Namyangju Korean BBQ with a self-serve side bar: 2002 Witch's Arpeggio

Why 2002 Witch's Arpeggio in Namyangju works for a three-generation day out

2002 Witch's Arpeggio is a BBQ restaurant right beside a valley stream in Wabu-eup, Namyangju, where you can eat not 'gochujang pork belly' but 'tomato-jang pork belly.' Today's pick is a recommended restaurant for a day trip near Seoul, done together with grandmother, my mini-me and me — three generations!

While looking for both a getaway near Seoul and a good restaurant, I came across 'Arpeggio.' It's in Namyangju, not too far, so I decided to just go!

You wind up a curving road and there it is — 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, sitting in a spot with great scenery.

Parking is plentiful too. It's probably packed in the summer peak season, so this season might actually be an even better time to visit!

The moment you arrive, the view just makes you go 'wow'!!!!

2002 Witch's Arpeggio hours and the tables beside the creek

At 'Arpeggio' you can eat right next to your table while listening to the valley stream flow.

• Daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time 15:30–17:00
• Last order 20:00
• Closes at 20:30 on Mondays

What is jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly?

This is the spot known for 48-hour jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly, a recipe the 'witch' spent 25 years developing!

You can actually see the tomato-jang pork belly aging in its jars.

There are indoor and outdoor tables, and we sat outside where you can eat with a light breeze and the cool sound of the stream. Rather than summer, this season felt even better for spending time with my mini-me, enjoying the sounds of nature at a relaxed pace.

What we ordered at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio and which spice level we picked

• Jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly, ₩20,000 per serving
• Jar-aged cheese tomato-jang pork belly, ₩25,000 per serving
• Crispy-outside chewy-inside potato pancake, ₩25,000

After some back and forth, since it was with my mom, we went basic instead of cheese! Ordered the jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly. Spice level is also selectable, so we chose the medium level, 'Just a Bad Guy' (Shin Ramyun spicy)!

While waiting for the food, first things first — the proper order for eating tomato-jang pork belly!

Basic side dishes and the self-serve side bar

The basic side dishes come out right away! The tomato kimchi was so unusual and tasty. At first I was like, tomato kimchi?!?!?!?!?!! but it's the kind of flavor you keep reaching for!

You can help yourself to extra side dishes freely at the self-serve bar.

A three-serving spread and the staff's blowtorch finish

The tomato-jang pork belly comes out fast! The visuals, though!!!!!!!!!!!! It looked so delicious. This was the amount for three servings for the three adults.

Once it's cooked a certain amount, a staff member comes over to cut and grill it for you.

Finally, a torch adds a smoky finish!!!!! An absurdly good-looking visual.

How does the tomato-jang pork belly taste?

The tomato-jang pork belly sizzles away on the grill. Bean sprouts and rice cake sticks are mixed in the middle too, so you get variety in every bite. I was so curious about pork belly flavored with tomato-jang instead of gochujang! And sure enough, without the gochujang there's none of that heavy aftertaste — the tomato-jang brought an explosion of umami instead.

The sauce practically demands to be mixed with rice, so we ordered a bowl right away! I wanted to hold off for the cauldron pollack roe fried rice, but the sauce was so good I had to mix it with rice anyway. Ordered at medium spice, it hit just right — spicy and so delicious.

We tried wrapping it in every combination possible, and honestly it was so good no matter how we wrapped it!

Wait, we're eating right next to a valley stream?!?!!?!!?

I really feel like this is a place to come back to every season.

Crispy potato pancake at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, and taking the leftovers home

After eating rice with the meat, we were so full there was no way we'd finish fried rice too...... so we ordered the potato pancake instead hahahahahahahaha

Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside potato pancake! The size is enormous. Really big and thick! You can practically feel the crunch just from the photo — it has that fried, cracker-like crispy texture.

Paired with the soy-marinated onions that come alongside, it's a match made in heaven.

We were eating and it was just so much that in the end we packed the leftover pancake to go. Brought it home and ate it again just as happily. hahahahahahahahahahahaha

Is 2002 Witch's Arpeggio worth it with grandparents and kids? Our verdict

We filled up on delicious food and, without even planning a separate outing for mom and my mini-me, got to soak up nature right near Seoul — all at '2002 Witch's Arpeggio.' We were so satisfied that I want to go back one more time before deep winter sets in!

They give you cauldron pollack roe fried rice for writing a review! That's amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next visit, even if I'm full, I'm definitely making room for it.