Charcoal-grilled pork in Ansan: Gogit-ri 88beonji

Charcoal-seared aged meat in Gojan-dong

The evening weather today was seriously unreal... it was so pleasantly cool that all I could think was, I really want to sit outside and have a drink~~!!! So, after ages, I said, “Let’s go have some delicious meat with the little ones,” and found this great meat spot in Gojan-dong!

It’s more than just a samgyeopsal (pork belly) place—it’s somewhere you can properly enjoy aged pork seared first over charcoal, so I was even more excited!! On a lovely day like today, you can eat at the outdoor tables, and it has just the right mood for meat and a drink! This was exactly the place I’d been looking for 😁

The brightly lit sign immediately catches your eye :) It is absolutely bursting with old-school retro vibes ❤️ The outdoor seating was already packed! This is Gojan New Town, apparently—wow... Maybe because it was the weekend, the outdoor area was full of people. I was surprised to see this scene again after so long 😲

When the weather is this nice, the outdoor tables fill right up... haha. If sitting totally out in the open feels like a bit much, the indoor window seats are perfect :) With the accordion-style windows open, you can enjoy fresh air whenever you like! The indoor space is roomy too, so groups needn’t worry!! 😄

How does charcoal-seared meat arrive?

The biggest feature of Gogit-ri 88beonji (고깃리88번지) is its charcoal-seared, direct-flame grilling! I loved that the owner sears it first personally 👍

Your order is seared over charcoal first, then finished at the table, which cuts way down on grilling time and gives the meat a proper smoky aroma 😍 Pork really tastes best with a little fire-kissed flavor, and the delicate scent unique to charcoal absolutely gets the appetite going 🔥🔥

Since the meat comes pre-seared, you also don’t have to worry about conversations getting interrupted by grilling, haha. Wouldn’t this be a pretty convenient setup for a company dinner or gathering too? Just remember that the pre-searing takes a little time, so order ahead!

They carefully pre-sear and cut the meat, pile it generously onto the grill, and bring it to your table! From the diner’s side, how great is it that you can eat quickly without doing all that work?! Such an energetic barbecue restaurant!!

Ordering Gogit-ri Assorted A and samgyeopsal

We immediately ordered the most popular Gogit-ri Assorted A, plus two servings of samgyeopsal. The price is reasonable too, isn’t it? Considering they pre-sear it for you, I think it’s excellent 😄 “Live like charcoal: hot and without leaving anything behind.” Why does that phrase hit so hard?

Now! There’s a guide on how to enjoy the food, plus the welcome notice that makgeolli (Korean rice wine) is unlimited! It’s available only when you order assorted meat.

It was Hongcheon fresh dongdongju, an unfiltered rice wine, and I definitely wanted a taste 😊 Just a note: the ₩1,900 soju and beer event has ended. Please keep that in mind :)

There were three of us, so we poured just three glasses to try it, haha. Cheers~~~~!! Haha, wow! It was really clear and refreshing, not overly sweet, just perfect 😍 It was lovely as a light pre-meal drink (?!) Other people were going back and forth for plenty more :) Even if we were told to have more, I think we’d be too full to manage, hahaha.

Meanwhile, the basic side dishes arrived! Such neat little banchan (Korean side dishes)! That pollock roe sauce was nutty and went so well with the meat. When I eat samgyeopsal at home, I often have it with herring roe, and it gave me that same feeling. Salty and nutty 🥰

Tender assorted pork and a surprising pork neck

Ta-da! The assortment finally arrived 😍 Gogit-ri Assorted A (500 g) was ₩45,000, and two servings of samgyeopsal (150 g per serving) were ₩28,000.

Honestly... I’ve been to lots of places for meat, but it’s been ages since I had meat this tender and bursting with juices! Not a hint of pork odor either! The light charcoal-seared aroma had soaked in, boosting the flavor!

And I’m usually team pork belly, not pork neck, but now I see why pork neck is the signature. It wasn’t dry at all; the fat-to-meat ratio was just right, and each bite was so satisfyingly chewy... truly delicious. My brother-in-law gave this meat spot a thumbs-up too 👍 That made me look forward to the other dishes as well.

While it grilled, we got a glass of somaek—soju mixed with beer—ready right away! Cheers :) A bite of pork neck dipped in the seasoned sauce, gulp~ Ahh, seriously delicious!!!

Another sauce kick! You can’t leave out meljeot, salted anchovy sauce, right? It was less salty than at other branches, so I kept reaching for it! It’s even tastier topped with the sizzling braised garlic and chili peppers~~ ❤️

The salted pollock roe was tasty, the seasoned scallions were tasty!! :) Everything was simply delicious!

Pork skin and boneless chicken feet too

Okay, we’d filled up on meat... now it was pork skin time~~~ :) The pork skin was definitely a good cut too. Rather than a piece that is only skin, I like it when fatty belly is mixed in, and this was exactly that! This also came pre-seared, so it was practically ready to eat 😁👍

My sibling’s family really loves pork skin, and it was so good that we ordered another plate! I think our first little one ate almost an entire plate alone? Hahaha. That’s how good it was 🩷

Next came the chicken feet I wanted to try! They pre-sear the boneless chicken feet, and I was curious about the flavor. They arrive grilled with vegetables. Chicken feet are another special treat! The seasoning wasn’t too strong :) Wrapped with pickled radish, eaten plain~ I just kept eating 😝 The food fest continued!! And of course, pork skin is best with soybean powder!!

A filling dinner with outdoor-table vibes

Cheers! As expected, total devastation!!! We ate ourselves absolutely stuffed at a truly delicious barbecue restaurant today 😊👍 Next time my sibling’s family comes over on a day off, we’ll have to come eat here again!

Recommended for when you want charcoal-grilled meat in Gojan-dong, Ansan; when you’re craving properly smoky pork; when you want to enjoy meat and drinks together; when you want the mood of outdoor tables; or when you need somewhere for a company dinner or group gathering! The pork is aged for two weeks and seared first over charcoal, and it was great being able to try different cuts such as samgyeopsal, pork neck, and gabrisal (pork neck-end) all at once.

More than anything, isn’t smoky flavor + meat + alcohol a combination that’s hard to fail with? If you’re looking for a meat restaurant in Gojan-dong, Ansan, I think it’s worth stopping by :)