Namyangju valley BBQ, waterside seats at weekend opening: 2002 Witch's

The kids were all home on a weekend for once, so we went to 2002 Witch's Arpeggio (2002 마녀의 아르페지오), a tomato-marinated pork belly place near Myojeoksa Valley in Namyangju. ✅️ It has over 20,000 Naver reviews, and there was a photo of the celebrity Kim Gu-ra visiting, so I'd been curious about it. 🌿

• Namyangju valley restaurant
• Namyangju date restaurant
• Namyangju dog-friendly restaurant
• The original tomato-marinade restaurant
• Namyangju outdoor-table (yajang) restaurant
• Tomato pork belly

What are the hours and parking at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio?

2002 Witch's Arpeggio is at 142 Sure-ro 661beon-gil, Wabu-eup, Namyangju, Gyeonggi, and it is open daily 11:00–21:00 (Mondays close at 20:30). Break time is 16:00–17:00 on weekdays and 15:30–17:00 on weekends, and last order is at 20:00.

• Free large parking lot available
• Outdoor terrace, pets allowed
• Group seating, high chairs and wheelchair access
• Separate men's and women's restrooms, Catch Table reservations available
• Nearby: Myojeoksa Valley, Myojeoksa Temple, Myojeok Valley Recreation Area (within 30 minutes by car: Namyangju Haevichi CC, Vision Hills CC, Deokso Station)

Since it's right by the valley, I worried about parking and went at opening time. We could use 3 parking areas, including the one in front of the restaurant. It's a popular Namyangju valley restaurant, so there were already customers before it opened.

Can kids play in the water at Myojeoksa Valley?

Next to the entrance of 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, families who'd come out with their kids were already playing by the creek from the morning. The water didn't look deep, so it looked good for kids to play in. ♥️

True to its name as the original tomato-marinade place, the tomatoes at the entrance and the shade of the trees gave it a summer feel the moment we walked in 🍅🍅🌳🌳

Catch Table reservations were available, and the 2nd floor has a waiting area where you can wait comfortably.

What time to arrive for a waterside seat on weekends

When we arrived at opening time (11:00) on the weekend, there were still waterside seats, but by around 12 noon they looked full. Luckily there are plenty of terrace seats. It probably depends on the weather, so please keep that in mind. 🫠

It's a dog-friendly restaurant in Namyangju, so we got to see cute dogs too, which I loved. There's a separate dog-friendly room.

Indoors, the big windows at the front and back were all open, so you can see the green trees. I think it would be fine too.

Watching fish in the creek beside the waterside seats

When we sat down, the creek was flowing right beside us, and I could see fish, so I got more excited than the kids 😁😁😁 You can see cute little fish ♡ 🐟 🐟 🐟

We could hear the water and the birds, and I kept looking toward the creek to watch the fish, so I got scolded for not eating, haha.

How do you order the tomato pork belly?

At 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, you could mix the tomato pork belly and the cheese tomato pork belly in one order.

The pork is red, so I thought it was gochujang (chili paste) pork belly, but they said it's tomato-marinated pork belly aged for 48 hours 😁 The spice level could also be adjusted.

• 1 portion tomato pork belly
• 2 portions cheese tomato pork belly
• Pollock roe rice-crust cauldron fried rice

The side dishes were wrap vegetables, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), chili peppers, garlic, acorn jeonbyeong (acorn-starch wraps), tomato kimchi and pickled radish wraps.

They gave us freshly made japchae, and it was delicious. There were plenty of staff, and they refilled things kindly. There was a self-service bar too.

Does tomato pork belly taste different from gochujang pork belly?

The tomato pork belly piled across the whole grill tasted a bit different from gochujang-marinated pork belly, which can feel heavy and cloying. They said it uses no gochujang at all and is aged with tomato and chili powder as the base.

The more it cooks, the more the tomato flavor comes up. The kids said it didn't taste sour like tomato, wasn't spicy, and was delicious.

Signature dish: cheese tomato pork belly

This is the signature dish of 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, the cheese tomato pork belly. 🍅 A staff member melted the cheese with a torch.

The cheese melts in and goes well with the meat. If you're looking for an outdoor-table (yajang) restaurant in Namyangju, I think it's worth trying.

With tomato and cheese together, it also tasted a bit like an arrabbiata or bolognese pasta sauce. I think cheese lovers will like it.

How is the pollock roe rice-crust fried rice?

The pollock roe rice-crust cauldron fried rice comes partly cooked in the cauldron, which I liked. It had seaweed flakes, cheese and pollock roe in it.

They give you an hourglass, and we waited 5 minutes before eating. The kids ate until they could see the bottom of the pot, emptied it and got up. 😊

Places to stop by on a Myojeoksa Valley outing

A weekend outing to Myojeoksa Valley in Namyangju and 2002 Witch's Arpeggio. It was a day of eating to the sound of the creek, in the shade of the trees. It's a valley in Gyeonggi, close to Seoul, great for getting some fresh air with a partner or family. Nearby is also Myojeoksa, a temple with a thousand years of history, where the singer Lee Hyori once did a temple stay.

If you're looking for a valley outdoor-table restaurant, or a date spot in Namyangju or near Seoul, it's worth a stop. 😊