Retro date-night Korean BBQ near Bomun Station: Gimgol Yeontanjip

When you're looking for a good date spot in Seoul, do you always think it has to be a fancy restaurant or an expensive hot place? This time I found a Seoul date spot where you can grill meat casually and still get a special retro vibe.

It's great for sharing a glass of soju as a couple, and everything from the atmosphere, which recalls an old neighborhood meat restaurant, to the quality of the briquette-grilled meat was the real deal. Here's Gimgol Yeontanjip (감골연탄집) Bomun Station Branch, a Bomun Station restaurant worth a visit for meat-loving couples.

Where is Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch, and how do you get there?

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch is in Bomun-dong 2-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, a 2-minute walk from Exit 7 of Bomun Station. It was easy to find after getting off the subway.

When you choose a date spot in Seoul, access matters as much as atmosphere or menu, right? Bomun Station is served by Line 6 and the Ui-Sinseol Line, and lots of buses pass by too, so it was easy to visit by public transport. You don't have to walk far from the station, so it also works for a dinner after work.

The area around Bomun Station isn't a crowded bustling district like Sungshin Women's University or Daehakro. That's exactly why I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a place to eat and talk comfortably, rather than a packed hot spot. Close to Bomun Station, Gimgol Yeontanjip was a nice place for an after-work meat date.

What's the atmosphere like at Gimgol Yeontanjip for a retro date?

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch has a retro feel, like an old neighborhood meat restaurant, rather than the clean, new BBQ places that keep popping up these days. I noticed the difference the moment I walked in.

From the sign to the tables to the interior overall, it had a retro charm reminiscent of an old neighborhood meat joint. When you look at Seoul date courses these days, there are so many stylish restaurants and big cafés, aren't there?

But sometimes a place where you can sit casually, smell the meat grilling and chat quietly stays with you more. I also liked that you don't have to be too formal just because it's a date.

It wasn't the kind of place where you dress up and eat in silence; it was nice to chat and grill meat one piece at a time. I'd recommend it more for couples who've been together a while, or anyone wanting a relaxed evening date, than for a romantic anniversary early in a relationship!

If you like retro spaces or taking photos in an old-school restaurant, you'll surely get some atmospheric, picture-perfect shots too.

What did we order at Gimgol Yeontanjip?

That day at Gimgol Yeontanjip we ordered pork belly, pork neck and gochujang briquette bulgogi (spicy marinated pork). Each dish has its own charm, so hard to pick just one, so I'll introduce them one by one.

Salted briquette-grilled pork belly

The pork belly at Gimgol Yeontanjip comes pre-salted, so even though it's a basic BBQ menu item, it tasted even better. As the name suggests, the meat is grilled over briquettes, so the vibe was different from an ordinary pork belly restaurant from the start.

The sizzle of the meat cooking on the grill set the mood for a BBQ date right away. The golden-grilled pork belly was well seasoned even eaten plain.

Wrapped in lettuce or eaten with the side dishes, it never felt greasy and I kept reaching for more. The pre-salted pork belly was tasty even on its own! And with 3 kinds of sauce, you can enjoy dipping it in different ways too.

Steak-cut pork neck: how should you grill it?

I'd recommend the pork neck at Gimgol Yeontanjip to anyone who likes leaner meat than pork belly. They say Gimgol Yeontanjip uses a steak cut of pork neck.

It was clean-tasting without being dry, and the juices stayed in. With pork neck, rather than flipping too often, it's important to cook all four sides thoroughly, as you would a steak.

When I cooked one side well before flipping, the juices didn't escape and it was more tender. The rich flavor of the pork belly and the lean, firm texture of the pork neck are so different that ordering both was a good choice.

Golden outside and juicy inside, the pork neck was absolutely the best!

When should you order the gochujang briquette bulgogi?

We ordered the gochujang briquette bulgogi at Gimgol Yeontanjip as an extra after finishing the pork belly and pork neck.

We'd already eaten plenty of raw meat, but with a name like that, it was hard to pass up. The spicy marinade and smoky grill flavor went so well together in the gochujang briquette bulgogi! To cut to the chase, I immediately understood why it's a popular menu item.

The salty, spicy gochujang marinade made it the kind of dish that goes well with rice or drinks. What I especially liked is that when it's grilled over briquettes, the marinade sticks slightly to the surface of the meat, bringing out the smoky flavor and depth.

Marinated meat can burn easily if left on the grill too long, so it's good to check on it often. The owner swapped the grill plate for us from time to time on his own.

When you order the gochujang briquette bulgogi fresh, I'd recommend having the grill plate changed once before you start grilling it. All the meat was so good that it was hard to pick just one of the three.

Start with pork belly and pork neck, then add the gochujang briquette bulgogi when you still have room, and you'll end the meal really happy!

TIP: Finish with cheese and flying fish roe fried rice

If you want to really enjoy the Gimgol Yeontanjip menu, have the fried rice after the pork neck, pork belly and gochujang briquette bulgogi!! It comes with cheese and flying fish roe, and it's so delicious.

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch: which couples is it for?

When you look for a good date spot in Seoul these days, sometimes you wonder whether a place is just for photos or actually good for a meal, right? Gimgol Yeontanjip isn't a hot spot where you snap pictures and leave; it was a Bomun Station restaurant where you can grill pork belly and pork neck and have a good long chat.

• Couples tired of the same café dates
• People who like retro vibes or an old-school meat restaurant atmosphere
• Anyone looking for a relaxed meal near Bomun Station
• People who love briquette-grilled meat
• Anyone looking for a Seoul date spot to share a glass of soju

Among good date spots in Seoul, I recommend it if you prefer a warm retro feel to a flashy hot spot.

The location is also fine for heading over for meat after a date near Sungshin Women's University or Daehakro. If you can't choose between pork belly and pork neck like me, order both first. Adding the gochujang briquette bulgogi at the end let us enjoy both raw and marinated meat, which made for a much more satisfying meal.

Summary: Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch at a glance

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch impressed me with its location close to Bomun Station and its retro meat-restaurant atmosphere. The pork belly was rich thanks to its pre-salted seasoning, and the pork neck was clean-tasting yet juicy.

The gochujang briquette bulgogi I had last had a spicy marinade and smoky flavor that went so well together that I understood why it's popular. Even without an expensive restaurant or flashy café, eating good meat and chatting comfortably was special enough as a Seoul date spot.