# Jongno Korean BBQ by Tapgol Park: Chowon Restaurant

- By Seonwoo (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-soup-ladle/)
- Written Sep 13, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-soup-ladle/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-soup-ladle/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/index.md)

## In short

Chowon Restaurant is a Korean barbecue restaurant beside Tapgol Park in Jongno, Seoul. I grilled quick-frozen pork belly with kimchi and gosari, then finished with brisket soybean paste stew and rice for 65,000 won. Verdict: a great match for a lively old-Seoul street-table night rather than a quiet dinner.

## Good to know

- **Quick-frozen pork belly**: 180g ₩18,000
- **Kkosup beef brisket**: 150g ₩20,000
- **Beef brisket soybean paste stew**: ₩8,000
- **Steamed rice**: ₩1,000
- **Order**: 2 servings quick-frozen pork belly, 1 serving brisket, stew, and rice; ₩65,000 for meat and meal
- **Location**: 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Tapgol Park

*as written by the visitor on Sep 13, 2026*

![Jongno 3-ga alley near Tapgol Park](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-01-gwq5r-900.webp)

## A Jongno 3-ga street-table find along the Tapgol Park wall

When you walk around Jongno 3-ga, there are alleys that are strangely hard to pass by. Walking alongside the wall of Tapgol Park, I caught the smell of grilling meat, then started spotting red chairs and tables one by one. A little farther on, people were gathered around outdoor tables grilling pork belly. This was Chowon Restaurant (초원식당), known as a good spot in Jongno 3-ga.

You can feel the character of this neighborhood from a single photo. Tapgol Park’s wall is on the right, while outdoor tables from small restaurants continue along the left. It is central Seoul, but a completely different scene from the shiny major commercial districts. Today, this old-Seoul atmosphere appealed to me more than a pretty interior. If you are looking for Jongno street-table dining, the atmosphere already passes.

![Chowon Restaurant street tables beside the Tapgol Park wall](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-02-kg8pz-900.webp)

The first thing I noticed upon arriving at Chowon Restaurant was, of course, the outdoor street tables. There is seating inside too, but tables stretch out in front of the restaurant’s wide-open doors, directly facing the Tapgol Park wall. By evening, it was lively enough that people were more noticeable than empty seats. Just after 6 p.m., there was a queue at the front, and the restaurant was full as the staff moved busily about. Even so, their friendly service stood out.

![Evening queue outside Chowon Restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-03-1enb9-900.webp)

![Chowon Restaurant outdoor tables and storefront](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-04-1y8j0-900.webp)

Lots of restaurants deliberately create a retro mood these days, but this place felt a little different. The red chairs, tables, smoke rising from the grill, and people passing right in front of you—it was not manufactured retro. Jongno itself was what created the mood. So if you are looking for Jongno street-table dining or a Tapgol Park street-table spot, it is worth choosing this place for the atmosphere as well as the food.

![Street-table seating facing the Tapgol Park wall](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-05-4dveo-900.webp)

Personally, this photo captures Chowon Restaurant’s atmosphere best that day. From the table, you can see the Tapgol Park wall directly ahead, with people constantly walking between. It is the complete opposite of a quiet, private meal. Instead, it feels like you are sitting right in the middle of an ordinary Seoul evening.

## Chowon Restaurant’s menu and what I ordered

Looking over the menu, I paused for a moment to decide where to start.

![Chowon Restaurant meat menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-06-4uoyj-900.webp)

The menu has a fairly broad selection of meat, from quick-frozen pork belly and quick-frozen beef belly to Korean beef striploin and beef brisket. At the time of my visit, quick-frozen pork belly was ₩18,000 for 180g, Kkosup beef brisket was ₩20,000 for 150g, beef brisket soybean paste stew was ₩8,000, and steamed rice was ₩1,000.

- 2 servings quick-frozen pork belly: ₩36,000
- 1 serving Kkosup beef brisket: ₩20,000
- Beef brisket soybean paste stew: ₩8,000
- Steamed rice: ₩1,000
- Total for the meat and meal only: ₩65,000

I had wanted Korean beef in this street-table setting for the first time in a while, but it was already sold out, which was a shame. I plan to try it next time. Prices and menu items are based on the time of my visit and may change.

## From the banchan to quick-frozen pork belly on the grill

Even the banchan (Korean side dishes) made me think, “I should grill these together.”

![Meat side dishes including kimchi and gosari](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-07-1ir42-900.webp)

Before the meat arrived, I looked over the banchan: kimchi, gosari (bracken fern stems), seasoned scallions, lettuce, garlic, chili peppers, and ssamjang dipping paste. It is not a flashy spread, but it includes exactly the things that go well with meat. The kimchi and gosari especially caught my eye. A little later, both would really do their job on the grill.

### First up: two servings of quick-frozen pork belly

![Two servings of Chowon Restaurant quick-frozen pork belly](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-08-1lqis-900.webp)

The first course was quick-frozen pork belly. The thin slices showed layers of fat and lean meat. It is a different way of eating from thick, aged pork belly from the start.

![Quick-frozen pork belly grilling on the griddle](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-09-fy76e-900.webp)

The moment it hit the grill, it started sizzling. Since the meat is thin, the wait is not long. I sprinkled on a little pepper and started grilling; as the surface cooked quickly, the fat began to render. Do not wait too long here. Personally, I liked it when the edges had just turned lightly golden.

For the first piece, I tried the meat on its own. Thinly grilled, it did not feel heavy, and the nutty flavor from the fat came through first. It goes in a slightly different direction from the juicy bite of thick pork belly. It is better described as pork belly that is fun to grill quickly and pick up piece by piece. But the real fun that day started here.

### What if you grill kimchi and gosari together?

![Wedge kimchi grilling in pork belly fat](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-10-hz3zm-1200.webp)

When the pork belly started releasing its fat, I put a wedge of kimchi on one side of the grill. Fresh kimchi is good too, but kimchi grilled in pork fat is almost cheating. The meat turned golden while the kimchi gradually softened and cooked around the edges.

![Pork belly, kimchi, and gosari together on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-11-8ansc-900.webp)

Then in went the gosari that had arrived as a side dish. From this point, the grill looked pretty fantastic. As the kimchi and gosari cooked together in the rendered pork fat, the grill became a completely different spread.

> Do not eat the quick-frozen pork belly alone—grill it with kimchi and gosari. Personally, this was the combination I remembered most from Chowon Restaurant that day.

![Pork belly with grilled kimchi and gosari](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-12-1gj3y-900.webp)

![A bite of pork belly, kimchi, and gosari](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-13-lb4mj-900.webp)

I tried a piece of pork belly with grilled kimchi and gosari piled on top. The meat’s nuttiness, the kimchi’s tang, and the gosari’s texture came through one after another. Lettuce wraps were good too, but I actually preferred eating these three together just as they were. It was the kind of combination that sent my chopsticks back to the grill after every bite. This was the BEST bite of the day.

## Finishing with Kkosup brisket and soybean paste stew

### Second: Kkosup beef brisket

![One serving of Chowon Restaurant Kkosup beef brisket](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-14-2hxim-900.webp)

After the pork belly, I ordered one serving of Kkosup beef brisket. As its name suggests, brisket’s appeal is its nutty richness. It is thin, so it does not need much time on the grill either. After pork belly, I wondered if it might feel a little heavy, but its different texture and flavor made it go down naturally. If you are choosing an order, quick-frozen pork belly followed by brisket worked well for us.

### And the final course after meat is, of course, soybean paste stew

![Beef brisket soybean paste stew in an earthenware pot](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-15-1odfu-900.webp)

When you are eating meat, you eventually wonder: “Should we get soybean paste stew too?” To give the conclusion first, I was glad I ordered it that day. The beef brisket soybean paste stew arrived piping hot in its ttukbaegi (earthenware pot), and its bubbling appearance alone made me want rice.

![Beef brisket soybean paste stew with steamed rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-16-foxd2-900.webp)

So I added a bowl of rice too. I ate them separately at first, then ended up adding rice to the stew little by little. After the meat, warm soybean paste broth with rice made the meal finally feel complete. At Chowon Restaurant, I would personally recommend this order: quick-frozen pork belly → kimchi and gosari → brisket → beef brisket soybean paste stew plus rice. Even when you are full, somehow you keep taking one more spoonful.

## A Jongno night as memorable as the food

But the most memorable part of Chowon Restaurant was not just the food. I was satisfied with the meat itself, but after looking back at the photos, something else stayed with me most: Jongno at night. Tapgol Park is right in front, and people move through the alley. Meat cooks at neighboring tables, and conversation rises from every direction. The meal felt complete only with the experience of grilling pork belly while sitting in the middle of it all.

![Chowon Restaurant street-table dining beside Tapgol Park at night](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-17-h30wj-900.webp)

That is why it feels a little insufficient to introduce this simply as a restaurant with good pork belly. Chowon Restaurant’s appeal may be 50 percent meat and 50 percent Jongno atmosphere.

> In Jongno, sometimes you end up eating the atmosphere of the alley along with the food.

## Who would I recommend Chowon Restaurant to?

It would suit people who want meat and a drink after work in Jongno 3-ga; those who prefer the mood of an old Seoul alley to a neat franchise; anyone looking for Jongno or Tapgol Park street-table dining; and people seeking an easy dinner after a date in Ikseon-dong or Jongno 3-ga.

Start with quick-frozen pork belly, grill the kimchi and gosari alongside it, then move on to brisket. Finish with beef brisket soybean paste stew and rice.

However, it may not suit a day when you want a quiet restaurant, a private setting, or leisurely fine dining. The appeal of street-table dining ultimately includes the bustle.

![Chowon Restaurant visit summary](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-18-1fzua-900.webp)

## 30-second summary

- 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, near Jongno 3-ga and Tapgol Park
- Quick-frozen pork belly 180g ₩18,000 / Kkosup beef brisket 150g ₩20,000
- Beef brisket soybean paste stew ₩8,000 / steamed rice ₩1,000
- MY PICK: quick-frozen pork belly + grilled kimchi + gosari
- POINT: Jongno street-table atmosphere right beside Tapgol Park
- Prices are based on the restaurant menu at the time of my visit.

There are so many restaurants in Jongno 3-ga. But when I think of places I want to return to, it is not always just the taste of the food that I remember. Some places leave you with the weather of that day, the view of the alley, the people sitting with you, and the sound of meat cooking on the grill all at once. Chowon Restaurant was that kind of place for me.

Take a seat beside the Tapgol Park wall, grill quick-frozen pork belly, add kimchi and gosari, then finish with a spoonful of rice in hot soybean paste stew. It is not flashy, but it somehow fits Jongno perfectly. If you are looking for a restaurant in Jongno 3-ga and want to enjoy not only the food but also “an evening in Jongno,” Chowon Restaurant is worth remembering.

![Closing view of Chowon Restaurant in Jongno 3-ga](https://img.superchart.com/images/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq/jongno-chowon-frozen-pork-bbq-19-1eb9c-900.webp)

## Where it is

- Chowon Restaurant Jongno 3-ga Branch (초원식당 종로3가점)
- 1F, 30 Jongno 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당)
- 서울특별시 종로구 종로17길 30 1층 초원식당
- 37.5717479, 126.9887101
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B4%88%EC%9B%90%EC%8B%9D%EB%8B%B9%20%EC%A2%85%EB%A1%9C3%EA%B0%80%EC%A0%90/@37.5717479,126.9887101,17z

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