Gwangjin Korean BBQ short rib and charcoal grill: Ssamchae

A new Korean BBQ restaurant in Jayang-dong near Ttukseom Hangang Park

Came to Jayang-dong looking for beef!

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal is a premium pork and beef restaurant that recently opened in Jayang-dong near Ttukseom Hangang Park — a brand new hotspot. The name says "iron-lid samgyeopsal," but they apparently have their own meat distribution network and bring in premium-grade pork and beef 👍🏻

The place is much bigger inside than it looks from outside, and the space is split into two separate areas, so it's less noisy and feels clean. The staff are also very friendly 😉

Maybe because it just opened, everything was sparkling clean and well kept — and I especially liked that the self-bar was tidy no matter when I looked.

Visited September 2026

Menu and self-bar

At Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal you can try both premium pork and beef, so it's easy to order a variety without overthinking it. Ordering a set menu is a good-value way to pick. The menu is split into iron-lid dishes and charcoal-grill dishes, so you can choose your preferred grilling method 🔥 Just note: mixing iron-lid and charcoal-grill orders is only possible when ordering for 2 or more people.

This Jayang-dong BBQ restaurant offers unlimited refills of wrap vegetables, with more than just lettuce and perilla leaf — there's red chard, angelica, kale and more 🥬 You can also help yourself to mushrooms, sweet pumpkin and eggplant, great for grilling alongside the meat, plus a variety of side dishes. It's the kind of place where the meat just keeps going down.

Draft beer, small glass ₩1,900

The draft beer at Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal is genuinely delicious 🍺 Delicious and great value! A small draft is ₩1,900 and a large one is ₩3,000! I was already full so I went with the small glass, but seeing the ₩3,000 large at the next table, its size was huge — I was glad I picked the small one haha.

Charcoal-grilled hwangje beef short rib

Hwangje beef short rib 🐮 The moment I saw the moderate marbling and bright red color, I just knew this was going to be delicious meat!

Today's pick was beef short rib, so it went on the charcoal grill over high heat to lock in the juices.

With rich juiciness, a chewy yet tender texture, and a properly savory flavor, beef short rib is perfect grilled over charcoal.

Vegetables from the self-bar! A bit of a shame I couldn't eat many wraps since it was beef, but I made up for it with plenty of the other vegetables. I don't think I've grilled eggplant over charcoal much before... dipped lightly in sesame oil sauce, it's so good 🍆 I think I ate almost as much of it as the meat;

How to grill beef short rib well

Still, the main event is the beef short rib! It's most tender and juiciest when the outside is golden brown and the inside stays medium and moist. Grill it thick as it first comes out, letting it sizzle over the charcoal, then cut it in half at the end — that way the juices don't escape and it tastes best.

Eating it lightly with salt sauce and wasabi lets you really taste the short rib's own umami and flavor.

Seasoned beef short rib and special meat sauce

After the savory beef short rib comes the seasoned beef short rib, with its sweet yet sharp garlic flavor.

Beef short rib has a lot of fat, so when grilling over charcoal the flames can flare up and burn it — it's better to grill it as if stir-frying. The seasoned version especially can burn on the outside in an instant, so grill with full concentration 😎

The seasoned beef short rib has a moderately sweet marinade soaked in well, with garlic aroma giving it a clean aftertaste! Placed over white rice with Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal's own special meat sauce, it's completely addictive.

Finishing with doenjang stew and mul-naengmyeon

The savory doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) with tofu, mushroom and squash wasn't overly seasoned — it tasted like something homemade and paired perfectly with the meat.

To finish, mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup)! It came with a seasoning sauce mixed into the broth, making it sweet, tangy, spicy and refreshing all at once. There are lots of menu items, but each one felt solid and well-made at its core, so it seems hard to go wrong with whatever you order!

Parking and plans to return

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal, this Jayang-dong BBQ restaurant, was a great place to enjoy fresh meat with plenty of wrap vegetables and side dishes at good value. Parking can be tricky in Jayang-dong, but the new Jayang 5-district temporary public parking lot is a 2–3 minute walk from the restaurant, so it's great to have affordable parking nearby.

Given the restaurant's name is literally "iron-lid samgyeopsal," a lot of customers were there for pork belly — grilling various side dishes together on the iron lid and wrapping them in the greens looked really tasty, so I'm planning to come back soon! Thanks for the meal 💛