Hongdae Korean BBQ, no grilling guide for our beef-pork set: Gogikkun

I finally had a Hongdae day out with a close friend (she's like an older sister to me)! I desperately needed a meat fix, so I searched Instagram and Naver like crazy for Hongdae restaurants‼️ And what did I find? A Hongdae BBQ place that sells hanwoo (Korean beef) and handon (Korean pork) together as a set?? How are meat nerds supposed to resist that;; The moment I saw how it looked, I walked over like I was in a trance. The place is Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch (고기꾼김춘배 홍대본점)💜

Where is Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch, and what's the vibe?

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch has its space on the 3rd and 4th floors of a building on Hongik-ro 3-gil in Hongdae. On the day I visited, it had a private feel, with partitions at every table.

I was already gasping at the interior the second we walked up...✨ Every table is partitioned, so it's perfect for a private chat! The lighting is soft and glowy, giving off a bit of a Japanese robata grill vibe(?), and I instantly got why this Hongdae BBQ place is famous as a date spot or blind date venue.

I was told that if you write a Naver review, you can get a choice of doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), kimchi-jjigae (kimchi stew), steamed egg or pork skin.

Hanwoo/handon set for two: price and side dishes

The signature menu at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is the hanwoo/handon set for two, at ₩118,000. We sat down and ordered this set without a second thought ><

Once we ordered, the side dishes were set out in a flash, and they were all crazy-good partners for meat. Scallion salad, lettuce, pickled onions, white kimchi, green onion kimchi and myeongi namul (pickled wild greens), plus salt and a sesame oil dip! Even the lineup of basic sides had that proper Hongdae hotspot swagger.

Do you grill the meat yourself at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae?

Finally the main meat arrived... and wow, no wonder this is a top-tier Hongdae BBQ place🩷 Look at that hanwoo marbling, isn't it insane??? Just looking at it, I could tell how tender it was ㅠㅠ

My friend fired off her flash to take a photo, so I copied her haha (she's way more pro than me,,,)

At Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch, nobody explained whether staff grill the meat or guests do it themselves. That was a slight downside plus a little mishap ㅠㅠ We played the sneaky waiting game for a bit, then noticed everyone around us was grilling their own, so we picked up the tongs too.

The thing is, both my friend and I only know how to eat meat, not how to grill it haha (my partner always handles the grilling,,). We were fumbling around, unable to tell when to cut it or whether it was cooked... and then my friend said, "I'm the older one, so I'll grill!" and grabbed the tongs, and I almost cried with gratitude... 🥺❤️ (so cool, unnie)

How did the hanwoo taste?

I dipped the first piece of hanwoo that my friend grilled so passionately into salt... and wow, as you'd expect from a Hongdae restaurant with guaranteed quality, it just melts in your mouth;;

I also wrapped it up with my beloved green onion kimchi~~~

We kept scrunching our brows in honest delight and gushing, then decided that holding back on beer here should be a crime, so we ordered a bottle right away and cheers~~~🍻

Half-and-half naengmyeon and kkakdugi fried rice in the set

The hanwoo/handon set at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch comes with half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) and kkakdugi bokkeumbap (diced radish kimchi fried rice) as the meal items! The set is really generous, and I think it's top-tier value among nearby Hongdae restaurants🩷 The half-and-half naengmyeon comes in a divided bowl like jjamjjamyeon, with mul naengmyeon (in broth) and bibim naengmyeon (spicy-sweet, no broth) side by side, so alternating between them is so good ><

Personally, the tangy-sweet bibim naengmyeon was perfect to wrap with meat, and when things got a little greasy, drinking the mul naengmyeon broth washed it all down so I could keep going forever👍

And the kkakdugi fried rice, the classic K-dessert, was seriously delicious too🔥 Mix in the seaweed flakes, take a bite and ahh.... My friend declared this fried rice the real deal and ate two-thirds of it by herself haha

Handon pork neck and pork belly: do staff ever grill for you?

After the hanwoo, we grilled the handon pork neck second. It had none of that dryness pork neck can have and was super tender, so I inhaled it.

From the pork onward, I busily made lettuce wraps to eat 💚

For the last item, the pork belly, a staff member at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch came over and grilled it for us! It turns out the system seems to be that staff grill for you when they aren't busy. Thanks to that, we chatted comfortably while eating the last pork belly, yelling "this meat form is insane" and enjoying every bite💛

Verdict: is Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch worth it?

It was my first Hongdae outing in a while, and we thoroughly crushed hanwoo and handon in a lovely atmosphere! The beef we grilled clumsily was still honey-sweet, and the pork belly staff grilled at the end plus the side dishes were perfect at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch! I really recommend it to anyone looking for a Hongdae restaurant with a nice mood and great food, or a private Hongdae BBQ spot 🫶