Sangmo-dong Gumi Korean BBQ: straw-smoked pork belly and makchang

Jipsi, a barbecue restaurant in Sangmo, Gumi

Where is Jipsi in Gumi, and what are the hours?

• Address: 97 Sangsaseo-ro, 1st floor, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
• Hours: Tue–Sun 16:00–23:00 (last order 22:50)
• Closed: every Monday
• Parking: nearby streets and alleys

It had been a while since we did a family dinner out, and I'd heard there was a barbecue place here that smokes the meat over straw fire, so I went in with high expectations.

Outside the restaurant

From outside, it was immediately clear this was a straw-fire barbecue specialist.

Straw-fire cooking isn't something you can easily try at home, so I was very curious even before we walked in.

Inside Jipsi: seating for family dinners and groups

Once inside, the space was roomier than I expected.

The tables can be joined together, so it looked like a good fit for anything from a family dinner to a bigger group gathering.

The place had only opened a few months earlier and was spotlessly clean. There was storage inside the chairs for coats or bags, and everything from aprons to mouthwash, hair ties, and basic first-aid was on hand — impressively thoughtful touches from the male owner, haha.

Jipsi's menu and what we ordered

Jipsi had a wide range of options, from straw-fire smoked meat to regular raw cold pork belly and side meats, plus a solid lineup of rice dishes.

For two adults and three elementary school kids, we first ordered the smoked pork belly and neck set (₩39,500) and rice bowl bibimbap + mini doenjang jjigae (₩4,500) — (and this was only the beginning of a long string of add-on orders, haha).

The free side dishes, from acorn jelly soup to steamed egg

Before the meat even arrived, a carefully prepared basic table setting came out.

Crunchy white kimchi, spicy green onion kimchi, pickles, wrap greens, and mukguk (acorn jelly soup). The first thing I reached for was the mukguk — a cool, tangy broth with crunchy cucumber and kimchi, plus soft acorn jelly.

One spoonful in and I was immediately ordering soju. Haha — and I was genuinely surprised the soju was only ₩3,000!!!!^^

The steamed egg was soft and perfectly seasoned.

The green onion salad with radish shreds for extra crunch, Maldon sea salt from the UK, plus house-made ssamjang (dipping paste) and spicy sauce.

Trying each one, it was clear these weren't just token side dishes — the owner had clearly made every single one by hand, with real thought given to pairing them with the meat.

How do the straw-smoked pork belly and pork neck taste?

Soon after, the smoked pork belly and neck arrived. It's pre-cooked once, then smoked a second time over straw fire.

As the meat got closer, the smell was already different — not quite like regular fire-grilling, but a distinct dried-straw aroma, something you just can't replicate in a frying pan at home. The straw smoke didn't overpower the meat; it followed subtly behind it.

I tried the pork belly first. Very savory — the fat was soft, the lean part juicy, and there was a distinctive smoky note at the start and finish of each bite.

Oddly enough, at times it almost tasted like bacon, with that lingering smoky note. There wasn't a hint of meaty smell — probably thanks to the smoke. My kid seemed to love this flavor and ate way more than usual.

For the first bite, I tried it the way Jipsi recommends — just dipped in Maldon salt — and thought, yeah, meat really is all about the salt.

Pairing it with myeoljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) added a big boost of umami — apparently it's Jipsi's own special sauce. It was my personal favorite.

Tangy kimchi, bracken fern, and bean sprouts grilled up nicely too, hearty and crunchy. And with so many accompaniments, there were plenty of ways to mix up each wrap.

Old-style pork belly (frozen-cut), ₩7,900

We should have stopped here, but the smoked meat was so good I got curious about the other kinds too, haha. So we added a serving of old-style pork belly (₩7,900).

Thin-cut cold pork belly style, it cooked quickly on the grill. Unlike the thick smoked cuts, it was light and easy to pick up. Perfect together with the grilled kimchi, bracken fern, and bean sprouts!

Straw-smoked makchang: the surprise star of the meal

And then another add-on order turned out to be the surprise star of the day: 2 servings of straw-fire smoked gopchang (beef offal), ₩9,000.

I've eaten a fair amount of gopchang, and even at the best places there's usually a bit of that distinctive smell left. But here, oddly, there was basically none — the straw smoke completely eliminated the offal smell.

What I liked even more was the texture. Gopchang can turn tough if grilled too long, but this stayed chewy all the way to the end.

The outside cooked to a savory finish while the inside kept a springy bounce. My kid, who especially loves gopchang, tried the sauce and declared it the best sauce he'd ever had, haha.

Yangpun bibimbap + mini doenjang jjigae, ₩4,500

We wrapped up the meal with the rice bowl bibimbap.

It was loaded with a wide variety of vegetables, and you could tell they didn't skimp on ingredients.

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) that came with the bibimbap wasn't like a typical barbecue-restaurant version — it had a rich, savory cheonggukjang (fermented soybean paste) base. It was exactly my kind of thing, so in the end I poured it all over the bibimbap, haha.

Dessert: injeolmi patbingsu (rice cake and red bean shaved ice)

Just when I thought we were really, finally done, a bowl of injeolmi (rice cake coated in bean powder) patbingsu (shaved ice) came out as a complimentary dessert. ^^:; The chewy injeolmi, the nutty bean powder, and the just-right sweetness of the red beans made for a perfect palate cleanser. ^^

Is Jipsi worth it? Final verdict

• Pork belly and neck done a different way, via straw-fire smoking
• Smoked gopchang that stayed chewy right to the end
• A great combo of Maldon salt, mild myeoljeot, and house-made ssamjang
• A generous basic spread — white kimchi, green onion kimchi, bracken fern, mukguk, and more
• A hearty rice bowl bibimbap and rich cheonggukjang-style doenjang jjigae
• A very kind owner and great service

If you're looking for a slightly different family dinner out in Sangmo-dong, Gumi, this is a place worth remembering. It wasn't just the meat that impressed — the side dishes, sauces, rice dish, dessert, and the owner's warm hospitality all added up to a genuinely satisfying meal. Next time I'd like to try the tail cuts and dakbal (spicy chicken feet) we didn't get to this time. ^^