Late-night Samsong BBQ with soju and cheonggukjang: Neopttakjip

Neopttakjip Samsong Branch is a Korean pork BBQ restaurant on Dongsong-ro near Samsong Station, specializing in domestic pork. When my friends and I in Samsong were craving good meat and a shot of soju, this is where we landed! The name itself is hard to forget once you hear it, haha.

"Neopttakjip" apparently combines the idea of spreading meat out flat and wide with the meaning of generous, hearty hospitality.

• Address: 63 Dongsong-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1F
• Hours: 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
• Closed: None

Craving Korean BBQ near Samsong Station

We visited Neopttakjip Samsong Branch at night, and the sign was easy to spot even from a distance. It's a great spot near Samsong Station for samgyeopsal (pork belly) or pork with a drink. At the entrance there was a detailed explanation about Jirisan pork, which gave me a sense of the restaurant's pride in its meat.

Neopttakjip is a place that's long believed a BBQ restaurant is only as good as its raw meat. They say they've learned livestock and distribution themselves and even handle their own sourcing to select good-quality pork, so meat lovers' expectations start rising just hearing that.

Inside Neopttakjip: walls covered in celebrity autographs

Walking into Neopttakjip Samsong Branch, the first thing that catches your eye is a wall packed with autographs! Turns out quite a few celebrities have stopped by. It was fun looking through them one by one.

There's that comfortable, lively feeling of a long-running BBQ restaurant, so it was easy to relax and drink with friends there. But of course, when it comes to meat, taste matters more than atmosphere!

What's on the self-serve bar at Neopttakjip

The self-serve bar at Neopttakjip Samsong Branch was well stocked too. You can take as much lettuce, garlic, peppers, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and scallion salad as you want, plus well-fermented kimchi that paired perfectly with the meat.

What is ibulgalbi, the signature dish?

Ibulgalbi, Neopttakjip's signature dish, is worth paying attention to. It's apparently their most famous menu item — a whole rack of ribs connected to the pork belly, sliced thin and wide right in the restaurant. True to its name (which means "blanket ribs"), the visual of it spreading out over the grill like a blanket is the whole point.

It's cooked on a scorching-hot cast-iron griddle, and I found myself wanting to come back just to tackle the ibulgalbi properly next time. According to the signage, ordering ibulgalbi also comes with one free serving of their special spicy braised ribs, which makes for a pretty solid combo.

The mixed grill 600g arrives

Tonight's main event, the mixed grill 600g, arrived! The portion was massive. One plate came loaded with several different cuts, each marked with a little name tag, so it was fun checking what part you were eating as you went.

The meat's color looked fresh from the start, and the thick cuts with just the right amount of fat made for a great experience. Neopttakjip apparently selects and inspects its raw meat, then ages it before serving. As a restaurant specializing in domestic pork, you can really feel the dedication.

Sizzling on the cast-iron griddle

Another highlight of Neopttakjip is its specially made cast-iron griddle! Once the griddle was properly heated and the meat went on, that "sizzzzle~!" sound was basically illegal. It's the kind of sound that makes you reach for soju before you've even started eating, haha.

The outside of the thick cuts browned nicely while the inside stayed juicy, getting more savory the more you chewed. Coarse salt brought out the flavor of the meat, and along the edges of the griddle you could grill garlic, sausages, and rice cakes too — there was never a lull.

Soju with the pork, of course

Eating delicious meat with friends, the glasses naturally start piling up. Good people, good meat, a cold shot of soju. Neopttakjip's own phrase — "good people, a great spread, a cold drink" — fit the moment perfectly. We drank slowly, savoring the good food alongside it.

The cola even came in a glass bottle, giving off proper old-school BBQ restaurant vibes. That cold bottled cola really cleaned up the palate after all that meat.

Samgyeopsal: the classic balance of fat and lean

After enjoying the neck meat, hayansal (white meat), and kkodeulsal (chewy pork), we finally put a thick cut of samgyeopsal (pork belly) on the griddle. Seeing that long stretch of meat laid out made me feel unreasonably satisfied.

The well-cooked samgyeopsal was browned and savory on the outside, with the fatty parts melting softly — a classic really is a classic. Wrapping a piece in lettuce with a bit of garlic and sauce and taking a big bite made for one seriously happy dinner.

Finishing with Neopttak Country-Style Cheonggukjang

Once we'd eaten our fill of meat, it was time for something hot and soupy! We ordered the Neopttak Country-Style Cheonggukjang at Neopttakjip Samsong Branch, and the bubbling stone pot alone looked amazing.

It came loaded with generous chunks of tofu and meat, and the broth was rich and savory. The deep, distinctive flavor of cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) cut right through any heaviness left over from all the meat. Scooping up big pieces of tofu and meat with a spoon, this alone could have wiped out a whole bowl of rice. Meat first, cheonggukjang to finish — the Korean formula really never fails, haha.

Is Neopttakjip Samsong Branch worth a night out?

Neopttakjip Samsong Branch impressed me as more than just a place that sells meat — it clearly puts effort into selecting and aging its raw meat, handling its own distribution, and using a cast-iron griddle, all in service of the flavor. The mixed grill let us enjoy a variety of cuts, and pairing it with the hot, savory cheonggukjang made for a very filling meal.

If you're near Samsong Station looking for a good samgyeopsal spot or a Samsong BBQ restaurant to relax and drink with friends, this one's worth remembering. Sitting around with good people, meat sizzling, glasses clinking — isn't that the whole point of going out for BBQ?

Yesterday, today, tomorrow — a great spread with good people!