Gyodae Station Korean BBQ with radish salad pork neck wraps: Gyodaepae

Here comes a first-hand account from a place I actually visited!!!! It's an honest, genuinely-delicious review, so you can trust me, haha.

What kind of Korean BBQ restaurant is Gyodaepae near Gyodae Station?

Gyodaepae (교대패) is a Korean BBQ restaurant deep in an alley off Seocho-daero 48-gil, specializing in chilled, fresh thin-sliced hanu-grade Korean pork (daepae, thin-sliced pork belly). A sign reading "22-year meat master" hangs outside. After work, my friends and I were hunting for good-value grilled pork around Seocho, and that sign's presence pulled us into Gyodaepae!!!!

It stands out in the alley with a cool, clean sky-blue sign, so even as first-timers we found it right away, haha. A specialist in chilled fresh thin-sliced pork? I was excited before we even walked in!!!!

What are the atmosphere and ventilation like at Gyodaepae?

Inside, Gyodaepae has round tables with a retro pub vibe and a tidy interior, and the ventilation is so good there's almost no smoke or smell. Step in and you're greeted by cozy, friendly round tables with real old-school drinking-house charm!!!! The ventilation is really strong too, so there's no meat smoke or smell inside, just pure comfort!!!!

Even early on a weekday evening it was packed with office workers already out for a drink, a totally lively hot spot!!!! (I don't live in this neighborhood, haha. I made the trip just to check the quality of this thin-sliced pork!!!!)

What comes in the 43,000-won Gyodaepae Set?

The Gyodaepae Set is the signature menu: for ₩43,000 you get chilled fresh thin-sliced pork belly, chilled fresh thin-sliced pork neck and regular thin-sliced pork belly. Once you sit, a cauldron-lid pan and the basic side dishes are set out neatly. Just look at this!!!!

After much deliberation we ordered the Gyodaepae Set (₩43,000), the ultimate signature menu, haha. Chilled fresh thin-sliced pork belly, chilled fresh thin-sliced pork neck and regular thin-sliced pork belly, a generous, perfectly good-value combination!!!!

Then the meat made its entrance: gorgeous bright-pink thin-sliced pork belly and thickly cut chilled pork neck!!!! Maybe because it's chilled, fresh meat, it looks so juicy, a real class apart, haha. It comes neatly arranged on a wooden board and the look is a shock!!!! I almost forgot to take photos, but I pulled myself together and got them!!!!

How do you grill Gyodaepae's thin-sliced pork on a cauldron lid?

At Gyodaepae you lay the thin-sliced pork on the heated cauldron-lid pan and grill napa cabbage kimchi, bean sprouts and raw garlic on one side. I arranged the meat nicely on the hot pan, and on one side went tangy, spicy, well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi and bean sprouts,

and then raw garlic goes on to grill too!!!! The thin, tender pork belly sizzles and turns golden, and it just assaults your brain, haha. Pick up a well-cooked slice, roll it in scallion salad and take one big bite, and the chewy, nutty juices

burst in your mouth. Truly art!!!! The kimchi here is properly aged, mukeunji style, the real deal, and it pairs perfectly with the fatty pork belly!!!!

What is on the Gyodaepae self-serve bar?

The Gyodaepae self-serve bar is stocked with lettuce, perilla leaves, chili peppers, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), raw garlic, scallion salad, kimchi and seasoned bean sprouts. Here's the self-serve bar in a solo shot!!!! Fresh lettuce and perilla leaves, chilies, ssamjang and raw garlic, plus scallion salad, kimchi and seasoned bean sprouts, all packed in so cleanly and hygienically that I was truly moved, haha.

Free stone-pot dried radish greens doenjang soup

The real standout at Gyodaepae was the stone-pot sirae doenjang soup (dried radish greens in soybean paste soup)!!!! It arrives bubbling, with a rich soybean paste base and tender radish greens packed in generously, so the broth is deep and a little spicy, and I loved it!!!! Take a spoonful in the middle of the meat and the greasiness melts away like snow, haha.

Best combo at Gyodaepae: radish salad pork neck wraps

The best combo at Gyodaepae is to put garlic and chili into the free radish side dish (musaengchae, spicy radish salad) and wrap it with golden grilled pork neck in a leaf. I found my own special combo to enjoy this place at 200%!!!! Pack tangy, spicy, crunchy radish salad with sharp garlic and chili into a wrap with golden grilled pork neck, and it's absolutely mind-blowing!!!! (I'm not related to the owner at all, haha.)

The kimchi and bean sprouts grilled at the pan's edge, soaking up pork fat, are totally overpowered as rice side dishes!!!! Every side dish had real homemade flavor, which I loved!!!!

Staff service and restrooms at Gyodaepae

The staff were really quick and, even while busy, thoughtfully brought whatever we needed, so I was very satisfied!!!! The restrooms inside are separate for men and women, very clean and well kept, the best!!!!

Gyodaepae parking and directions from Gyodae Station

Gyodaepae is a very short walk from Exit 14 of Gyodae Station, so I recommend public transit. Because it's in the Beopjo Town alley of Seocho-dong, parking can be limited or crowded, so if you're driving, I strongly suggest calling the restaurant before you go!!!!

Gyodaepae visit info at a glance

• Name: Gyodaepae (교대패)
• Address: 23 Seocho-daero 48-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor)
• Getting there: In an alley near Gyodae Station (Lines 2 and 3), a short walk from Exit 14
• Menu eaten: Gyodaepae Set (chilled fresh thin-sliced pork belly + chilled fresh thin-sliced pork neck + thin-sliced pork belly) / ₩43,000
• Features: Thin-sliced pork specialist by a 22-year meat master, cauldron-lid grilling, free sirae doenjang soup, self-serve bar