Jongno3-ga Korean BBQ: gabrisal add-on and non-alcoholic beer, Cham

My partner tried this place and said it was great, so I went back for round two — let me introduce Cham Dwaejitgan (참돼짓간), a Jongno3-ga Korean BBQ spot 🩶

Location and hours of Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno

⏰ Hours Daily 12:00–23:00

📍 Location 1 Donhwamun-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 1F, Piccadilly CGV, unit 1-89

How long was the Friday evening wait?

I showed up around 8pm, and since it was a Friday there was a wait — 6 parties ahead of me, with an estimated wait of 105 minutes. But! It didn't actually take that long, and I got in after just 20 minutes. There's a bench outside the shop where you can sit while waiting.

Cham Dwaejitgan smokes the meat over rice husks for extra flavor and grills it over charcoal for tender texture. They say they only use Jirisan black pork and grade-1 Boseong nokdon pork, raised on green tea!

Inside the restaurant

Since it was dinner time, customers kept streaming in, giving the place a lively overall vibe. It looked like a good option for anyone in Jongno looking for a group dinner or company get-together spot. Plenty of foreign diners too.

The meat display you see as you walk in.

Menu lineup

There's Jirisan black pork ogeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and pork neck, Boseong nokdon samgyeopsal, kkotmokssal (flower pork neck), cheongyeopsal (thousand-layer pork belly), and gabrisal (pork jowl).

There are also side dishes and drinks/alcohol to pair with the meat.

How to order and the banchan setup

You order through the T-order kiosk right at the table.

As soon as we sat down, all the banchan (side dishes) were already set out on the table.

A tip for enjoying samgyeopsal even more! Pair it with the banchan that's prepared alongside it.

A wide variety of banchan was pre-set on the table. There was minari (water dropwort) and bean sprout namul to grill with the meat, kimchi, cabbage salad, scallion strips, garlic scapes, perilla leaves, and lettuce to eat alongside the meat.

Each person also had mushroom wasabi, spicy sauce, ssamjang (dipping sauce), garlic, and salt to pair with the meat.

Self bar

The banchan comes pre-set, and if you run out, you can grab more from the self bar. Everything was kept fully stocked, no shortages.

Two servings of cham samgyeopsal (Boseong nokdon)

Cham samgyeopsal (Boseong nokdon) ₩16,000 × 2 servings

The pork we ordered came out with potato slices, kkwari peppers, and king oyster mushrooms.

They said the grill plate is a handmade one — and I really liked how little it splattered oil.

Staff grilled everything for us from start to finish, so all we had to do was eat comfortably. The outside of the pork got beautifully browned while the inside stayed juicy and tender — really delicious.

Eating only meat can get a little heavy after a while, but pairing it with the grilled vegetables in between made for a great combination.

Order a beer and get milk thistle on the house

We ordered beer with our meat too. They had Terra and a non-alcoholic lemon Cass, so we got curious and tried both. The touching part! When you order alcohol, they give you a milk thistle supplement too — such a thoughtful touch 🌟

These potato slices can be ordered separately. Thinly sliced potatoes grilled alongside the meat — a combination you don't usually see with samgyeopsal, and a real specialty unique to Cham Dwaejitgan.

Adding a serving of Boseong nokdon gabrisal

Boseong nokdon gabrisal (pork jowl) ₩19,000 × 1 serving

It felt like a shame to only have samgyeopsal, so we added a serving of gabrisal too. It has a chewier texture than samgyeopsal, but not tough — soft and tender, with a savory flavor that comes out more the more you chew. It has a different charm from samgyeopsal, so I'd recommend gabrisal too.

Finishing with Jirisan kudzu mul-naengmyeon

Jirisan kudzu mul-naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) ₩7,000

You can't skip mul-naengmyeon after eating meat, so we ordered that too.

The cool broth left our mouths feeling refreshed and clean. It's great on its own, or you can pile leftover grilled meat on top of the noodles — it pairs really well either way.

Scissors, mustard, and vinegar come with the noodles so you can cut them and season to your taste.

Things you can grab on your way out

After paying and heading out, I noticed they had palate-cleansing candy, screen wipes, hair ties, toothpicks, interdental brushes, disposable mouthwash, and deodorant all set out. Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno really thinks of every little detail.

Looking for a Korean BBQ spot in Jongno3-ga?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno was convenient since staff grilled the meat for us the whole time, and the pairing with grilled potatoes, minari, and kimchi alongside the meat worked really well. The variety of banchan was impressive too, and the attention to detail — from the self bar to the mouthwash, interdental brushes, and deodorant available after the meal — stood out. If you're looking for a pork restaurant in Jongno where staff grill for you, or a Korean BBQ spot in Jongno3-ga, this one's worth a visit.