# Kimchi and bean sprouts on the grill at a Jongno 3-ga BBQ: Chowon

- By Jiwon (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-porridge-stops/)
- Written Sep 18, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as part of a paid visit sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-porridge-stops/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-porridge-stops/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/index.md)

## In short

Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch is an outdoor-tent Korean BBQ spot in the alley in front of Tapgol Park, a 3-minute walk from Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul. Two servings of flash-frozen pork belly at 18,000 won each came thicker than expected and were grilled on one pan with kimchi, bean sprouts and garlic, filling both diners with no room to order more. For a cool evening with the classic Jongno 3-ga outdoor-tent mood and grilled kimchi, Chowon Restaurant is a satisfying pick.

## Good to know

- **Location**: 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul — 3-minute walk from Exit 5, Jongno 3-ga Station (right in front of Tapgol Park)
- **Hours**: Daily 17:00–01:00
- **Parking**: Not available
- **Flash-frozen pork belly**: 18,000 won per serving
- **Ordered on this visit**: 2 servings of flash-frozen pork belly
- **Side dishes**: Kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned chives, lettuce, chili peppers, garlic, ssamjang (soybean dipping sauce)
- **Price reference**: ₩18,000 ≈ $13 (2026-09-19)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026*

With the weather cooling down and not too hot anymore, outdoor tent dining is everywhere these days. It's tent season!! You've got to go. The season is really short, so you need to get out there quick. This time I went to Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga for outdoor tent pork belly.

![Outdoor tent tables at Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-01-1m55a-1200.webp)

![Outdoor tent alley scene in front of Tapgol Park near Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-02-8i8tf-966.webp)

![Outdoor tent seating out front of Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-03-120m6-966.webp)

The alleys around Jongno 3-ga are full of places where you can enjoy that outdoor tent atmosphere, and Chowon Restaurant, with tables lined up out front of the shop, was exactly the Jongno 3-ga tent feeling I had in mind.

## Where is Chowon Restaurant? Location, hours and parking

- Location: 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. 3-minute walk from Exit 5, Jongno 3-ga Station. Right in front of Tapgol Park
- Hours: Daily 17:00–1:00
- Parking: Not available

## How much is the pork belly? 18,000 won per serving

![Chowon Restaurant menu board showing frozen pork belly price](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-04-czuh9-966.webp)

Chowon Restaurant's menu had everything from pork belly sets to hanwoo (Korean beef) sets, chadolbagi (sliced beef brisket), yukhoe bibimbap (raw beef rice bowl), and chadol doenjang stew — plenty of meat and meal options. What we came for from the start, though, was the frozen pork belly.

Frozen pork belly is ₩18,000 per serving, and we ordered two servings. At first I figured we'd naturally add another serving since there were two of us, but to cut to the chase, we were too full after two servings to order more haha. It wasn't just the portion — the meat had a lot more thickness than I expected from frozen pork belly, so it was pretty filling.

## The side dishes at Chowon Restaurant

![Tray of banchan served all at once](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-05-1otys-966.webp)

All the banchan came out at once on a large tray — kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned chives, lettuce, peppers, garlic, and ssamjang, exactly what you need for outdoor tent pork belly. Rather than an overloaded spread of random sides, it was focused on the ones you actually eat alongside the meat.

## Two servings of flash-frozen pork belly: thicker and more filling than expected

![Table setting with two servings of frozen pork belly at Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-06-1v5nb-966.webp)

Here's the two servings of frozen pork belly. When people think of 'naengsam' (frozen thin-sliced pork belly), they usually picture paper-thin slices, but Chowon Restaurant's frozen pork belly was noticeably thicker than I expected.

![Frozen pork belly on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-07-1k4ud-966.webp)

![Frozen pork belly browning on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-08-d8997-966.webp)

Once grilled, it wasn't the type that crisps up fast because it's thin — you could really feel the fat and lean meat texture typical of pork belly. As it hit the pan, the fat turned translucent and started browning up, and that's when the charm of naengsam really kicks in... the smell was great.

![A thick piece of frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-09-1ff1f-966.webp)

You can really see how thick it is, more than expected. Thin naengsam has its own appeal, but with this bit of extra thickness, each piece had real presence.

## Grilling kimchi, bean sprouts and garlic on the same pan

![Meat, kimchi, bean sprouts and garlic grilling together on the pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-10-dz6s2-966.webp)

![Kimchi and bean sprouts grilling at the edge of the pan](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-11-1ev46-966.webp)

We just threw the meat, kimchi, bean sprouts, and garlic on the grill all together. Once the pork belly started releasing a bit of fat, the kimchi and bean sprouts naturally soaked it up too, and it became seriously addictive...

![Grilled kimchi soaked in pork fat](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill-12-jhtp9-966.webp)

The kimchi in particular was really good. Rather than fully crisping it up right away, it slowly cooked alongside the meat, wilting down while soaking up the pork belly fat, and it paired really well with the naengsam. The bean sprouts were a completely different thing grilled versus eaten plain, too. Seasoned bean sprouts, slightly charred on the pan, picked up a nutty flavor that kept me reaching for more.

## Is two servings enough for two people?

When we first ordered, we figured we'd eat two servings of frozen pork belly and then add one more. Since naengsam is thin, I thought three servings between two people wouldn't be a problem. But once we actually started eating, the portion turned out to be bigger than expected.

The meat itself had more thickness than the typical super-thin naengsam, and with kimchi, bean sprouts, and lettuce added in continuously, we were pretty full by the time we finished two servings. We went a bit early and missed out on the fried rice, which was a shame — if you visit, make sure to try the fried rice too!!

## Final verdict on Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga

If you want to grill up a pan of meat at an outdoor tent in Jongno 3-ga on a cool evening, Chowon Restaurant is a good spot to enjoy outdoor tent pork belly. We went just for the atmosphere and ended up satisfied with the frozen pork belly plus the grilled kimchi and bean sprouts combo — a solid Jongno 3-ga find.

## Where it is

- Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch (초원식당 종로3가점)
- 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당
- 37.5717479, 126.9887101
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B4%88%EC%9B%90%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5717479,126.9887101,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-porridge-stops/jongno-samgyeopsal-kimchi-beansprout-grill/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt