Nonhyeon Station Korean BBQ: angelica and napa wrap self-bar, Daepae

I'm often thinking, "I wish there were plenty of wrap vegetables to go with my meat." Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch (대패마켙 강남논현점), where I went this time, fit that taste really well. The thin-sliced pork belly is ₩4,900 per 100g and the self-bar is ₩2,000 per person, and I could take as many wrap vegetables and grillable vegetables as I wanted. With my favorite angelica leaves, napa cabbage wraps and even king oyster mushrooms, eating the meat was even more fun.

What kind of Korean BBQ restaurant is Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch?

Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Nonhyeon-dong that sells thin-sliced pork belly (daepae samgyeopsal) by weight. Even the name made me smile. It instantly says "thin pork belly place," but they spell "market" in a quirky way (마켙 instead of 마켓), which made me look twice. After eating, though, what stuck with me more than the name was the self-bar. For someone like me who eats lots of vegetables with meat, it was a welcome find.

The tables at Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch have a wide grill, so I could cook the meat and lots of side items together. Thin pork belly on its own is great, but adding mushrooms, vegetables and kimchi made it even more fun to eat. If you always order the same combination at Korean BBQ restaurants, mixing in this much variety makes the meal feel richer.

How much is thin pork belly at Daepae Market?

The ₩4,900 for thin pork belly at Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is per 100g. You pay for the meat by the amount you order, and the self-bar is a separate ₩2,000 per person, so think of the meat price and the self-bar fee together. It helps to check the weight basis on the menu too. I liked that the basis was clearly visible when choosing what to order.

The menu also had rice and other meal items besides meat. But what I especially loved that day was being able to pair wrap vegetables and grilled vegetables with the meat in so many ways. Instead of wondering what else to order, I found myself checking out the self-bar first and picking up my favorite ingredients.

What's on the ₩2,000-per-person self-bar?

I used the self-bar at Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch for ₩2,000 per person. That doesn't mean the meat is all-you-can-eat; it's a setup where you take the vegetables and side dishes prepared at the self-bar. There are not only wrap vegetables but also ingredients you can grill on the grill, so if you want to eat meat and vegetables together, I think you'll like it.

I was really happy that the self-bar had angelica leaves (danggwi). I love their distinctive aroma, and wrapped around meat, the flavor changes completely, right? It's not just lettuce and perilla leaves, so being able to pick the vegetables I like made using the self-bar fun. It was great for switching up vegetables with each bite of meat.

I had onions too. I like how vegetables grilled alongside meat change in flavor and texture as they cook. I prefer eating mushrooms or onions here and there over eating only meat. I liked that I didn't have to fill the grill with just one kind of meat.

There was also a side like a salad with corn. A bite of this between pieces of grilled meat gives you a different flavor, doesn't it? I could take a little of each, then bring back more of whatever suited me, so it felt like putting together a table just for me.

With the wrap vegetables, onions, side dishes and sauces I'd gathered, the table quickly filled up. I was glad to see the napa cabbage wraps too. Buying them separately can sometimes make you conscious of the price, but at Daepae Market you can have plenty alongside your meat, which was nice. Having favorite vegetables like angelica and napa cabbage was quite a big plus.

How the thin pork belly is served and how to grill it

The thin pork belly at Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch came on a plate in rolled-up curls. Seeing the meat piled up put me in a good mood just thinking about eating it. Thinly sliced pork belly has a different charm from thick cuts. Spread it out to grill, split it into bite-size portions and eat it in a wrap, and the nutty richness really comes through.

I spread the meat out on the grill. Once the thin pork belly turned golden as it cooked, it was great eaten as is, and it also went well wrapped with my favorite vegetables. Adding the aroma and crisp crunch of vegetables to the richness of the pork made it fun to keep changing up combinations as I ate.

I also brought grillable mushrooms, like king oyster mushrooms, from the self-bar. On the grill I cooked mushrooms, garlic, kimchi and more together with the meat. Moving from meat to mushrooms changes the chew, which I liked. Being able to eat this many side items freely was what I liked about the self-bar.

I ate the meat that was cooked first and grilled vegetables next to it, so the lineup on the grill kept changing. I liked pairing mushrooms with thin pork belly cooked until crisp and nutty. I ate onions along with it and added wrap vegetables in between, so even the same meat never got boring.

I put vegetables on the grill too. Eating them raw in a wrap and eating them grilled on the side feel different, right? Eating meat and vegetables together made each bite fuller. I liked splitting it up: angelica as a wrap to enjoy the aroma, mushrooms grilled.

Angelica wraps vs napa cabbage wraps: how I ate each

The taste of a piece of thin pork belly changes depending on which vegetable you wrap it in. With angelica, the aroma comes up, and with a napa cabbage wrap I loved the crisp, crunchy bite. I didn't have to ration the wrap vegetables and could take as much as I wanted, which suited me really well.

I picked meat off the grill, added vegetables, and ate grilled mushrooms and kimchi along with it. At Daepae Market, the amount of meat was good, but the variety of things to eat with it made it even more enjoyable. Instead of eating just one kind of wrap over and over, I picked what I felt like, and that made my time eating meat even better.

Tips for using the Daepae Market self-bar

At the self-bar, rather than loading up too much at the start, it seemed better to bring a little at a time and go back for more of whatever runs short. Even in the middle of the meal I could add side dishes and vegetables I liked. Being able to enjoy plenty of the ingredients you love is the whole advantage of a self-bar.

Eating nutty thin pork belly with vegetables was satisfying. It wasn't that I'd just found a place that's cheap; it suited my taste for enjoying meat and wrap vegetables together, which made me like it more. Especially because of the angelica and napa cabbage wraps, I wanted to tell friends who love vegetables about it.

Is Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch open 24 hours?

Another plus is that Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is open 24 hours. On days when mealtimes are awkward or you want meat late, it's a place you can think of. I liked the meat and self-bar lineup this time, and the long operating hours on top of that make it worth remembering. Before visiting, it's a good idea to check the day's operating notice.

The ₩4,900-per-100g thin pork belly at Daepae Market Gangnam Nonhyeon Branch is good, but what stuck with me most was the ₩2,000-per-person self-bar. Having plenty of vegetables like angelica, napa cabbage wraps and king oyster mushrooms alongside the meat was satisfying. The name is fun and the meal was fun too, so I'd recommend it for days in Nonhyeon when you want to enjoy meat and vegetables together.