Table lockers and minced-meat fried rice at Hapjeong Korean BBQ: Ijjok

Maybe it's the change of seasons, but my condition's been a little off lately.. felt like I needed some meat to recover, so I went to "Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal," famous for kimchi pork belly near Hapjeong Station.

Where is Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal, and what are its hours?

Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal is in Mapo-gu, Seoul, about 5 minutes from Exit 5 of Hapjeong Station. Hours are weekdays 11:30–23:00, Saturday 17:00–23:00, closed on Sundays, with a break time of 15:00–17:00.

Down an alley near Hapjeong Station, the sign poking out that reads "<<Ijjok" is pretty cute.

No wait at 7pm on a weekday, plus a locker at every table

I visited around 7pm on a weekday and got seated right away with no wait. The inside has a 1st floor and a semi-basement, and I was shown to a 1st-floor table.

Each table has a locker for storing clothes or belongings — instead of stuffing everything into the usual big plastic bag, you can keep your things smelling smoke-free, which I thought was really convenient and thoughtful.

Menu and prices: ordering the 2-3 person set

The main menu items are as follows.

• Korean beef chadolbagi 150g ₩26,000
• Fresh pork belly 180g ₩16,000
• Fresh pork neck 180g ₩16,000
• Whole pork jowl (hangjeongsal) 150g ₩18,000
• Seasoned pork set meal ₩11,000
• Chadolbagi set meal ₩12,000
• Kimchi jjigae set meal ₩10,000

Given what's included, the set meal prices seemed reasonable, and I thought they'd make a good lunch option for office workers nearby. But we came for the meat!!! We added a finishing fried rice (₩3,000) to the 2-3 person set (₩55,000). Total was ₩58,000!

Each table has a detailed guide on how to eat it deliciously.

Basic side dishes provided are bean sprouts, lettuce, scallion salad, raw garlic, pickled chili, and ssamjang.

Fresh pork belly and whole pork jowl, grilled by the owner

The two servings of fresh pork belly and one serving of whole pork jowl arrived! The color looked gorgeous. The owner grills everything from start to finish, so all we had to do was enjoy the flavor.

The meat cooking away in neat rows. Kimchi, and 😁 potatoes and mushrooms get grilled too.

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and fluffy steamed egg included in the set. The stew had a slightly sweet yet clean, refreshing charm, and the steamed egg was soft and savory, wrapping around your mouth.

The visuals are insane 😍 the meat was cooking so deliciously.. this is when my mouth really started watering.

Once the owner sets the meat on the wire rack, it's ready to eat!!!

Wow-⭐️ the owner grills so well that the juices stay locked in while the outside gets crispy — pork belly that was crispy-outside, juicy-inside in every sense, and it paired beautifully with the kimchi that had soaked up all the pork fat.

Next up was the whole pork jowl. This one was really something else — on top of that same crispy-outside, juicy-inside charm, it had an even richer, nuttier flavor than the pork belly, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The finishing fried rice with minced pork

The two of us ate 3 servings and were pretty full, but dessert is a must, so we ordered one serving of the finishing fried rice.

Even the leftover scallion salad gets used generously as an ingredient in the fried rice.

Fried rice tastes best with a bit of a crisp on the bottom, so (RGRG) we waited a little longer.

Uniquely, a bit of minced meat is mixed in and its fat lightly coats the rice, so even after cooking it a long time the rice doesn't burn — just loses the extra moisture and turns out so delicious.. a finishing fried rice that was perfect down to the last bite.

Why Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal works for a work dinner

The pork belly and pork jowl were good enough to make a cold turn back and leave.🤣🐷🤣🐷 The set meals have good composition and prices so they'd work well as an office lunch too, and since the owner grills everything for you, the junior staff don't have to do the grilling themselves haha! It's a place I'd recommend for a stress-free work dinner spot.