Weekend family Korean BBQ in Bucheon: Boseong belly & pork neck, Cham

The meat quality was so good on our first visit that we came back to Cham Dwaejitgan (참돼짓간) near Sinjungdong Station in Bucheon. I recommended it to an acquaintance, and their family went too and was very happy with it. It's a place I can recommend to anyone without worrying, so here is Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch ♡

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjungdong Branch, and when is it open?

Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch is at 68 Jungdong-ro 262beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on the 1st floor, 364 m from Exit 3 of Sinjungdong Station on Line 7. It's open every day. There's no parking, so you'll need a nearby paid public car park.

• Address: 68 Jungdong-ro 262beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (1st floor)
• Transport: 364 m from Exit 3 of Sinjungdong Station, Line 7
• Open every day
• Monday: 13:00 to 01:00 next day, last order 23:30 / hall closes 00:00
• Tuesday to Sunday: 11:30 to 09:30 next day, last order 09:00, break time 09:30 to 11:30
• No parking / use a nearby public car park (paid)

Why our family went back to Cham Dwaejitgan for a weekend Korean BBQ

During the week everyone is busy with their own lives, but on weekends we always try to share at least one meal, and it usually ends up being meat. Just because a place is close to home doesn't mean we'll go anywhere. We look at taste, cleanliness, service and even the side dishes. Cham Dwaejitgan has nothing to complain about.

What is the atmosphere like at Cham Dwaejitgan in Sinjungdong?

The first thing I felt as soon as we walked in was "wow, it's spacious and really pleasant." There's none of that stuffy, smoke-filled, greasy feeling typical of BBQ places; the ceilings are high and the ventilation is excellent. Tables are spaced generously, so it suits company dinners with nearby coworkers or weekend family outings. Every table has a T-order tablet, so you can order comfortably while looking at photos of the dishes.

A dry-aging fridge fills one whole side of the room.

Menu and order: Boseong pork belly and pork neck, 2 portions each

We ordered 2 portions of Boseong black pork (nokdon) belly, 2 portions of jowl (kkotmoksal), steamed rice, soy sauce egg rice (ganjang gyeran-bap) and drinks.

What makes Cham Dwaejitgan's rice-husk smoked charcoal different?

What sets Cham Dwaejitgan apart from other BBQ places is right under the grill. Around the charcoal in the center, a thick layer of toasty rice husks is piled along the edge. As the fire rises, the husks smolder gently, and the natural smoke is said to remove any gamey smell from the meat and add its own flavor. The savory smoky aroma drifts up from the moment the grill is set.

Self-serve refill bar and side dishes

I like to eat lots of vegetables with my meat, and Cham Dwaejitgan has a clean, well-kept self-refill bar on one side. Scallion salad, cabbage salad, seasoned bean sprouts and kimchi, plus tangy pickles, fresh lettuce and perilla leaves, were all stocked so you can help yourself to as much as you like. So convenient.

Salt, ssamjang (dipping paste), spicy sauce and shiitake wasabi sauce add extra depth.

These are the basic side dishes. Minari (water dropwort), kimchi and bean sprouts go on the side grill.

How good is the Boseong pork belly and marbled pork neck?

Finally, the meat! The rosy color, the nice fat ratio and the freshness of the lean all say good quality at a glance. It's thick-cut too, so the chew should be great. The king oyster mushroom that comes with it is branded with the words "Cham Dwaejitgan rice-husk smoked charcoal direct grill", which was cute and gave a real signature feel. Shishito-style peppers and thinly sliced potatoes came too, which made grilling them fun.

When the meat hit the hot grill, it went "sizzle" and a delicious smell filled the air. The heat is strong, so the outside turned crisp and golden while the juices stayed locked inside.

Does Cham Dwaejitgan grill the meat for you?

Yes, the staff at Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch grill everything for you!!! The staff member looking after our table grilled it just right, so all we had to do was eat. Nobody gets tired from grilling, so everyone can enjoy together.

I dipped the first well-cooked piece lightly in salt, and the savory juices burst in my mouth with a subtle, toasty smokiness from the rice husks. It wasn't greasy at all, and the meat's own umami felt maximized.

On a fragrant perilla leaf I piled grilled minari and bean sprouts, sweet-and-spicy scallion salad, well-ripened kimchi, garlic and a generous dab of ssamjang, and ate it in one big wrap. The crunchy vegetables, juicy meat and tangy seasonings together filled my mouth with happiness.

Staff grilling the Korean BBQ from start to finish

Whether eaten plain or in a wrap, the meat is good quality and delicious either way.

Move fully cooked meat to the side grill so it doesn't burn.

Grilled vegetables and potato slices on the side grill

On the side of the grill, potato slices, mushrooms, kimchi, minari and bean sprouts were grilled together. The vegetables soaked up just enough meat fat, and their savory flavor was really good. The thin potatoes, grilled golden, were like crispy potato chips, a real treat.

Finishing with soy sauce egg rice and fried rice

The soy sauce egg rice my family ordered didn't come with just an egg on top; vegetables and seaweed were included too, which made it richer and more savory.

A potato slice topped with pickled garlic scapes for one wrap, then another wrapped with minari and scallion salad.

And we finished with fried rice! Fragrant with minari and sesame oil, and so savory.

We ate well and left full and happy! 😍

Review reward and convenience items

The review perk at Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch is your choice of a drink or fried rice. Naver reviews and Instagram can be combined, so be sure to ask for it when you visit.

Next to the counter there's a spot with convenience items, and all of these are available:

• Phone charging
• Hair ties
• Disposable aprons
• Plastic bags for clothes
• Children's tableware
• Wi-Fi password
• Dental floss and toothpicks
• Mouthwash (Garglin)
• Mints for freshening up
• Febreze

Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjungdong Branch: the verdict

• Clean, spacious restaurant, recommended for dates, family meals and company dinners alike
• Rice-husk smoked charcoal gives the meat a deep, savory smoky aroma with no gamey smell
• Fresh self-serve bar, plus grilled minari, bean sprouts and potato slices, for high satisfaction

If you want proper charcoal direct-grilled, juicy pork, I recommend visiting Cham Dwaejitgan in Bucheon at least once!