Seoul Korean BBQ near Gyodae Station: 192-hour aged Duroc pork jowl

A Gyodae Station spot that grills without the smoke — Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip. Sodangkkae is a dialect word for "cauldron." True to its name, this is a Korean BBQ place where various cuts of pork are grilled on a cauldron lid. The pork itself is 100% domestically processed, low-temperature aged for 192 hours — Duroc, one of the world's three great pork breeds. First time I learned that, haha. And it really did taste like it. Here's the real review^^

How to find Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip Gyodae Main Branch: parking and corkage

• Address: 2nd floor, 84-3 Seocho-daero 50-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (334m from Gyodae Station Exit 14)
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–23:00, break 15:00–17:00, last order 22:00 / Sat–Sun 12:00–23:00, last order 22:00
• Corkage: Free with condition (wine, 1 free bottle per person ordering 1+ serving of meat)
• Parking: Free (2 spots in front of the building, 3 in back, first-come; public lot available when full)

Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Gyodae Station, is on the 2nd floor of this building. This is an area packed with good restaurants, so staying in the same spot for years without being tasty would be impossible. My first visit here was 3-4 years ago. Does that make me a regular now? Haha. Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip is my Gyodae Station BBQ spot♡

Head to the right side of the building where you'll see stairs going up to the 2nd floor.

Inside Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip: a dining room with little smoke

A Gyodae Station favorite — Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip, grilling Duroc pork tableside on a cauldron lid.

The ochre-toned interior, soft lighting, and naturally sectioned seating make for a comfortable dining atmosphere.

One of Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip's distinguishing features — the smoke from grilling doesn't just rise up, it feels almost seamlessly absorbed, like it's being pulled in through a sleek wide pipe of its own, a separate channel. Maybe that's why the inside of Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip feels more like a restaurant than a typical BBQ joint?

What comes with the Sodangkkae combo set for two

Ordered the Sodangkkae combo set (2 people) via tableside tablet. The meat combo comes with three cuts — pork belly, pork neck, and pork jowl — plus yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and stew. Today I came with my other half, so we ordered the generous combo set for two.

Vegetables to grill alongside the meat: bracken fern, peppers, enoki mushroom, king oyster mushroom, minari (water dropwort), seasoned bean sprouts, napa cabbage kimchi. Generous portions too~

Salad, shredded scallion, lettuce wraps, and scallion kimchi. Gyodae Station's Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip. The scallion kimchi👍 the seasoning is killer. Even as a scallion kimchi lover myself, this is genuinely, genuinely delicious.

How the staff grill the Duroc pork belly, neck and jowl

Duroc pork belly, neck, and jowl. Of the world's three great pork breeds — Iberico, Mangalica, and Duroc — I already knew Iberico, but Duroc was new to me. Tasting it, the juiciness and nuttiness were definitely delicious.

Pickled peppers, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and salt. Each pairs differently with the meat. The meat itself is so good you end up dipping it in salt, occasionally adding the pickles or a drink for a clean finish. Haha.

The pork neck and belly are thicker cuts, so they're grilled with vegetables first; once those are finished, the pork jowl goes on. Staff do all of this for you, which is convenient on top of everything else.

Yukhoe and blue crab doenjang stew

In between, out comes the yukhoe~ Yukhoe pairs beautifully wrapped in crisp lettuce, or mixed with egg yolk. My other half stirred it up enthusiastically^^ and, calling it tender, finished it before the pork on the cauldron lid was even done cooking. I can't eat yukhoe myself, so this dish is a special treat just for my other half.

You can choose between kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) or crab miso stew — since I'd had kimchi jjigae at lunch, I went for the savory crab miso stew.

Pork slowly turning golden brown. Just watching it makes your mouth water. Once a piece is perfectly grilled, they move it up to the side, and from there it's just eating. Juicy and nutty pork — I'm not sure I could pinpoint what makes Duroc so special exactly, but one thing's certain: it's delicious! Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip, a pork restaurant near Gyodae Station.

Why this was the best pork jowl I have eaten

Now the pork jowl goes right on the grill. It cooks faster than the other cuts, with different characteristics. I'm usually not a big fan of pork jowl, but the pork jowl at Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip near Gyodae Station was incredibly, incredibly delicious.

Was pork jowl always this good? Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip Gyodae Main Branch — is it a pork jowl destination too? The best pork jowl I've ever had! I already knew the pork belly and neck were good, but this was the moment I truly fell for pork jowl.

With my mouth full of juices, I didn't forget to wash it all down with beer now and then, and cleared the plate happily and thoroughly. Hahaha. For a Gyodae Station work dinner or gathering, great location, great meat — how about Sodangkkae O-gyeopjip?