Hapjeong Station Korean BBQ: 3 rib sauces compared at Champpoppo

We really love jjokgalbi (grilled short pork ribs), so once again we went hunting for a good jjokgalbi spot — this time we landed at Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch :) It started as a main branch in Changwon and has since spread into locations nationwide, and apparently this Hapjeong branch just opened!

After eating there, my main impressions were that the ribs had a good amount of meat on the bone, the set menus were well put together, and best of all, the range of basic sides that came out automatically was great!

Where is Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch, and is there parking?

Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch is at 77 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, about a 6-minute walk from Exit 6 of Hapjeong Station (Line 2, Line 6). Hours are Monday–Thursday 17:00–24:00 and Friday–Sunday 17:00–01:00 the next day, with no closed days. Last order is 23:00 / 00:00!

It's a neighborhood full of alleys so parking is tough, but they said you can use a nearby public parking lot!

Inside Champpoppo: a Korean BBQ room for dates and work dinners alike

Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch had a decent number of customers even on a weekday evening. We visited on a weekday evening too, and sure enough, there were already quite a few people there!

The place isn't huge, but the overall atmosphere is comfortable, so it seemed fine for a date and also fine for a group gathering or company dinner! There were actually groups eating together too. The restroom is toward the back and unisex~

Champpoppo menu and prices: what each set includes

At Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch, soy pork ribs are ₩14,000 for 300g and seasoned pork ribs are ₩15,000 for 300g, with a minimum order of 3 servings. You can order via the tablet on the table, or tag your phone at the TagHere kiosk.

For the seasoned ribs you can choose between regular sauce or geommaep (extra-hot) sauce! And the set menus here were really well designed.

• Pasta Set ₩51,000 — choice of 3 + cream pasta / recommended for 2–3
• Choerutan Set ₩51,000 — choice of 3 + choerutan rice ball + steamed egg / recommended for 2–3
• Assorted Set ₩85,000 — choice of 5 + choerutan rice ball + cream pasta / recommended for 3–4

What I liked was that you can choose exactly which rib combination goes into the set!

What two people ordered: the Choerutan Set plus one geommaep serving

There were two of us, so we ordered the Choerutan Set plus one extra serving of seasoned pork ribs. For the set we chose 1 soy + 2 seasoned, and for the extra serving we tried the geommaep (extra-hot) sauce 🌶️

The basic side dishes were cabbage salad, pickled radish, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), and pickled onion, with hot sauce, mayo sauce, and soybean powder on the side!

But the mayo sauce here — haha — kind of tasted like that secret sauce in Isaac Toast, and I really liked it!! It went surprisingly well dipped with the pork ribs >_<

Chicken porridge at a rib restaurant? Champpoppo's free sides

And it doesn't stop there. Potato + honeycomb tripe + chicken porridge + corn cheese, all included as standard!! Has anyone ever seen chicken porridge served at a jjokgalbi restaurant...?? haha Since the pre-grilled ribs apparently take about 15 minutes to come out, it seemed like they send out a generous amount of sides to keep you busy while you wait~

We grilled the potato, honeycomb tripe, and corn cheese over the charcoal first, and the staff told us the chicken porridge has sesame oil mixed in, so stir it well before eating! It was soft and warm, a nice way to settle your stomach before the meat :)

Choerutan rice ball: a big bowl, served for free with the set

From the Choerutan Set (1 soy + 2 seasoned + rice ball + steamed egg), the choerutan rice ball came out first! It wasn't served in a small bowl but piled high in a large one!!

Inside it seemed to have a spicy sauce similar to boneless spicy chicken feet seasoning, and maybe that's why it tasted so much better than a regular rice ball!!

How to grill Champpoppo's pre-cooked jjokgalbi at your table

The ribs at Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch come pre-grilled, so all you need to do on the charcoal is add smoky flavor and warm them back up. Finally, the ribs we'd been waiting for~~!!

The seasoned sauce burns quickly, so instead of putting all 3 servings on at once, we grilled them a little at a time! (What's in the photo is 1 serving of soy + 1 serving of seasoned.) There were instructions for eating them the tastiest way written on the wall, so we tried following them exactly haha

Stand the pre-grilled ribs bone-side down and grill for 2–3 minutes, then once the bone edges char, grill about 30 more seconds and eat right away!! Watching them sizzle over the charcoal, the smell was seriously so good ㅠㅠ

Soy vs. seasoned jjokgalbi: how the two sauces taste

First up, the soy pork ribs! The sweet-and-salty soy sauce combined with the charcoal aroma made for a clean, refined flavor.

This one let you taste the meat itself alongside the charcoal aroma! And what I personally liked more was the seasoned pork ribs!! To me, the spice level felt about like Shin Ramyun!

It wasn't too spicy, so it seemed like something even people who can't handle much heat could try!

Thick rib bones, pre-scored for easier eating

And most of all!! The ribs themselves are pretty big haha. The rib bones are thick and there's more meat clinging to the bone than you'd expect, so it was genuinely satisfying to gnaw on!! They also scored a long cut down the middle, which made it easy to pull the meat off. I really liked that they pre-scored it for easier eating~

Cheesy steamed egg: the cooldown for spicy ribs

The steamed egg that came with it paired perfectly~ There was a generous layer of cheese on top, making it soft and savory.

How spicy is Champpoppo's geommaep seasoned rib, really?

The extra serving of geommaep (extra-hot) seasoned ribs was visibly a bit spicier-looking than the regular sauce, just from the color 🌶️

After grilling and tasting: regular seasoned came in around Shin Ramyun level, and geommaep landed somewhere between Shin Ramyun and Buldak Bokkeummyeon. Personally, I actually preferred the geommaep level!!

If you like spicy food, give the geommaep option a try~! haha

Final verdict: who should book Champpoppo Jjokgalbi in Hapjeong

We left Champpoppo Jjokgalbi Hapjeong Branch completely full!! You can mix soy and seasoned, and even choose regular or geommaep spice for the seasoned sauce, so it's great for group visits where everyone can pick their own preference! Best of all, the range of basic sides — potato, honeycomb tripe, chicken porridge, corn cheese — was so generous. The owner was also friendly, so it was a pleasant meal overall :)

• Anyone who loves jjokgalbi
• Anyone looking for pork ribs with plenty of meat on the bone
• Anyone who loves the aroma of charcoal-grilled meat
• Anyone looking for a group dinner or gathering spot in Hapjeong
• Anyone who wants generous sides along with the main meal

If you're specifically looking for a good jjokgalbi restaurant in Hapjeong, this place is worth a visit :) Next time I go, I think I'll order the geommaep ribs again!! 🌶️🔥