Wall-facing outdoor seats by Tapgol Park at a Jongno BBQ: Chowon

If you're looking for an outdoor tent restaurant in Jongno, I recommend the Tapgol Park side! Head toward Exit 6 of Jongno 3-ga and you'll find a long stretch of outdoor tents, but that area has a lot of shops and a lot of people, so it feels really crowded and hectic.

But over on the Tapgol Park side, there are seats that face a wall, which somehow made it feel a bit cozier to eat there. Chowon Restaurant, which I visited this time, was nice because it wasn't quite as chaotically crowded.

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch: the basics

• 📍 Chowon Restaurant
• 📌 Near Tapgol Park
• 🍖 Frozen pork belly
• 🌙 Tapgol Park outdoor tent
• 🚇 Near Jongno 3-ga Station

What are the outdoor tent seats by Tapgol Park like?

The biggest strength of this place is honestly the atmosphere.

Outdoor tents around Jongno 3-ga have that particular crowded, chaotic vibe. Of course that's part of the fun of outdoor tent dining, but I personally prefer somewhere I can sit comfortably and chat while eating rather than somewhere packed and hectic, so this time the Tapgol Park side suited me better.

The seats on the Tapgol Park side face a wall, so rather than watching people constantly walk by, it felt a bit calmer. It was nice sitting with a friend, grilling meat and chatting — the atmosphere was better than I expected. Coming here on a nice-weather evening would really give that full outdoor tent feeling!

The banchan at Chowon Restaurant were genuinely well made

And honestly, the side dishes were better than I expected.

Bracken fern, bean sprouts, lettuce, and more came out, and every single one was clean and well prepared.

I especially liked the bracken fern and bean sprouts. Eating only meat can get a bit greasy after a while, but with these banchan alongside, I kept eating without stopping. And we also grilled kimchi right on the stone plate — genuinely delicious.

Grilling kimchi in the fat rendered from the frozen pork belly — need I say more... Put a piece of grilled kimchi on top of a bite of meat and you just keep eating. The meat was good and the banchan were good, so overall I was really satisfied with the food.

Ordering flash-frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant

I ordered the frozen pork belly (급속냉삼겹살) that day. When it first came out, I was surprised at how long the strips of meat were.

Each strip comes out fairly long, and one serving seemed to be about 3 strips.

The meat itself is quite thin, but the quality still wasn't bad. Since it's the thin cut typical of frozen pork belly, it cooks quickly once it hits the stone plate. There's fun in the sizzling sound as it grills, too.

The outdoor tent atmosphere and frozen pork belly go really well together. Since it's thin and cooks fast, it was also easy to eat alongside all the different banchan.

Why the fried rice was a miss: sold out that night

I really wanted to try the fried rice here too, but unfortunately it was sold out that day ㅠㅠ

Finishing the meat and then having fried rice on the stone plate would have been perfect, so I was a bit disappointed I couldn't. But it actually gave me a reason to go back. Next time I visit, I'll check on the fried rice first, eat the meat, and definitely stir-fry the rice afterward. With frozen pork belly and grilled kimchi already done, adding fried rice would have made it a truly complete outdoor tent meal.

Is Chowon worth it for outdoor tent dining in Jongno?

When people think of outdoor tent dining in Jongno, they usually think of the restaurants around Jongno 3-ga Exit 6, but personally, if that overwhelmingly crowded atmosphere feels like too much, the Tapgol Park outdoor tents are worth checking out too.

Chowon Restaurant in particular was nice because it wasn't too crowded even on the Tapgol Park side, and the wall-facing seating layout made it feel cozier than expected. The meat was good and the banchan were good too, so it wasn't a place you go to just for the atmosphere. The prices weren't too burdensome either, so it seemed good for a casual round of meat and drinks with friends. I only had the frozen pork belly this time, but next time I'll definitely try the fried rice too.

Going on a nice evening, grilling frozen pork belly on the stone plate along with kimchi, would really be delicious. If you're looking for an outdoor tent in Jongno, I recommend Chowon Restaurant! Especially if you want somewhere a little more relaxed to sit and eat rather than an overly crowded, chaotic outdoor tent, the Tapgol Park side is a solid choice. If you want to enjoy the outdoor tent atmosphere in Jongno while eating frozen pork belly, give it a try!