I'd been to the main branch in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung, a few times for work dinners, and since the Baegot direct-run branch opened close to home, we go even more often for family meals.

This time I visited Hamdon Baegot (함돈 배곧직영점). Family and friends I've brought have all been happy with it, so it's an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a good restaurant or good BBQ in Baegot.

Hamdon Baegot location, hours and parking

Hamdon Baegot is by Building B of Avenue France Central Purple in Baegot. The exact address is 7 Seouldaehak-ro 264beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi, 1F B-140 (경기 시흥시 서울대학로264번길 7 1층 B-140호).

Around Avenue France plaza there are lots of restaurants and bars, so you can fill up on BBQ at Hamdon first and move on to a second round afterward. That makes it convenient for company dinners and group get-togethers in Baegot.

• Hours: daily 11:30–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Parking: available in the building's underground car park

We live about a 15-minute walk away, so this time we left the car at home and walked.

Hamdon Baegot exterior and waiting

The exterior has a clean white sign with black line accents. "Hamdon" is written in a Jeju-style typeface, and a gold pig motif next to it gives it a slightly upscale feel.

There's usually a wait at peak times, so there's a Catchtable waiting-registration machine at the entrance. We finished work late and arrived around 8:30pm, and luckily there was no wait.

There are benches for people waiting, and the waiting area is set up like an indoor space, so I remember it wasn't too uncomfortable even waiting in the middle of winter. Little things like this make it feel like a Baegot restaurant that cares about its customers.

There's a dol hareubang (Jeju stone grandfather statue) by the entrance, which naturally gives the feel of a place serving Jeju pork. You can also see the room where premium Korean domestic pork (hanedon) is aged. The Hamdon logo is on the aging room too, so I got the impression of a Baegot BBQ restaurant that really cares about its pork.

Is Hamdon Baegot's atmosphere right for family meals and company dinners?

The interior isn't very large, but it feels clean and tidy overall, which I liked. Each table has what you need, and the décor is neat without fuss, so there's no pressure bringing family.

I liked that it feels calmer and more organized than the usual chaotic BBQ joint. It works for a big group on a company dinner, and it doesn't feel awkward for a family meal either. So it suits both Baegot company dinners and family outings.

Hamdon Baegot menu prices and what we ordered

You order on the kiosk at the table, which was convenient.

For company dinners I usually order the Hamdon Snowflake Special and add aged pork neck (特목살) if we need more. Personally, I find Hamdon's pork neck delicious too, so I've always been satisfied. This time my son said he wanted pork belly and pork skirt, so we ordered cross-aged pork belly and Jeju fresh pork skirt.

• Cross-aged pork belly (160g) ×2: ₩32,000
• Jeju fresh pork skirt (160g) ×2: ₩34,000
• Beer (1 bottle): ₩5,000
• Rice (1 bowl): ₩1,000

We also ordered a bowl of rice for my son and a beer for my wife and me to share.

Naver receipt review discount

By the way, at Hamdon Baegot you get ₩2,000 off per person if you write a Naver receipt review.

It stacks, so two people get ₩4,000 off and five people get ₩10,000 off. Picking up a discount like this makes a meal at a Baegot restaurant even more satisfying.

Hamdon's side dishes: minari wraps and bone soup

The basic spread included raw garlic, green chili, Maldon salt, white kimchi, scallion kimchi, young radish pickles, ssamjang (dipping paste), shiitake wasabi, and mustard greens salad (gyeojachae).

It also comes with minari wraps, which you could call Hamdon's signature.

Instead of lettuce wraps, you get minari (water dropwort) said to be brought in daily from the clean waters of Suncheon Bay. The first time I tried it, it was more fragrant than I expected and stuck in my memory. Dipped in Jeju deodeok (bellflower-root-like) gochujang, it pairs really well with the meat.

A bone soup (ppyeo-gomtang) also comes as standard. The bones had quite a bit of tender pork on them, and the broth was rich yet clean. It's nice to have warm before the meat arrives, and my kid ate it fine with rice.

How do the cross-aged pork belly and Jeju fresh pork skirt taste?

The cross-aged pork belly and Jeju fresh pork skirt we ordered arrived, and the meat looked great from the start.

The meljeot (salted fermented anchovy-style dipping sauce) that came with it was seasoned with extras, and it really brought out the Jeju pork feel.

One of the best things about Hamdon Baegot is that the staff grill and cut the meat for you. Since it's served in perfect condition for eating, it's easy for family meals and a big plus for company dinners with a group.

The pork belly had the distinctive flavor of aged meat, and the pork skirt had a lovely chewy texture. Both were juicy, and I could see why Hamdon is talked about as a top BBQ spot in Baegot. Personally, the combination of Maldon salt, shiitake wasabi, mustard greens salad, meljeot and minari went especially well with the meat.

Finishing with bibim naengmyeon

After enjoying the meat at Hamdon Baegot, we ordered bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) to finish.

It comes with vinegar and mustard sauce, so you add them to taste and mix. The noodles were slightly spicy, sweet and nutty, a great closer after meat. Even though I was quite full, I kept reaching for it and enjoyed it to the last bite.

Hamdon Baegot: overall verdict

Hamdon Baegot is a place I've visited many times for family meals and company dinners. I've been to both the main branch and the Baegot branch, and the people I went with were always happy, which makes it more memorable. The staff grilling, the clean interior, the minari and meljeot combination, and how good the pork belly and skirt were all balanced well. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good restaurant in Baegot or a place for a company dinner.