Hakdong Station Korean BBQ for group dinners with parking: Jabdam

I visited Jabdam (잡담), a Nonhyeon naengsam (frozen pork belly) place that only people in the know seem to know. I love naengsam and have been to plenty of spots, but this was the first in a long while where I was happy with everything, from the meat to the side dishes to the extras! Whenever I crave naengsam from now on, I'm going to Jabdam. If you're looking for a dinner or team-dinner spot near Hakdong Station, check out today's review 😋

Does Jabdam near Hakdong Station have parking and group bookings?

Jabdam has its own parking spaces right in front of the restaurant, so it was easy to visit by car. There are more spaces inside as well!

Besides parking, the whole place can be booked for groups of 20 or more, and my companion said it would be great for their next team dinner, haha. If you're looking for a group dinner spot, I recommend it!

Inside the restaurant, celebrity autographs are on display, and it turns out to be a favorite of RESCENE! I was so happy to see it that I took a photo 🤓

How were Jabdam's frozen pork belly and side dishes?

Jabdam is a naengsam specialist that uses only top-grade Korean pork (handon), haha. I hesitated over the menu, but since I came today for naengsam, I ordered the signature pork belly first!

The pepper and sauces you can't do without when eating naengsam

There was a good range of sauces, from salt to ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), garlic sauce and soy sauce, and the side dishes were all so tasty that I refilled them several times. I think side dishes matter as much as the meat at a naengsam place, and at Jabdam every single one was delicious!

First, the naengsam they prepared! You can tell the quality even from the photo, right?

Grilling naengsam at Jabdam: tongs for everyone, no foil grill

Jabdam gives each person their own tongs, so everyone can grill comfortably. The thin pork belly cooks quickly, so I kept flipping it busily. I liked that it isn't the foil grill plate so common at naengsam places.

I also grilled enoki mushrooms in the meat fat, and mushrooms cooked in pork fat are the best 👍🏻 They soak up that rich, savory aroma and were as good as the meat.

This time I wrapped it with ggosiraegi (crunchy seaweed) for one bite. Wrapped together, the seaweed adds a crisp texture to the naengsam and it was so good.

And a bite wrapped in lettuce, nom. It's not just the meat that's good; the side dishes are too, so it tasted great whichever combination I tried 😋

Jabdam's sides: tofu stew and rice

The tofu stew (dubu-jjigae) we ordered as a side tasted like home cooking and was perfect with soju 😋 We're rice people who always order rice with meat, and I liked that they scooped it fresh each time rather than serving pre-portioned rice. I was already full, but it was so good that I finished every bit.

Is Jabdam's backstreet pork worth ordering besides naengsam?

The naengsam was so good that we ordered more right away..? I was curious about the other dishes too, so I also ordered Jabdam's backstreet pork (dwitgolmok-gogi), haha.

Unlike naengsam, the backstreet pork has a appealing firm, chewy bite. It was chewy yet springy, and I loved it! If naengsam alone feels like not enough, I recommend ordering it too 👍🏻

Finishing with Jabdam's starred dish: jjagyechi

You know you have to order anything with a star on the menu... I couldn't walk past Jabdam's jjagyechi (black bean noodles with cheese and egg), and I was completely satisfied! Springy, nicely cooked noodles with cheese and a soft-boiled egg, and it tasted as amazing as it looked, haha. It's even better topped with pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi)... 👍🏻 I recommend it as the finisher after the meat!

Would I go back to Jabdam in Nonhyeon for a team dinner?

If you're looking for good naengsam in Nonhyeon, definitely visit Jabdam. Beyond the quality naengsam, the side dishes and extras were all so delicious that it felt like a hidden gem of Nonhyeon. I was a little sad I couldn't try the signature naengsam gimbap (seaweed rice roll) this time,,, so next time I'll go back for it, haha.