Hongdae Korean BBQ, minari pork belly and BYO red wine: Gogikkun

Looking for Korean BBQ in Hongdae where you can pair meat with wine?

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch (고기꾼김춘배 홍대숲길점) is a Korean BBQ spot between Hongdae and Sinchon, near Gyeongui Line Forest Park, where you can eat hanwoo (Korean beef) and pork belly together. On a holiday trip to Hongdae, you want good meat and a nice drink, right?! But so often the conversation gets interrupted by grilling, or you can't decide between beef and pork belly. So today I went to a place between Hongdae and Sinchon where you can really enjoy proper meat.

It's a Hongdae BBQ restaurant within walking distance of Hongik Univ. Station and Gyeongui Line Forest Park, so it's super easy to get to: Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch.

Outdoor seating and interior at Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch

The outdoor seating has a great vibe, so on a day that isn't too hot, grabbing a table outside would be so good!

Inside, there are drum-barrel chairs and soft lighting that make a drink taste even better~ It felt like a cozy place that would be packed with office workers after work or couples on dates.

There were lots of foreign guests too! That's how you know it's a good place~

Can't choose between hanwoo and pork belly? Get the beef and pork set for 2

Gogikkun serves quality pork belly as a given, plus premium hanwoo, all in one place. You don't have to choose between pork belly and beef since you can taste both, which makes it a great setup for a group with different tastes. I wanted to try a bit of everything, so I ordered the hanwoo/hanbon (Korean beef/Korean pork) set for 2 (₩109,000) without a second thought!

What are Gogikkun Gimchunbae's corkage-free rules?

Gogikkun Hongdae Supgil Branch is corkage-free for everything except the drinks it sells. That's a seriously huge plus for Gimchunbae!

You can bring in special drinks you love, like wine or whisky, so I grabbed a bottle of red wine from home to pair properly with the meat. One catch: corkage isn't allowed if your bottle overlaps with a drink they sell, so be sure to ask in advance!

The hanwoo and Korean pork set for 2 (₩109,000), course by course

You order verbally at Gogikkun Hongdae Supgil Branch, and the food is ready quickly.

The side dishes were scallion salad, seasoned bean sprouts, pickled onion and myeongi namul (pickled wild greens), so you can enjoy them however you like.

I sat by the window and the view was so good!! With summer coming, grilling meat with a view like this made it taste even better, haha

Hanwoo beef grilled for you by the staff

First up was the hanwoo! The marbling is no joke, right? One of the reasons I like Gogikkun is that the staff grill all the meat for you.

It came perfectly cooked by an expert hand, so I wasn't busy grilling and could just relax and focus on talking with my companion.

The juicy hanwoo went in my mouth and that melt-in-your-mouth, rich, nutty flavor filled it right away! This was a taste where you just have to order a drink.. and I'm so glad it's corkage-free!

Minari (water dropwort) pork belly paired with red wine

Then it was pork time! They grilled it to match the speed we were eating~

Pork belly grilled with fragrant minari (water dropwort), paired with the red wine I brought, was perfectly balanced.

They put galbi-sal (rib meat) on top of the minari and served the rest, neck meat, separately. Both the rib meat and neck meat were chewy and delicious! I'd recommend this BBQ place to anyone who wants to properly pair meat with wine.

Half-and-half naengmyeon (₩7,000): both cold broth and spicy noodles

Gogikkun's half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) is a ₩7,000 dish that lets you try both mul naengmyeon (in cold broth) and bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed) at once. Naengmyeon is a must at a BBQ place, but you always wonder whether to get the broth one or the spicy one, right? This clever menu solves that in one go! Half-and-half naengmyeon!

The icy broth soaked into the thin noodles and slurping them down felt so good, and the savory bibim naengmyeon went perfectly with the leftover meat!

Kkakdugi fried rice (₩8,000): it comes as 2 servings

Gogikkun's kkakdugi fried rice (fried rice with cubed radish kimchi) is a ₩8,000 finishing dish that comes as 2 servings. Just because you filled up on meat doesn't mean you skip the carbs! After finishing the meat, I happily ordered the kkakdugi fried rice too!! A spicy-sweet flavor that cuts through the greasiness of the meat in one go!

Above all, the crunchy bite of the kkakdugi was crazy good, a bewitching fried rice where my spoon kept going even though I was full.

Parking and visiting tips for Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch

Gogikkun Hongdae Supgil Branch has no dedicated parking, so if you drive, I recommend the Sinchon public parking lot, a 5-minute walk away. It's easy to reach, so public transport or walking works well too.

For anyone who finds grilling a hassle near Hongdae, or is looking for a place for a nice date, a company dinner or a get-together with friends: how about Gogikkun Hongdae Supgil Branch? Make the most of the corkage-free perk, and I hope you all have a happy, full day with delicious food :)