Baby-friendly Saturday lunch at a Jongno Korean BBQ: Cham Dwaejitgan

Hi everyone! I have to go to Seoul every weekend for work! But last weekend my husband and baby surprised me by coming to pick me up 🥹 So I had some extra time, and since it was right around lunchtime, I looked up good restaurants near Hansung University and ended up heading to Jongno3-ga!

It was only about a 15-minute drive, so it was close, and when I looked it up, it turned out to be famous in Jongno3-ga both for grilling the meat for you and for using quality meat!

Where is Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is located at 1 Donhwamun-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 1st floor of the CGV Piccadilly theater, unit 1-89. It's open daily from 12:00 to 23:00, and phone reservations are accepted.

The entrance is outside the building, not inside. It's right next to a Tom N Toms coffee shop!

Cham Dwaejitgan — meat quality you can trust!

Located near an exit of Jongno3-ga Station, Cham Dwaejitgan was already packed with customers from lunchtime! We arrived a bit past 1pm on a Saturday, and not long after, the whole place filled up!

I'd recommend calling ahead or booking through Catch Table before you go!

A 40–50 pyeong hall that also works for dates and group dinners

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch's dining hall alone is about 40–50 pyeong, a spacious pork belly restaurant with wide tables and comfortable chairs throughout — it's the kind of place and layout that anyone would enjoy, whether it's a date or a group work dinner!

Jirisan black pork and Boseong nokdon in the meat fridge by the door

Here's why Cham Dwaejitgan is famous as a pork belly restaurant in Jongno — the meat quality! 🐷 They really do use high-quality Jiri-san black pork and Boseong nokdon pork, and right as you walk in, there's a meat-only fridge that shows you just how good the meat looks! It kind of feels like they put it right at the entrance because they're that confident, haha.

The splatter-free grill that makes dining with a baby easy

We ordered Boseong nokdon cham samgyeopsal and kkotmokssal, plus mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) and fried rice on the side! Cham Dwaejitgan grills over real charcoal and uses a specially made grill designed not to splatter oil — it really didn't, and I remember it being comfortable the whole time we were eating!

If you're on a date and want to eat neatly, or bringing a baby and worried about oil splattering everywhere — this completely takes care of that worry, haha.

Pork belly with domestic minari (water dropwort) — what a combination!

Korean-grown minari, bean sprouts and kimchi on the side

If you're looking for a pork belly spot in Jongno3-ga, minari has to be part of the perfect combo, right?! And Cham Dwaejitgan uses only fresh, domestic minari! Eating the minari-samgyeopsal combo again after a while was so good, and the kimchi and seasoned bean sprouts are also insanely good, so definitely pair them together! 👍🏻♥️

Whew... the amazing ratio of lean meat to fat really lives up to being a top-tier pork belly spot in Jongno,,,♥️ You really have to try the juiciness and tenderness for yourself.

A Korean BBQ where the staff grill every cut for you

Writing this on an empty stomach is making it worse, haha. It's extra painful because I know exactly how it tastes 🥹 They grill mushrooms, kkwarigochu (mild green peppers), and potatoes right along with the meat, and the staff take care of all the grilling for you! Honestly, for samgyeopsal you should always go to a place where they grill it for you!!! Because it really does taste different when the pros do it,,,

Whew... the cold mul naengmyeon with icy slush paired with a bite of samgyeopsal — I don't even need to say more...♥️ The noodles are chewy and the fragrant, crunchy cucumber refreshes your palate, so the pork belly just keeps going in.

Now — all that's left is to eat the finished samgyeopsal with minari, bean sprouts, and kimchi however you like...!!!!

Potatoes grilled with the pork, then mild fried rice to finish

Definitely try the potatoes they grill alongside the meat here, haha. They're nutty and crispy like potato chips, so good! 🥔

And Koreans would be disappointed if you didn't finish with fried rice, right?... Instead of frying it loaded with pork belly fat, it's made lighter and more health-conscious, with a nice, light, nutty flavor, so I'd recommend trying that too ♥️