Magok Korean BBQ with free corkage wine: black pork belly ogyeopsal

There are so many BBQ restaurants around Balsan Station. It's definitely an area known for good meat, and I think what completes the taste is not just the meat quality but who grills it and how. Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch, which I visited this time, was pretty impressive in that sense. Let me introduce it.

Where is Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch, and when is it open?

Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch

247 Gonghang-daero, 1st Floor 115-B, 116, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Queens Park Nine C-dong) 80m from Balsan Station Exit 9

Mon–Sat 16:00–02:30 Closed every Sunday

I visited on a Friday evening, and as time went on the place got so busy it was nearly full — the vibe was great. It's roughly halfway between Magok and Balsan, so it's easy to get to, and the tables were comfortable, making it a great spot for a company dinner if you're looking for a good BBQ restaurant near Balsan Station. There actually seemed to be some office dinner groups there too.

What we ordered at Chamdwaejitgan and what it cost

About 10 minutes after ordering, they quickly got the charcoal ready. What we ordered that day was two servings of black pork belly, one serving of Boseong Nokdon pork belly, and Jirisan arrowroot bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles).

First, the black pork belly had a really good fat-to-meat ratio. It kept the chewy texture that's characteristic of pork belly without the fat feeling excessive, and as you ate it a subtle smoky aroma came through, giving it a slightly different charm from regular pork belly.

At first I thought the per-serving price seemed a little high, but after actually eating it, considering the meat quality plus the grilling service, the price made sense.

• Black pork belly ₩19,000 × 2
• Boseong Nokdon pork belly ₩16,000
• Jirisan arrowroot bibim naengmyeon ₩7,000
• Drinks ₩2,000

The grilling service: staff cook the pork to the last piece

That golden-brown color on the pork belly..𖤐 Personally, one thing I care a lot about at a BBQ restaurant is comfort throughout the meal. At Chamdwaejitgan, since the staff grill the meat for you directly, we could focus on chatting with each other and eat at a relaxed pace.

Free corkage at Chamdwaejitgan, so we brought white wine

Since corkage is free, we brought our own white wine to drink alongside the meal. Free wine corkage at a pork BBQ restaurant — very good news for a wine newbie like me.

Potato ssam and the self-serve bar

Along with the meat, they carefully grilled minari (water dropwort), bean sprouts, kimchi, and even potatoes — the potato ssam (wrap) in particular was a real delicacy.🥔🥔

Potato and pork belly — how could that combo not be good. A bite of meat with a golden-grilled slice of potato went surprisingly well together. It was also great that there was a self-serve bar, so we could freely grab whatever side dishes or vegetables we needed.

Ventilation that keeps the smoke smell off your clothes

Another thing I really liked was the ventilation system. Even though it's a BBQ restaurant, almost no meat smell lingered on our clothes after the meal. It's disappointing when you eat delicious meat but leave smelling like it too — this place clearly paid attention to that detail.

Finishing with Jirisan arrowroot bibim naengmyeon

We finished with Jirisan arrowroot bibim naengmyeon, which I hadn't had in a while. The chewy, arrowroot-colored noodles combined with the tangy-spicy sauce made for a perfect ending〰️

Black pork belly vs Boseong Nokdon pork belly: which was better?

I said the Boseong Nokdon pork belly was tastier, while my boyfriend said the black pork belly was better. The meat quality itself was good on both, so I think it really comes down to personal taste. I voted for the pork belly that was light yet savory. I especially loved the attentiveness (?) of them continuously refilling the minari to grill in time with the meat, and the service of them carefully grilling even an extra order all the way through. On top of that, being able to pair it with wine thanks to free corkage was very satisfying! If you want to enjoy pork belly with wine, this could be a pretty satisfying choice.

Good meat, perfect grilling, plus free corkage and pleasant ventilation on top. If you're looking for a good BBQ restaurant near Balsan Station where they grill it all for you properly, I strongly recommend Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch!

The lingering trace of smoke, the savoriness of Nokdon pork. Quite a good duo.