Hapjeong Station Korean BBQ with meljeot anchovy dip: Jeongyukdo

Today I want to talk about Jeongyukdo, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station. Hapjeong is a neighborhood where people often hold engagement party gatherings and company dinners, and it seems like a lot of that happens at BBQ restaurants near Hapjeong Station too. The day I went was a Saturday, and sure enough there were lots of tables having engagement party meetups. I went with a friend just to have dinner.

It's located right near Hapjeong Station, and I'd been meaning to go for a while — finally got the chance this time. With a name like Jeongyukdo (정육도, meaning something like 'quality butcher'), I walked in expecting really good meat.

Is there parking at Jeongyukdo near Hapjeong Station?

Yes, you can park at Jeongyukdo. It's paid parking, of course, but having a public parking lot right in front in an area where parking is usually tough is honestly the best.

What is on the menu at Jeongyukdo?

The menu is made up of Korean pork (hanwoo) and Korean beef (hanwoo). I was surprised the prices were on the affordable side. I expected a BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station to be pricey, but the pricing was quite reasonable — made me want to come back, and made it clear why people choose this place for engagement gatherings or company dinners. It feels like you're treating someone properly without the price tag feeling like a burden.

We ordered the hanwoo doenjang rice bowl and the Korean pork specialty set with pork jowl, skirt, and outer skirt. Just from that combination you can tell you can enjoy both Korean beef and pork together, freely, according to taste. Ordering the set lets you try several cuts at once, which seems especially well-suited for larger groups doing engagement gatherings or company dinners.

Is Jeongyukdo a good room for an engagement-invitation gathering?

The inside of Jeongyukdo was quite spacious and pleasant, with lots of rooms fitting 2–4 tables each. So for group parties, you could eat more privately, which would also work well for company dinners. The atmosphere was clean and the staff were friendly.

On the Saturday evening we went, there seemed to be several other groups there for engagement gatherings near Hapjeong Station too, but since the rooms are separated, you don't have to pay much attention to other tables. For gatherings like engagement parties or company dinners where conversation needs to flow and groups need to go together, this kind of layout seems like it works really well.

Jeongyukdo stayed cool even in summer

Usually when you go to a BBQ place in summer, it's hot and humid and even with the AC cranked it's unbearably warm, but Jeongyukdo was notably cool, which I liked. Even accounting for the heat from grilling, the air conditioning was clearly working well, so I could eat comfortably without feeling hot even in summer. For gatherings like company dinners or meetups where you sit for a long time, this kind of detail actually matters quite a bit.

What side dishes come with the meal at Jeongyukdo?

The side dishes come out clean and neatly arranged, portioned so you can serve yourself onto your own small plate. Maybe because it was the weekend, they said the ssam (wrap) vegetables had run out, but even without them, the meat quality itself was so good that we ate happily anyway.

• Salted squid jeotgal
• Pickled peppers
• Spicy radish salad
• Wasabi
• Whole grain mustard
• Salt
• Pickled scallions
• Pickled onions

There were quite a lot of side dish varieties, so it was fun switching them up depending on the cut of meat. The squid jeotgal and pickled scallion combo went best with the meat, in particular.

And the thing that impressed me most was the ice water — it was summer and hot outside, so having a cold glass of ice water the moment we sat down alone put me in a good mood.

What we ordered at Jeongyukdo and what it cost

• Hanwoo doenjang rice bowl (₩10,000)
• Korean pork specialty set 500g (₩65,000) — pork jowl, skirt, outer skirt + choice of melt anchovy stew or hanwoo doenjang stew
• Hanmac draft beer (₩3,200) x2

The Korean pork specialty set comes with pork jowl + skirt + outer skirt + a choice of melt anchovy stew or hanwoo doenjang stew. We picked the melt anchovy stew.

You grill it yourself, so honestly our grilling was a bit clumsy. But the meat quality itself was so good that it seemed to grill well no matter how unskilled our hands were. All three cuts had different textures, which I liked.

We went with the melt anchovy stew, and it wasn't fishy at all — salty and packed with umami, honestly amazing. If I had to name one drawback, it's that the ssam vegetables had run out that day; if peppers had come with them, tossing the peppers into the melt anchovy stew to simmer would have made the flavor even richer and more delicious. I'm definitely trying that combo next time.

The draft beer was something my friend ordered on her own — at ₩3,200 a glass, she said it was cheap and tasty. For a BBQ restaurant, that price is a total win, right? My friend kept raving about how good it was.

Pork jowl vs gabrisal vs skirt meat: how each cut tastes

The pork jowl chewed soft while continuously releasing savory juices the more you chewed. It's a soft cut, so however you grill it, it doesn't get tough — soft to the bite, with a little pleasantly grainy texture too.

The pork skirt had the most distinct chewiness of the three cuts. Springy texture, with juices bursting each time you bit down. There was just the right amount of fat, so the more you chewed, the more clean and savory it tasted.

The outer skirt had visible grain that tore softly along the fibers when chewed. Of the three cuts, it was slightly chewy yet tender, and personally my favorite.

All three cuts felt different in texture, so it was fun alternating between them, and regardless of the cut, the meat quality itself was excellent.

How the hanwoo doenjang rice bowl came free with a receipt review

The hanwoo doenjang rice bowl is normally ₩10,000, but they gave it to us free because we participated in the receipt review event. Even as a freebie, the portion was identical to a paid order — genuinely a lot of food.

There was a generous amount of beef in it, plus tofu and rice packed in solidly, so this wasn't just a side dish — it was plenty for a full meal on its own.

Maybe because of the starch from the rice, the broth was fairly thick, and it really cut through the greasiness from eating all that meat. After eating nothing but meat, one spoonful of this felt like a total palate reset.

Saturday evening wait and the final bill for two

We went around 5:30pm on a Saturday, and since there were plenty of seats, we got in right away with no wait. Maybe it helped that it was a bit early, and since the space is divided into several rooms, turnover didn't seem bad and the place felt spacious overall.

What the two of us ate came to almost ₩80,000. With the pork set, the free menu item, and two draft beers, it was actually ₩71,400 — pretty affordable overall. Eating this well at a BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station for that price, I'd call it a good deal.

Why Jeongyukdo works for gatherings and team dinners by Hapjeong Station

If you're looking for a spot for an engagement gathering or company dinner near Hapjeong Station, or just a BBQ restaurant near Hapjeong Station in general, Jeongyukdo is a pretty solid choice. The separated rooms make it good for private conversation with a larger group, and you can enjoy Korean pork and beef at a reasonable price.

The heating and cooling are solid too, so it's comfortable even in summer, and there's a public parking lot right outside — paid, but it takes the worry out of parking. That said, if you're going for an engagement gathering or company dinner, I'd recommend booking ahead just in case.