Korean BBQ date in Pyeongtaek: pork jowl & 3 bowls of rice at Binbin

What kind of Korean BBQ restaurant is Binbin Charcoal Garden?

Binbin Charcoal Garden (빈빈숯불가든) is a charcoal BBQ restaurant in Sosabeol, Pyeongtaek, specializing in cross-aged pork belly. A few days earlier I visited Okryeon Galbi and loved it so much that I even wrote a post about it. The owner there told me he also runs a pork belly place nearby, so I went. The galbi place was delicious too, but Binbin's pork belly was even better...?

Personally, if you count the meat plus the soups and the basic side dishes, this was without question the best BBQ restaurant in Pyeongtaek for me. It's not just the meat: the sides, the kimchi stew and the sauces were all so well made that I was impressed the whole meal.

Binbin Charcoal Garden hours, parking and facilities

Binbin is open daily 16:00–23:00, with last order at 22:00. It takes groups of up to 24, has separate men's and women's restrooms, a waiting area, Wi-Fi, reservations, and parking (3 hours covered in the building).

Binbin Charcoal Garden from the outside

Even from outside, the restaurant looks quite large.

Where to park at Binbin Charcoal Garden

Use the dedicated parking lot on floors 2–5 of the same building (J Tower); up to 3 hours are free with a meal. In case it's full, they also partner with the nearby Clock Tower parking lot. It's a good BBQ spot in Sosabeol if you want to visit without parking stress.

A small thoughtful touch at the entrance

At one side of the entrance there were mint candies, dental floss and even Febreze. When you leave after eating meat, this kind of thing is surprisingly welcome. A nice little touch. There were also waiting chairs for guests in line, so even if you have to wait, it's comfortable.

Is Binbin Charcoal Garden good for dates and group dinners?

With a black-toned interior, warm lighting and large plants, Binbin feels right for both dates and company dinners. The first thing I felt when I walked in was, "This doesn't feel like a BBQ restaurant."

The tables are spaced widely and there's plenty of room to move, so it never feels cramped. Round globe lights create a warm color throughout, and they contrast with the dark, modern black ceiling and floor for a refined feel. Hip music was playing too, so it works for a company dinner, and it wouldn't feel out of place as an evening date spot either.

What stood out most were the large plants in drum-barrel planters. These touches of green here and there were unique. They also partly screen the tables from each other, which separates the space. The plants seem to naturally soften a dark interior that could otherwise look cold. Even though it's a BBQ place, I think the background would look pretty in photos.

There are also group rooms for up to 24 people. When I visited, groups were using them (both rooms were occupied). They look good for company dinners or family gatherings.

Binbin also has baby chairs, so families can visit too.

There's a side table like this next to the table, which was handy.

What did we order at Binbin Charcoal Garden?

We ordered the following at Binbin Charcoal Garden.

• Cross-aged pork belly, 500g
• Shrimp special ramen
• Pork jowl

And the line on the menu I was happiest to see: "Free kimchi stew with meat order." For a soup lover like me, that one line alone made me happy 🩷

The back of the menu explains the restaurant's character and what makes Binbin different. It covers the nut-based cross-aging, Binbin's signature bangah (Korean mint) almond doenjang (soybean paste) sauce, premium kimchi by a kimchi master, and haamcho jayeom salt, stirred a thousand times. I read it while waiting for our order.

Reading it, I could really feel how much research went into this. Like Okryeon Galbi, it has a distinct character and explains things in detail, and it feels like dining at a fine-dining place while a chef explains the food. Food tastes better when you know about it, right? That's what I love about both Okryeon Galbi and Binbin.

While waiting for our food, I looked at the meat aging cabinet on one side of the restaurant. In front of it there was a scientific, detailed explanation of the aging process, which was interesting. Seeing the aging process makes it clear they care about meat management, and you can tell the owner has researched meat a lot. Honestly, reading the detailed explanation of the aging process and principles is where my expectations started to rise.

How were the charcoal and the grill?

The real charcoal had good heat, but personally I really loved the grill plate. Its structure reduces juice loss and naturally adds charcoal aroma, so the meat cooks really well. The garlic doesn't fall through either!!!! This is important. haha

What side dishes come with Korean BBQ at Binbin?

The basic side dishes at Binbin are as follows.

• Seasoned radish (musaengchae)
• Young perilla leaf salad
• Myeongi-namul (pickled wild greens)
• Kimchi by a kimchi master
• Pickled chili peppers
• Lettuce and pickled radish wraps

But the sides here were seriously something else. They're not just things to eat alongside meat; each could be sold as its own dish. You can feel the care in the lineup, and every one tastes amazing... They don't feel like ordinary sides, but each one is a secret weapon made to go best with the meat.

This is Binbin's signature bangah almond doenjang sauce, haamcho jayeom salt, and ssamjang (wrap sauce). The bangah almond sauce is said to be Binbin's own signature.

Young perilla leaf salad

The young perilla leaf salad, mixed fresh by hand in the restaurant, was so good!!!🩷 The perilla aroma really whets your appetite, and it feels fragrant and fresh. It keeps that signature perilla fragrance but is soft, not tough, and the seasoning is amazing. Before the meat even arrives, the side alone could carry a bowl of rice. All the sides were good, but this one was my favorite.

Spicy radish salad

The seasoned radish stays crunchy. It was the same one I had at Okryeon Galbi. Radish sometimes tastes bitter, so I'm not a huge fan of it, but this is sliced thin so it's easy to eat, and still crunchy despite being thin. It's pleasantly sweet and really, really good. I honestly wanted to learn how to make it.

Napa cabbage kimchi by a kimchi master

The napa cabbage kimchi served as a side is said to be premium kimchi by a Korean kimchi master. It's not easy to get a kimchi that's both refreshing and full of savory depth. Even tasty kimchi usually has a seasoning-powder taste that gets in the way of freshness, but this has amazing savory depth and a really refreshing taste. Clean-tasting, I guess you'd say?... It's not for nothing that it's a kimchi master's premium kimchi.

How does Binbin's cross-aged pork belly taste?

Thanks to its thickness, Binbin's cross-aged pork belly cooks crispy outside and juicy inside, and a subtle nutty aroma rises as you chew. The thickness of this fresh pork belly is beyond words. You can tell at a glance it's fresh, and it was overwhelming from the look alone.

Because of the thickness, the juices don't escape easily and the surface cooks up crisp and golden. The charcoal aroma slowly seeps into the thick meat. When it starts grilling over the charcoal, a nutty smell spreads and my anticipation exploded already. The heat is good and the meat cooks crispy outside, juicy inside.

The outside was crisp and the inside stayed juicy. A savory flavor rises as you chew, and you really do get a subtle aroma reminiscent of nuts. The name "cross-aging" isn't for nothing.

Dipped in haamcho jayeom salt, which maximizes savory depth, the meat tasted even better. I was amazed at the owner's perfectionism, setting his place apart from other BBQ restaurants even with the salt.

Is Binbin's free kimchi stew really that good?

The kimchi stew served by default with a meat order was the most shocking dish of the day. Honestly I didn't expect much... and this was a real shock.

It's packed with kimchi aged in a dedicated aging cabinet and cross-aged meat, so there's plenty of both, and the broth is deep, rich and pleasantly spicy, just a work of art. For a kimchi stew that comes free, the quality is high. Maybe because the kimchi is so good, the deep savory flavor really comes through, and it went down smoothly with rice.

My boyfriend isn't usually a big eater, but that day he ate 3 bowls of rice. That says it all, right.. We kept saying "Wow, this is the best kimchi stew we've ever had!" while eating.

Eating the meat on its own, all I can come up with is the cliché that it's really fresh and delicious. Just try it and you'll know, it's incredibly good...! This essential aroma that only meat through precise cross-aging can have is said to be the peak of the flavor Binbin pursues. I understood why they insist on a nutty meat aroma made through 30 days of cross-aging!..

What does the banga (Korean mint) almond doenjang sauce taste like?

The bangah almond doenjang sauce is Binbin Charcoal Garden's signature sauce, and its nuttiness and savory depth really lift the flavor of the pork belly. Before trying it I wondered, "Is it something like a peanut sauce?" but it's beyond what you're imagining. This stuff is a little devil.

Cabbage grilled alongside the pork

One unusual thing: Binbin brings cabbage along with the meat, and grilling the cabbage together with the meat and eating them together tasted even better... Try grilling cabbage over charcoal and eating it with the meat! It's easy on digestion, doesn't leave you bloated, and the flavor goes up a level.

Thick cabbage like this also keeps the meat from cooling down or burning more, haha, so you can eat hot meat slowly!

What does Binbin's special shrimp ramen taste like?

Binbin's special shrimp ramen uses a bisque pasta cooking method, and it's closer to a proper dish, with rich shellfish aroma and nutty savory depth. According to the owner, it's ramen made with the technique used for bisque pasta, which you often see at fine-dining and popular Italian restaurants these days.

From the first bite I thought, oh, this isn't just ramen!.. Bisque is a method of making oil from shellfish and cooking with it, and it's known for rich shellfish aroma and nutty savory depth. The deep savory flavor from the shrimp heads and shells, nutty and profound, wrapped the whole broth. Don't expect ordinary ramen taste. It feels almost like cooking... One bite and it was truly a dish, not the ramen we boil at home.. It tastes very, very high-end.

It also had plump, big shrimp, generously, so this shrimp fanatic was happy.

Is Binbin's cross-aged pork jowl chewy or tender?

Binbin's cross-aged pork jowl stood out for being tender and nutty rather than crunchy. I was about to burst, but I tried the pork jowl too, and I've never seen pork jowl that looked this fresh.

Pork jowl usually has a strongly crunchy, chewy texture, but Binbin's much more tender texture was impressive. They say texture can differ depending on trimming, fat distribution and aging, and here the tender, nutty charm stood out more than the usual crunch. Some people love that signature crunch, but personally the tender pork jowl suited my taste perfectly and I enjoyed it.

Juice burst in my mouth, and it was very tender with a crisp outside. I'd had the prejudice that pork jowl is greasy, but even after stuffing myself with pork belly and then eating pork jowl, I never once felt it was greasy despite eating this much meat, which was amazing.

The bangah almond sauce is a taste only people who've tried it will know. Before eating it I thought I could more or less guess the flavor... but it will be way more delicious than whatever you're imagining!!

What the name "Binbin" means

After the meal, my boyfriend gave one of his trivia lectures, haha. Binbin (彬彬) is a phrase from the Analects meaning a perfect harmony of outward refinement and inner substance. Based on this philosophy, the restaurant has a refined, stylish space design, while inside it offers cross-aged pork belly with deep nutty aroma from cross-aging, bangah almond sauce, kimchi by a kimchi master, free kimchi stew and shrimp special ramen. I could feel the research and care in every uncompromising dish.

Who should go to Binbin Charcoal Garden in Pyeongtaek?

In Sosabeol, Pyeongtaek, I think you'll be very satisfied with Binbin Charcoal Garden if you are any of the following.

• Looking for a BBQ restaurant with a nice atmosphere
• Looking for a place for a company dinner
• Love aged meat
• Want properly good pork belly

I sincerely plan to revisit, 200%. If you want to experience refined dining, I recommend Binbin Charcoal Garden in Sosabeol, Pyeongtaek!