Toddler-friendly Korean BBQ lunch in Seocho, Seoul: Gyodaepae

Off we go ๑◕‿‿◕๑

Today my 17-month-old and I went on a campus tour of Seoul National University of Education. Gyodae is a great neighborhood for field trips with kids — there's the courthouse, the university, and more.

After a morning campus tour with my baby, we headed to lunch at Gyodaepae, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Gyodae Station. It's known for fresh, not frozen, thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck, and the owner has been running the place for 22 years, so you can really taste the experience.

Where is Gyodaepae, and is it easy with a baby?

Gyodaepae is at 1F, 23 Seochodae-ro 48-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, open Mon–Fri 11:30–23:00 and Sat 17:30–22:30, closed every Sunday. Parking is available at nearby paid lots.

• Known for fresh Korean-raised pork thin-sliced belly and neck, with savory meat and excellent side dishes
• Baby-friendly / no high chair / stroller access available

A morning campus walk at Seoul National University of Education

We toured the campus at Seoul National University of Education. There happened to be an AI exhibition too, so we looked at the artwork and soaked in the campus energy for the morning stretch of parenting.

Why lunchtime is the easiest time to bring a child to Gyodaepae

About a five-minute walk from Seoul National University of Education, we had lunch with the baby at Gyodaepae, a Korean BBQ restaurant near Gyodae Station. It's such a popular spot that it gets packed in the evenings, but visiting at lunch is much more comfortable with a kid. There's also a playground right in front of Gyodaepae, great for the little ones to run around.

What comes in the Gyodaepae set 500g for 43,000 won

Run by an owner who's been in the meat business for over 22 years, Gyodaepae keeps things simple and true to the basics. The fresh, never-frozen thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck taste even richer this way.

• Gyodaepae set 500g ₩43,000 — fresh chilled thin-sliced pork belly + fresh chilled thin-sliced pork neck + frozen thin-sliced pork belly
• Terra Light beer, 1 bottle ₩5,000
• Rice bowl, 1 serving ₩1,000

Free country-style soybean paste soup and pickled side dishes

A hearty, savory soybean paste soup comes free with the meal. It's not the MSG-heavy kind — it tastes like real homemade napa cabbage soybean paste soup. This complimentary soup from Gyodaepae was so good I just drank it down.

The classic pickled side dishes that always go with thin-sliced pork belly and neck were on point. Scallion salad, sliced radish salad, aged kimchi — you could tell the owner has real skill. Kind of like a Baek Jong-won vibe, honestly. The seasoning ratio on the salads was spot on.

With thin-sliced pork, rice isn't optional — it's required.

The original frozen thin-sliced pork belly also comes with the set. The meat-to-fat ratio is a perfect 5:5. Pork belly is all about that rich, fatty flavor, and just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Gyodaepae's signature: fresh chilled thin-sliced pork belly and neck

And now, Gyodaepae's signature meat lineup arrives. Never-frozen, fresh chilled thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck, all sliced thin. Once you try the fresh version, you won't go back to frozen.

My 17-month-old finished the fresh chilled pork neck on her own

My 17-month-old finished off the fresh chilled thin-sliced pork neck all on her own. Usually when it's just the two of us at a BBQ place, I have to order at least three servings to fill her up. This cut has almost no fat, so it's perfect for feeding a baby. And because it's sliced so thin, it gets even more savory when grilled — definitely different from regular pork neck.

Today, once again, it was a chaotic meal — grilling meat for my kid while making sure she didn't get too close to the grill — but honestly, it's healing for me too, in its own way. If your baby loves meat, definitely try feeding them fresh chilled thin-sliced pork neck. She'll eat it up. It helps that she's at the stage where she can pick up small pieces herself once I cut them up.

Next up: Korean chilled thin-sliced pork belly on the grill

Finally, my turn to eat the fresh chilled thin-sliced pork belly at Gyodaepae, the Korean BBQ restaurant near Gyodae Station. Personally, I don't eat imported thin-sliced pork belly because of the distinctive smell. Even though it costs a bit more, I only occasionally have domestic thin-sliced pork, and Gyodaepae's chilled version is especially delicious. Any thin-sliced pork enthusiast would agree.

My spouse loves thin-sliced pork belly, and this reminded me of them. Can you feel that golden, savory aroma just looking at it?

Eating it with those skillfully made Baek Jong-won-style side dishes is amazing. I really wanted soju, but I compromised with myself and had beer instead. Thin-sliced pork belly with scallion salad, radish salad, bean sprouts, and raw garlic is always the right combo. This is the flavor that makes the morning of parenting fly by.

Frozen thin-sliced pork belly with Gyodaepae's house sauce

The Gyodaepae set also comes with frozen thin-sliced pork belly. Dip it in Gyodaepae's homemade special sauce and — wow, there's a reason this place is famous. It sticks to the basics but clearly knows exactly what pairings work.

I usually do fine without carbs, but because of my kid, I always end up ordering a bowl of rice at restaurants. She eats only meat when we're having BBQ and barely touches the rice, so today, even though I was full, I dutifully finished off her leftover rice. Thin-sliced pork with plain white rice is just the truth.

After lunch: the playground right outside Gyodaepae

With a hearty lunch done, it's time to start the afternoon of parenting. There's a playground right in front of Gyodaepae, so we wandered around to help digest. How does fresh chilled thin-sliced pork belly and neck paired with cold beer sound for lunch? Come try that flavor for yourself at Gyodaepae.