Hongdae third-floor Korean BBQ, hanwoo and pork set for two: Gogikkun

Out on a day trip in Seoul with my mom, we were trying to figure out dinner and honestly wanted to eat some proper meat, so we headed to Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch! They have a set where you can eat hanwoo (Korean beef) and handon (Korean pork) at once, which seemed perfect for the two of us. Spoiler: from the meat to the side dishes, there was truly nothing missing here haha

Where is Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch and how do you get there?

This Hapjeong/Hongdae samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) restaurant, Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch, is located on the 3rd floor at 36 Hongikro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

It's a decent walking distance from Hongdae Station, so it was easy to stop by for a meal after hanging out in Hongdae. There's plenty to see nearby too, so it'd work well as a date spot or a family dinner stop.

The building and entrance

You go into the building and head upstairs to find Gogikkun Gim Chunbae. There's a sign right by the entrance so it wasn't hard to find, and true to a BBQ restaurant in the middle of Hongdae, there were already quite a few people waiting before we even went in.

Made me think — yep, this must be a popular BBQ spot in Hongdae!

What is the third-floor dining room like?

Once inside, the atmosphere was cozier than I expected. Warm lighting plus wood tones gave it a calmer feel than your typical loud, bustling BBQ joint!

The tables were also fairly well spaced apart, which made it easy to chat with my mom while eating. At BBQ restaurants it can get a little awkward when the next table is too close, but here it felt fairly private, which I liked.

The side dish spread, and two scallion salad refills

Even before the meat arrived, seeing the side dishes got me excited haha. Wild garlic leaves, white kimchi, green onion kimchi, pickled onion — a good variety of dishes that pair well with meat.

Of all of them, the green onion salad was genuinely the best! The seasoning was exactly my style, so my mom and I joked while eating it, "Is the owner not from Jeolla-do or something? How is this seasoning so good?" haha

My mom and I are both from Gwangju, so we're kind of picky about seasoning, but from the green onion salad to the bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles), the seasoning was genuinely delicious. We ended up refilling it twice more!

How did the hanwoo beef and pork in the set for two taste?

We ordered the hanwoo/handon set for two. Being able to eat both beef and pork in one go made it a perfect combination for two people.

We grilled the beef first, and wow... it was genuinely so good. Tender, with proper juiciness, so from the very first bite my mom and I both said it was delicious at the same time haha

Even with just a light dip of salt it was plenty tasty, and pairing it with the green onion salad or wild garlic leaves brought out a different kind of charm.

The pork we ate after that was beyond expectations too! The balance of fat and lean meat was great and had a nutty flavor that kept me reaching for more. Sometimes pork can feel disappointing right after beef, but here the pork was genuinely delicious too.

Diced rice (kkakttukbap)

It felt like a waste to end with just meat, so we ordered the diced rice! It has diced radish kimchi mixed in, giving it a slightly spicy but nutty flavor that went perfectly with the meat.

The portion was generous too, so it was easy to share with my mom, and somehow even when full we kept eating it haha. If you're someone who needs rice with your meat, definitely order this too.

Half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles)

And then the one I really enjoyed — the half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles)! You get both the cold broth noodles and the spicy mixed noodles at once, so there's no need to agonize over which to order.

The seasoning on the bibim naengmyeon in particular was genuinely delicious. Just the right amount of spicy-sweet with a big savory kick, so pairing it with a bite of meat was such a great match. The mul naengmyeon (cold broth noodles) refreshed the palate and let us finish the meal clean to the very end. My mom and I said, while eating, "This place isn't just good at the meat — even the sides are all delicious" haha

This place isn't just good at the meat — even the sides are all delicious

From the hanwoo and handon to the diced rice and half-and-half naengmyeon, this Hongdae BBQ restaurant had nothing missing. It was even better because I shared the meal with my mom, and I think this is the place that'll come to mind next time I want meat in Hongdae!