# Lettuce-wrapped pork belly at a Jongno 3-ga BBQ alley spot: Chowon - By Jae-in (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-banchan-stroll/) - Written Sep 16, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This article was written as a sponsored store visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-banchan-stroll/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-banchan-stroll/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/index.md) ## In short Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Jongno, Seoul, where thin flash-frozen pork belly is grilled at outdoor tables set up along the alley. Arriving at 6pm on a weekend meant an expected wait of over an hour for an outdoor table, so the meal happened at an indoor seat right beside the terrace: two servings of flash-frozen pork belly at 18,000 won each, kimchi jjigae at 9,000 won and steamed egg at 5,000 won. The thin pork belly wrapped in fresh lettuce and the Jongno alley atmosphere are what made the night at Chowon Restaurant worth it. ## Good to know - **Flash-frozen pork belly**: 18,000 won (per serving) - **Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew)**: 9,000 won - **Gyeranjjim (steamed egg)**: 5,000 won - **Seating**: Outdoor tables in front of the restaurant plus indoor seats, with storage compartments under the chairs - **Wait**: Over an hour expected for outdoor seats at 6pm on a weekend - **Address**: 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul - **Price reference**: ₩18,000 ≈ $13 · ₩9,000 ≈ $6.6 · ₩5,000 ≈ $3.7 (2026-09-16) *as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026* ![Table setting with flash-frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-01-1kwov-900.webp) These days the evenings are getting cool enough that it's perfect weather for grilling meat outside, so eating indoors on a night like this felt like it would be missing out. To enjoy both the Jongno outdoor grilling vibe and some pork belly, I headed to Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch~ ## What kind of place is Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch? ![Exterior of Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch in a Jongno alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-02-12n9s-900.webp) Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is a Korean BBQ spot tucked in a Jongno alley where you can enjoy flash-frozen pork belly! Best of all, there's a row of outdoor tables lined up right in front of the restaurant, making it the perfect atmosphere for enjoying a Jongno outdoor grill (yajang) in this cool weather 😚 ![Row of outdoor tables in front of Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-03-1qteh-900.webp) We also wanted to sit outside to enjoy the terrace vibe that day, but since it was a weekend at 6pm, the wait looked like it would be over an hour, so we ended up sitting indoors haha... Still, since our seat was right next to the outdoor tables, we got to grill meat while catching a cool breeze, which put us in a good mood from the start hahaha ## Inside Chowon Restaurant: indoor seats next to the alley tables ![Indoor seating at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-04-1bz6e-900.webp) Chowon Restaurant has seating available inside as well as the outdoor tables, but honestly the weather stole the show that day — the open view and atmosphere were genuinely great~ It gave off a bit of an old-school feeling that fit perfectly with the bustling energy of Jongno 👍 There was also a compartment under the chairs for storing bags, so we could tuck away our bags and coats comfortably while eating, without them taking up table space~ ![Menu board at Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-05-scoiy-900.webp) After looking over the menu, we ordered the flash-frozen pork belly as the main, along with kimchi jjigae and steamed egg. It's the kind of menu where one dish calls for another lol ## The banchan table setting and lettuce for wraps ![Basic table setting served on a tray at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-06-6nrzs-900.webp) The basic side dishes come out set on a tray, just like this ![Basic side dish of napa cabbage kimchi at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-07-1unrv-900.webp) ![Basic side dish of green onion kimchi at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-08-g309f-900.webp) ![Basic side dish of seasoned bean sprouts at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-09-1reys-900.webp) ![Garlic and chili peppers served with the meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-10-thlyh-900.webp) They gave us napa cabbage kimchi, green onion kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, along with garlic and chili peppers — all perfect pairings with the meat, so we ended up finishing every single one....haha ![Fresh lettuce for wraps at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-11-1r6iv-900.webp) Even the wrap vegetables were super fresh — I usually find wrapping food a bit of a hassle and skip it, but that day the lettuce wraps were unusually sweet and delicious!! ![Two servings of flash-frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-12-1o6wc-900.webp) ## Flash-frozen pork belly, 18,000 won: lettuce wraps are the answer The flash-frozen pork belly is ₩18,000 per serving. That day it happened to be the only menu item available, but since that was actually what we came for, we were relieved and ordered two servings lol ![Thin flash-frozen pork belly on the grill plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-13-x0b3i-900.webp) They grilled the pork belly one piece at a time on the grill plate — since it's flash-frozen, the meat is thin and cooks quickly, so we didn't have to wait around hungry lol ![Golden-brown grilled flash-frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-14-isd28-900.webp) ![Close-up of pork belly cooking on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-15-1d1go-966.webp) The golden-brown grilled pork belly was savory and delicious even eaten plain, and with just a dab of ssamjang (dipping sauce) the seasoning was spot on ><. I was especially craving wraps that day, so I tried putting the pork belly on lettuce and wrapping it up! ![Flash-frozen pork belly wrapped in lettuce](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-16-177ci-900.webp) Wow, eating it wrapped was so much better than eating it plain. Since the pork belly is thin, wrapping it doesn't feel heavy, and combined with the lettuce, the savory flavor of the meat came through even more — once I started wrapping, I couldn't stop haha. Especially with the cool breeze while grilling pork belly right there at the Jongno outdoor tables, it somehow felt tastier than the usual cold pork belly I eat 😆 ![Kimchi jjigae at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-17-1wss8-900.webp) ## Kimchi jjigae at 9,000 won and side dishes grilled in the leftover fat The kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) is ₩9,000. It just feels wrong to eat pork belly without kimchi jjigae, so we ordered that too ![Tangy kimchi jjigae broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-18-1blaz-900.webp) Taking a sip of the hot broth in between bites of meat gets you ready to dive back into the pork belly lol. The pork belly and kimchi jjigae combo really never fails. Plus the broth was made with tangy kimchi, which suited our taste perfectly! ![Garlic and kimchi grilled in pork belly fat](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-19-e89nt-900.webp) We grilled up the garlic, bean sprouts, and kimchi side dishes in the leftover pork belly fat, and grilling them in the fat added a savory richness that made even the side dishes incredibly delicious lol ![Grill full of meat with cooked garlic](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-20-7air6-900.webp) A grill full of meat paired with golden-brown grilled garlic — isn't that a combo that's exciting just to look at! >< ![Flash-frozen pork belly eaten with green onion kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-21-72l95-900.webp) The pork belly went so well with the green onion kimchi too!!!! Honestly, it was delicious no matter how we ate it haha ![Steamed egg side dish at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-22-xzeli-900.webp) ## Steamed egg at 5,000 won: the best side combination The steamed egg (gyeranjjim) is ₩5,000. Eating a bit of the steamed egg we ordered alongside the meat every so often was soft and savory — a great side to order. ![A soft spoonful of steamed egg](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-23-dqhew-900.webp) A bite of pork belly, a sip of kimchi jjigae broth, a soft finish with steamed egg, then back to the meat again. Eating in this rotation, I just kept going haha ![A pork belly spread at Chowon Restaurant with the Jongno outdoor grilling atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam-24-1kwhc-1200.webp) ## When is the best time to visit Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga? Personally, the food was great that day, but what stuck with me most was the outdoor grilling atmosphere in the Jongno alley with the cool breeze~ If you want to enjoy the Jongno outdoor grill vibe with friends over meat and drinks on a nice day, I recommend Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch, where you can properly wrap up that flash-frozen pork belly in lettuce!! ## Where it is - Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch (초원식당 종로3가점) - 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당 - 37.5717479, 126.9887101 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B4%88%EC%9B%90%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5717479,126.9887101,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-banchan-stroll/jongno-chowon-sikdang-frozen-pork-belly-ssam/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt