Hongdae BBQ where staff grill honeycomb pork skin: Chopilsal

After a hot day at work, I was craving really chewy pork, so my husband and I went for a dinner date through a sponsored visit. This place has such a strong reputation that I was already excited before we even got there.

Where is Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch, and what does it look like?

Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch is a two-floor restaurant on 172 Dongyo-ro, tucked in an alley near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. Walking into the alley, a bold red sign with the restaurant's name in big letters greeted us.

The string of little lightbulbs around the sign was bright enough that we found the place right away without wandering around. Out front was a menu photo board along with a Catch Table check-in kiosk. I was a bit worried about waiting long in the heat, but luckily we got seated right away. It said group seating on the 2nd floor was ready too, so it looked like it could easily fit a gathering.

Inside Chopilsal Pork Grill: drum-barrel stools and 2nd-floor group seating

Inside Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch, red brick walls blended with soft orange lighting for a really cozy vibe. The tables were spacious wood tone, and the chairs were black drum-shaped stools with storage inside for coats and bags — very comfortable.

On the walls hung framed notes full of praise from past customers, which naturally built my trust in the meat here.

Menu and prices: why the first order starts at 3 servings

The menu at Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch starts with pork skin at ₩9,500, salted ogyeopsal at ₩12,000, and dwitgogi (neck meat) at ₩10,500 — really gentle prices even for central Hongdae. It said the first order had to be at least 3 servings, so we started with 2 servings of salted ogyeopsal and 1 serving of dwitgogi.

The drinks and beverage lineup was pretty varied too.

Side dishes and sauces that come with the meat

As soon as we ordered, staff neatly set out the basic side dishes. There was white kimchi and spicy-sweet mu-saengchae (radish salad) to cut through the richness, plus perilla leaf pickles layered with pickled radish.

Add in the assorted pickles, chili-tossed green onion salad, salted hairtail intestine, and mentaiko-garlic sauce, and every bite of meat had a fun little pairing. On a compartmented tray were bean powder, spicy sauce, soy sauce, and salt.

Salted ogyeopsal and dwitgogi: how did the raw meat look?

A little while later the salted ogyeopsal arrived on the plate. Looking at the thick-cut slices, the bright red color and even fat marbling made the freshness obvious right away.

A piece of king oyster mushroom came alongside with a light sprinkle of coarse salt, and it was already building my anticipation before it even hit the grill. I felt like I'd found a real samgyeopsal specialist in Hongdae.

Next up was the dwitgogi plate, which unlike the ogyeopsal showed off a striking grain of red lean meat and pure white fat.

The surface was dusted with pepper and basic seasoning, and the texture still had a nice bounce to it. Served alongside king oyster mushroom, I was really curious how it would turn out on the grill.

How the ogyeopsal tasted off the grill

They carefully laid the thick ogyeopsal, whole garlic cloves, and mushrooms onto the hot grill. As it sizzled and cooked, a savory meaty aroma rose up and hit my nose. Watching the surface turn golden brown with a glossy sheen made my mouth water instantly.

Dipping a finished piece of samgyeopsal into the salt, the crispy outside and tender juicy inside filling my mouth was genuinely impressive. The dwitgogi that followed had that distinctive slightly crunchy yet chewy texture, a really unique bite. My husband kept saying it got more savory the more he chewed, and we both kept our chopsticks moving nonstop. Thanks to the great samgyeopsal, the date-night mood got even more cheerful.

A cold drink to go with the pork

After walking around in the hot, clear weather and coming in to grill meat for dinner, cold beer naturally sounded good. Clinking glasses with my husband and taking a sip washed away the day's fatigue. It cut through the richness cleanly, making the meat taste even better. Slowly enjoying it along with the well-grilled mushrooms and garlic, I thought coming here for Hongdae samgyeopsal was such a good call.

Staff grill the pilsal pork skin with a grill press

Once we'd made good progress on the meat, we added the restaurant's signature pork skin (₩9,500). Staff came over, laid a mesh sheet on the grill, and carefully pressed it down with a thick grill press to cook it themselves.

They applied heat evenly so the skin wouldn't pop and splatter — the staff were so kind that the whole meal felt comfortable and pleasant.

Chewy pork skin bursting through the honeycomb cuts

Once golden and finished, the pork skin was neatly cut into bite-sized pieces. Through the tightly scored honeycomb cuts, the fat had rendered out, leaving a noticeably crisp texture.

Dipped generously in bean powder with a touch of spicy sauce, it had a crispy-yet-chewy texture like nurungji (scorched rice), filling my mouth. It was clean and savory without any greasiness, so we finished every last piece.

Cleared to the last bite: would we return to Chopilsal Pork Grill?

From the chewy pork skin to the meat, our chopsticks really never stopped moving. Looking at how we'd cleaned out not just the meat on the grill but even the neatly served side dishes and sauces, I realized just how much my husband and I had eaten.

Being able to enjoy this much satisfaction at such reasonable prices, next time I'll definitely have to come back to try side dishes like zucchini stew or kimchi jeongol too. With great taste, good value, and friendly service all in one, this is a place I'd naturally want to return to whenever I'm nearby.

• ⭐ Anyone who wants thick, juicy ogyeopsal
• ⭐ Anyone craving properly grilled honeycomb pork skin, crispy outside and chewy inside
• ⭐ Anyone who wants a comfortable, good-mood BBQ date

Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch: hours, parking and address

• Name: Chopilsal Pork Grill Hongdae Branch
• Address: 172 Dongyo-ro, 1st & 2nd floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Thu 12:00–24:00, Fri–Sun 12:00–02:00
• Parking: Not available