Hongdae Korean BBQ grilled at your pace, saeusal & pork neck: Gogikkun

There are so many great outdoor-dining spots along Gyeongui Line Forest Park, and I'd been eyeing Gogikkun Gimchunbae (고기꾼김춘배) on my walks back and forth, so this time I went to the Hongdae Supgil Branch. The meat was great and I really made the most of the meal menu too, so I'm writing it down haha

What is Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch like?

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant near Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Hongdae, Mapo, Seoul. The signature items are grilled meats like pork neck and shrimp-cut pork, and the meal menu includes kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) fried rice and beef brisket doenjang (soybean paste) stew. It's a BBQ place with a lovely atmosphere right on the forest path.

A wooden building by the forest path that looks like a café

The exterior is a long, old wooden building beside the forest path, nothing like the noisy Hongdae BBQ joint you might imagine. Say "Hongdae BBQ" and you think of a rowdy vibe first, but this place is cozy from the outside already. Because it sits next to the leafy path, I even wondered at first if it was a café, but the tiled roof and wooden window frames together were really charming and relaxed. I bet it's wonderful on a nice day with the windows thrown wide open.

Oil-drum stools and window seats: what's the inside like?

Inside, it's a retro BBQ style with round stainless steel tables and oil-drum stools. Step in and it's a totally different mood from the outside! Posters on the walls and even exposed pipes give it a rough, rustic feel, but that's exactly the charm. We sat by the window, and the trees and forest path through the big glass windows were so nice!!! The tables aren't spaced very widely, but it's a comfortable place to grill meat with friends.

How were the 2 servings of pork neck, shrimp-cut pork and the grilling service?

We ordered 2 servings of pork neck and shrimp-cut pork (saeusal)! The staff grill everything, and just as we were finishing the shrimp-cut pork, they came and grilled the pork neck right away, so I loved that they matched our eating pace.

We started with the shrimp-cut pork, and having it all grilled for us was so convenient. The outside was nicely cooked and the inside stayed moist, not dry at all. They set it on the grill so it stayed warm while we ate, and they showed up right as we were finishing to grill the pork neck, keeping our pace going, which was so good haha I'm not the only one who hates it when the flow of a meal gets interrupted, right,, 🤭

Especially with the meat cut into bite-size pieces and grilled, the texture was great and I could really taste the juiciness. The default sauce went well with it, but personally the meat itself was so good that just dipping it in salt was fine.

Extra mushrooms and minari are the right call with pork neck

The combo I couldn't skip this meal was mushrooms and minari (water dropwort). I added lots and lots of mushrooms and minari for the pork.

I really did add loads of mushrooms and minari for the pork haha A piece of pork neck piled with minari, plus grilled kimchi, is a combo no Korean can resist 👍👍 Eating meat alone can get a little greasy, but the minari balanced that out so I enjoyed it to the end. Being able to eat both pork and beef at one table made the meal even more satisfying!

Grill and table cleanliness

The grill and table were set up really cleanly before the meal. And this was something I personally liked! At a BBQ place the state of the grill always bothers me, but since it was clean from the start, I felt reassured about hygiene too.

Finishing with kkakdugi fried rice and beef brisket doenjang stew

After finishing the meat, we ordered kkakdugi fried rice and beef brisket doenjang stew together as a closer. The kkakdugi fried rice was tangy and spicy and cut through the richness, and the stew came in a earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) generously filled with meat.

You can't end the meal just because the meat's gone. The kkakdugi fried rice looked delicious from the start, with finely chopped kkakdugi that gave it a nice chew, and the spicy-tangy flavor cut through the greasiness.

The beef brisket doenjang stew we ordered with the fried rice was great too!🍲 It came bubbling in an earthenware pot so it stayed hot to the end, and it was loaded with meat haha The savory brisket flavor in the hearty broth went well with the fried rice, and one spoonful of the hot broth was just right. I think ordering only the fried rice would've felt a bit lacking, but with the stew too it felt like a proper finish🤭🤭

Verdict: if you want a Hongdae BBQ place with great atmosphere

Gogikkun Gimchunbae Hongdae Supgil Branch is worth a visit if you're looking for a BBQ place with good atmosphere in Hongdae!! From the unique exterior by the forest path to the vintage interior, it has a charm unlike ordinary BBQ places. I enjoyed both the pork neck and shrimp-cut pork, and personally I think pork neck loaded with minari and mushrooms was the best combo!

Winter came early this time so I couldn't, but next year in outdoor-dining season I'm definitely coming back to eat meat with the windows wide open 🤎