Grilled bracken and mushrooms at a 24-hour Nonhyeon BBQ: Daepae Market

Looking for a Gangnam 24-hour spot where you can grill good meat without worrying about the time, I headed to Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch.

It sits near the nightlife alley between Nonhyeon and Sinnonhyeon stations, so it's easy to get to, and its clean exterior and spacious dining room have made it word-of-mouth famous as a Nonhyeon Korean BBQ spot and a go-to for work dinners.

Being open 24 hours is the biggest draw — you can enjoy high-quality daepae (thin-sliced) meat any time, with no time constraints at all.

Inside Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch

Walking into Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch, a bright and pleasant interior greets you — none of the usual stuffy, greasy feel of a BBQ joint, just a clean, well-organized space. The tables are spaced generously too, making it a comfortable layout for chatting while you eat.

What we ordered: four thin-sliced pork cuts

On this visit we ordered Daepae Market's signature lineup — daepae samgyeop, daepae mokssal, daepae jjolsamgyeopsal and jjolmokssal — plus

for the meal menu, gochujang jjigae with a broth we had high hopes for, and tangy-sweet bibim naengmyeon.

What's on the self-serve bar at Daepae Market?

One of the standout strengths of Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is its generously stocked self-serve bar. A colorful array of ingredients you can grill alongside the meat was kept fresh and caught the eye right away.

Fresh lettuce and perilla leaves for wraps were there, of course, along with tangy pickled radish and a hefty pile of corn salad with its irresistible crunchy-pop texture.

Best of all, bracken fern — a treat when grilled in the meat's own fat on the pan — plus enoki, king oyster and other mushrooms were all unlimited and free to take as much as you liked, which made for excellent value and satisfaction.

How chewy are jjolsamgyeopsal and jjolmokssal?

The moment the meat arrived, its bright pink, thin, neatly arranged slices had us drooling. Next we tried the daepae jjolsamgyeopsal and jjolmokssal, which stood out for a slightly chewier, more resilient texture than regular daepae cuts. There was a fun, springy bite to it, and wrapped around pan-grilled kimchi and pickled radish, the tangy, sweet-and-spicy flavors kept us reaching for more without ever getting tired of it.

Putting the meat on the hot pan together with bracken, mushrooms and kimchi from the self-serve bar, everything sizzled and browned in no time. Thanks to how quickly daepae meat cooks, there was no waiting around — we could dig in right away.

Daepae samgyeop (thin-sliced pork belly)

The first cut we tried, daepae samgyeop, was thin but held onto proper savory juiciness and a crisp-chewy texture. The more you chewed, the more the fat's richness and the lean meat's savory flavor burst through, crisp on the outside and moist inside — dipped lightly in scallion strips or sesame oil, we couldn't stop reaching for chopsticks.

Daepae mokssal (thin-sliced pork shoulder)

Next up, daepae mokssal was lighter than the samgyeop but soft to chew. With just the right amount of fat, there was no greasiness at all, and the more you chewed, the more the meat's clean, savory flavor came through.

Piled with nicely browned bracken and mushrooms into a big wrap, the vegetable juices and meat juices combined for a perfect pairing.

To finish: bibim naengmyeon and gochujang jjigae

To close out the meal, the bibim naengmyeon arrived with tangy-sweet, chewy noodles topped with a generous serving of spicy sauce.

After drizzling in a little mustard and vinegar and mixing well, we topped it with a piece of the browned daepae samgyeop we'd saved and wrapped it in with the noodles — the spicy-tangy notes and the meat's savoriness came together for a perfectly clean finish.

The gochujang jjigae we sipped between rounds of meat was a standout for its deep, rich broth.

Loaded with big chunks of tofu, vegetables and meat simmered down together, it was spicy yet savory, cleansing the palate. Instead of an artificial MSG taste, it had a deep, clingy spicy-savory flavor that made us instantly want a bowl of rice — a true rice thief.

Is Daepae Market Nonhyeon worth a late-night visit?

Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch delivered on every front — a generous, fresh self-serve bar, high-quality daepae meat in several varieties, and side dishes with real depth of flavor — making it a thoroughly satisfying Nonhyeon Korean BBQ spot.

If you're looking for a 24-hour Gangnam BBQ spot where you can enjoy meat any time without worry, or want to try good-value daepae samgyeopsal with fresh vegetables, I highly recommend a visit to Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch!