Hapjeong Station Korean BBQ, 7 spots compared: Geumseong Hoegwan

Looking for a good place to eat in Hapjeong? One weekday evening I went out for dinner with my boyfriend and suddenly wanted meat so badly. If we were going to have meat, I wanted a really good BBQ place, so I searched for Korean BBQ in Hapjeong.

That's how Geumseong Hoegwan (금성회관) in Hapjeong caught my eye and we ended up going. I've tried about 7 BBQ places in Hapjeong, and I felt this one ranks near the top, so here's my honest review. Hapjeong has so many BBQ restaurants that it's hard to choose, right? So I went and sorted it out myself.

Does Geumseong Hoegwan Hapjeong Main Branch serve free soft tofu stew?

Yes! When you order meat at Geumseong Hoegwan Hapjeong Main Branch, they bring out soft tofu stew (sundubu-jjigae) as a free service. That was the biggest reason I picked this place. It's rare these days to find a BBQ restaurant that gives you a stew for free, and when I heard it was sundubu-jjigae, I was sold.

The free sundubu-jjigae was spicy and zesty, and really good. I finished the whole bowl. It tasted like something I'd want to order on its own another time.

What's in the Geumseong Hoegwan Hanwoo set, and what does it cost?

The Hanwoo set (한돈세트, domestic Korean pork set) is ₩58,000 and comes on one platter with pork jowl (hangjeongsal), gabeuri-sal (pork collar), pork belly (ogyeopsal) and pork neck (moksal). This was our main order, and it let us enjoy the different flavors and textures of Korean pork on a single platter.

Getting several cuts at once was fun, too, because we could compare the texture of each. The price is ₩58,000. It might sound a little expensive on paper, but the meat quality is so good that it never felt pricey.

How were the meat and the portion?

The pork in the Geumseong Hoegwan Hanwoo set was really tender, juicy and full of rich pork flavor. These days there's a lot of meat that only looks good and then turns out tough or bland, right? The meat here was different.

A staff member grilled the meat for us from start to finish, which was so convenient. My boyfriend and I shared one Hanwoo set and the amount was plenty. I think it's just the right size for a couple or two friends.

What sauces and side dishes come at Geumseong Hoegwan?

Geumseong Hoegwan gives you tonkatsu sauce and breadcrumbs, so dipping the meat in them tastes like pork cutlet. The sauces were fun! We also dipped the meat in salt and wasabi in different ways, and the mustard greens kimchi (gat-kimchi) was really good too.

My favorite of all was a piece of meat on a spoonful of plain white rice. Meat, side dishes and sundubu-jjigae, a full table of food: that was our Hapjeong meal.

Who should go to Geumseong Hoegwan Hapjeong Main Branch?

At Geumseong Hoegwan Hapjeong Main Branch you get good meat in a nice atmosphere, so I think it's good value for what it is. I've tried about 7 BBQ places in Hapjeong, and Geumseong Hoegwan is a top-tier, tasty spot that I'd happily recommend.

The atmosphere is nice enough that you can enjoy the meal even with someone you're a bit awkward with. Since the staff grill the meat, you can focus on the conversation, which I think works well even for awkward company.

It also suits dates and get-togethers with friends. To sum up, Geumseong Hoegwan was a satisfying Hapjeong spot, from the free sundubu-jjigae to the tender Hanwoo set.

I especially recommend it to:

• People looking for good food or Korean BBQ in Hapjeong
• People looking for a BBQ place that serves a free stew
• People looking for a spot for a date or a get-together
• People looking for a place to eat well with someone they're a bit awkward with

If you can't decide where to eat in Hapjeong, give Geumseong Hoegwan a try. When you pick a BBQ place, what matters more to you, the taste of the meat or the service?