Friday group dinner Korean BBQ in Mokpo Pyeonghwa Square: Simdon

Simdon is a Mokpo Pyeonghwa Square favorite known for pork belly that comes out already grilled, and I've already been four times — it's great for get-togethers or company dinners, so here's my honest review plus my go-to menu recommendation (๑・‿・๑)

Where is Simdon Mokpo Pyeonghwagwangjang Branch? Hours and parking

Simdon Mokpo Pyeonghwagwangjang Branch is on the 1st floor at 4-1 Wonhang-ro, Mokpo, Jeollanam-do. There's a nearby public parking lot, and the big lot right out front made it easy to get to by car.

Hours are daily 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM the next day, with last order at midnight. They accommodate groups, takeout, reservations, easy pay, and Onnuri/gopyuega gift certificates.

On the Pyeonghwa Square bar street, under a yellow sign

Simdon, sitting right on Mokpo Pyeonghwa Square's bar street ♥ᶻ. ᐟ

This was already my 4th visit — the meat comes pre-grilled and the portions are generous, so I keep coming back satisfied every time. The big parking lot right out front is a plus, and the location works great whether you're eating a full meal with a light first round of drinks, or heading somewhere else for round two~!

It's right next to Paik's Coffee, with Lotte Mart Maxx on Mokpo Pyeonghwa Square visible right there. The place is fairly spacious too, and the yellow sign catches your eye from far away.

Full house at 6:30pm on a Friday: only a 3-minute wait at Simdon

I came relatively early, around 6:30–7pm on a Friday, and it was already fully seated. ݁₊ ✶. ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗ Lucky for me, I only waited about 3 minutes before getting a table! Weekend dinner peak hours definitely have waits, so I'd recommend getting there early!

Inside Simdon: table spacing for groups and work dinners

The interior is spacious, wood-toned and clean. The 4-person tables are wide enough to comfortably fit all the side dishes, and the spacing between tables is generous too, making it a great spot for get-togethers, company dinners, or larger groups eating meat ⋆｡𖦹°‧★

What's on the Simdon menu?

The menu revolves around one-pan grills that come pre-cooked, with several combos to choose from: Simdon mixed, pork belly, pork jowl, or Simdeotsal. For after-meal dishes there's ramyeon, steamed egg, fried rice, milmyeon (cold wheat noodles), and gopchang jeongol (intestine hot pot), plus a wide drink selection — soju, beer, cheongha, and more ‧₊˚ ⋅♥＊꩜⸝⸝ɞ

I ordered the large Simdon mixed one-pan grill ♡⁼³₌₃

Side dishes, sauces and the free chadol doenjang sulbap

The complimentary side dishes included pickled scallions, special-sauce green onion strips, pickled radish, wild garlic leaves, seaweed, more pickled radish, and lettuce, along with sauces like soybean powder, teriyaki, wasabi, herring roe, cumin salt, and ssamjang (dipping paste).

And the complimentary chadol doenjang sulbap ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ — this doenjang (soybean paste) rice with beef brisket is so good I've ordered extra before! They bring it out before the meat, and it warms you right up and tastes great.

There were four of us, so I ordered the large one-pan grill.

• Simdon mixed one-pan grill, large (3-4 people) [pork belly + pork jowl + pork skin]

How does the Simdon mixed one-pan grill taste?

The Simdon mixed one-pan grill ミ✭ comes with a good balance of pork belly, pork jowl, and pork skin in a portion for 3-4 people, plus enoki mushrooms, water dropwort, king oyster mushrooms, pineapple, kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, and fermented shrimp — all arranged neatly on one platter, ready to eat.

The meat was really thick and the juiciness was insane,,! Usually at a BBQ place you're busy grilling and eating at the same time, but since it comes out perfectly grilled here, you can just relax and chat while eating — that's probably why I keep coming back, and the variety in the combo is a plus too.

The seasoned bean sprouts, wild garlic leaves, and kimchi were genuinely delicious — wrapping the pork belly in lettuce with a dab of wasabi was heavenly 𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑

Clinking beers with old classmates I hadn't seen in a while ✩⡱ thanks for coming, guys. The four of us shared the large mixed grill and it was plenty — and personally, the side cheese-bomb steamed egg was really delicious, so I'd recommend it too :)

The chadol doenjang sulbap was such a treat .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ I usually order rice separately, but having doenjang sulbap included as a side dish made the meal feel really filling, and it was so good I scraped the bowl clean.

Juicy pork belly plus beer ｡𖦹°‧⭑.ᐟ — this feels perfect for a hearty meal with a light first round of drinks, and with such a variety of after-meal dishes too, if you're looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant on Mokpo Pyeonghwa Square, I'd recommend Simdon Pyeonghwa Square Branch: it's well located for heading out to round two afterward, and since the pork belly comes pre-grilled, it's a great spot for get-togethers and company dinners!