Namyangju outdoor Korean BBQ with two dogs, no carrier: 2002 Witch's

Short as autumn is, we had to make the most of it, so on a weekend I went on a drive near Seoul with a friend couple and their two dogs. While looking for a restaurant that could accommodate the dogs, I found a place that doesn't even require a carrier — and it even has outdoor seating by a valley. This is a 10000% would-visit-again spot ⭐

Where 2002 Witch's Arpeggio is and when it opens

• Address: 142 Suryero 661beon-gil, Wabu-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (Mondays close at 20:30)
• Parking: Available (free)
• 🐶 Dog-friendly (no carrier needed)

Witch's Arpeggio is near Myojeoksa Valley in Namyangju, surrounded by trees with a lovely autumn atmosphere. The valley is right in front, so it's cool and refreshing — exactly the vacation feeling I was looking for.

The parking lot is huge too, so no worries there! The mountains are still green, but I can't even imagine how good the vibe will be once the leaves turn ⭐

This is the valley that runs right alongside the outdoor tables at this Namyangju restaurant. Eating pork belly while listening to the sound of the creek — I know I'll keep thinking about this all fall!

Outdoor tables by the creek and the indoor dining room

Witch's Arpeggio is known for its tomato-jang pork belly, so apparently there's a line even before opening. We booked ahead just in case!

The valley-view outdoor tables look like this! There are umbrellas too, so you can eat comfortably. Seeing the fallen autumn leaves really made it feel like fall was arriving 🍁 The food is great, but this place is also perfect for a fall outing.

There are also outdoor tables on the other side of the building facing the mountain — I think those will be even better once the leaves change.

The inside of Arpeggio is also very spacious. It's not outdoor seating, but both sides are open, so the cool autumn breeze flows through and it feels just as nice!

There's also a space inside separated by a small door, which seemed great for family or group gatherings.

What we ordered at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio and what it cost

• Witch's Jar Cheese Tomato-jang Pork Belly (Just a Bad Guy): ₩25,000
• Witch's Crispy-Outside Chewy-Inside Potato Pancake: ₩25,000
• Pollock Roe Stone-Pot Fried Rice: ₩5,000

Witch's Arpeggio serves a really special menu item — tomato-jang pork belly! I've had gochujang (red pepper paste) pork belly before, but tomato-jang was a first for me 🍅 At first I wondered if it would even taste good, but after one bite, all four of us agreed we could never go back to gochujang pork belly....❤️

Inside the restaurant there were tons of jars with pork belly aging in tomato-jang. I wanted to take one home and eat it myself 😆

Side dishes: japchae, tomato kimchi, acorn buckwheat crepes, perilla leaves in oil

It wasn't long before the side dishes came out.

First, the staff kindly explained that the japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) should be eaten while warm. And it's refillable as much as you want!

This is tomato kimchi, and it really had a unique flavor. It's tomato, but it tastes like kimchi, and it was so clean and refreshing!

The wrap vegetables were all fresh too.

Acorn buckwheat crepes for wrapping the tomato-jang pork belly! At first they only bring out as many as there are people, but these are also unlimited refills. I assumed there'd be an extra charge, but nope — I was touched 😭

And the real kicker: the perilla leaf oil sauce. I think I refilled this about five times. It's for topping the tomato-jang pork belly, and I really want the recipe ㅠㅠ It's so good.

Each table kindly has instructions on how to eat it the best way, so once you read through those, the tomato-jang pork belly finally arrives ❤️

Cheese tomato-jang pork belly for four — Just a Bad Guy, Shin Ramyun spice level

It looks like gochujang pork belly, but it's tomato-jang! I was so curious about the taste. We ordered 4 servings, so what's on top is only part of it — about half a tray more was waiting below.

On top of the tomato-jang pork belly are scallions and bean sprouts in the middle, and mushrooms on top ⭐ The tomato-jang itself isn't very spicy — I think the pepperoncino flakes sprinkled on top let you adjust the spice level (my guess!).

By the way, apparently the paper underneath isn't oil paper but traditional premium hanji (Korean mulberry paper). Even the small details show this Namyangju restaurant's dedication to food..!

The staff handle all the grilling, so all we had to do was enjoy eating.

They cut it nicely and arranged it too ❤️ The staff were so kind. They even doted on our dogs and explained everything well.

Eating with two dogs at the table, no carrier needed

Meondji, our friend's dog, sitting quietly waiting for mom to eat 😆 There are plenty of places that call themselves dog-friendly but make you cover the dog with a carrier the whole time — those I really avoid. Arpeggio is a genuinely dog-friendly restaurant in Namyangju where the dogs can be comfortable too.

Relaxing by the valley while the meat grills 💛 We came with friends today, but next time I definitely want to bring my parents along for a fall trip.

Once the meat was cooked enough, they added a smoky flame finish with a torch.

Finally, they poured on a mountain of cheese and torched it to finish!

Done ❤️ The visuals are just insane ㅠㅠ It hasn't been long since we ate, but I already want to go back...

Tomato-jang pork belly, which I tried for the first time, is honestly incomparable to gochujang pork belly. There's none of the heaviness typical of gochujang — just tomato's sweetness and umami plus a spicy kick, all so clean.

The spice level was right around Shin Ramyun spiciness, which was just right paired with the cheese.

I followed the recommended eating method pretty faithfully haha. Gim (dried seaweed) + pickled radish + perilla leaf oil sauce combo! This was my boyfriend and our friend's top pick. Honestly, though, it's delicious no matter how you eat it ㅠㅠ

This is my pick! Wrapping it in the acorn crepe was the tastiest for me. I lost count of how many times I refilled the crepes 💛

Lastly, wrapping it with the fresh vegetables 💛 The veggies were fresh and there was even healthy kale.

Witch's crispy-outside, chewy-inside potato pancake

A must-order side dish — the potato pancake! You can feel the crispiness just from the photo.

What's surprising is that it stayed super crispy even after it cooled down!! And the inside was genuinely chewy.

They cut it up into easy-to-eat pieces. You can really see how crispy it is in the video.

I got curious about the recipe for the perilla leaf oil sauce and the potato pancake too. The pollock roe cream sauce that comes with it is a perfect match 💛

Pollock roe scorched-rice cauldron fried rice (2 servings)

Can't skip the fried rice ❤️ It's not stir-fried in the sauce we were already eating — it comes stir-fried in a stone pot straight from the kitchen, like this.

You wait until the hourglass they give you runs out, then stir it once and eat.

The visual when you open the lid 💛 Loaded with cheese too.

With plenty of pollock roe and cheese, it was savory and spicy — a perfect way to end the meal ⭐

Wrapping the fried rice in gim with perilla leaf oil sauce on top is also a touchingly good combination.

Is 2002 Witch's Arpeggio worth the trip?

• A great Namyangju pork belly restaurant with valley-side outdoor seating
• The tomato-jang pork belly you have to try in Namyangju
• Soon to be a great fall-foliage date spot

Ending with a photo of Meondji, knocked out after a day of fun playing 🩵