Jongno 3-ga Korean BBQ late dinner, egg custard & doenjang stew: Cham

Cham Dwaejitgan: black pork belly in Jongno 3-ga

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch (참돼짓간 종로본점) is a pork belly restaurant in Jongno 3-ga where you can eat black pork belly. I'm the kind of person who always hunts down a great black pork place whenever I go to Jeju Island! So I was so happy to find somewhere in Jongno 3-ga that does it this well T_T The place is big and comfortable too, so I'd recommend it for group gatherings and company dinners.

Location and hours of Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch

Cham Dwaejitgan Jongno Main Branch is open 12:00 - 23:00, a 2-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 2 or Exit 2-1. It's on the ground floor of the Picadilly CGV cinema, but outside the building, not inside! Take the path on the left of the stairs going down to CGV and you'll find it.

Is it good for group dinners near Jongno 3-ga?

The inside of Cham Dwaejitgan is really spacious and comfortable, so if you're looking for a group dinner or gathering spot in Jongno 3-ga, I can happily recommend it. I went fairly late in the evening and it was still busy with customers, so I had to shoot around people and couldn't capture the whole big room. Haha.

One more thing~ there were surprisingly many foreign guests too. Word must have gotten out that it's a great Korean pork belly place.

Menu and what two people paid

There's a menu board where you can see everything at a glance, and you can also browse and order on a kiosk. I chose the black pork belly without a moment's hesitation, hehe. Here's what we ordered!

• Black pork belly ₩19,000 x 2 servings
• Egg custard (gyeranjjim) ₩5,000
• Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) ₩6,000
• Steamed rice ₩1,000 x 2

Grilled dropwort and kimchi come standard

At Cham Dwaejitgan, they grill a generous helping of kimchi and domestic dropwort (minari) alongside your meat by default. You know at other places you'd have to pay ₩5,000 extra for dropwort~! Even the grilled kimchi is so good T.T Other side dish refills are available at the self-serve bar.

Ta-da, today's star, the black pork belly, has arrived. So pretty, truly pretty. The potato chips that come with it are perfect beer snacks once grilled, bb

How are the doenjang stew and egg custard?

I ordered doenjang stew and egg custard to go with the meat. This is how they were set out~ The doenjang stew came in a hearty portion and was a really good BBQ-restaurant stew, and the egg custard was fluffy and soft.

Black pork belly grilled by the staff

What I liked most at Cham Dwaejitgan is that the staff grill the meat professionally for you, so it comes out really moist and full of juice. It's easy, so it's great for a date, and if you want a spot for a group dinner or gathering, I recommend this Jongno 3-ga pork belly place.

Looking at the photos makes me want to go again. I've really found a true gem I'll want to visit every time I'm in Jongno T.T

And the juicy, moist black pork belly is done. It's thick and chewy, and gets better the more you chew! Because it's grilled over charcoal, you get a subtle smoky flavor too. Haha. And the chewy skin, lean meat and fat together are such a perfect combination that I started applauding.

What sauces and sides are there?

Cham Dwaejitgan has spicy sauce, wasabi, mushroom wasabi, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) and salt. Putting a piece on white rice and eating them together is a killer move~ With garlic, chili peppers, dropwort, kimchi, lettuce, bean sprouts and more to go with it, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the meat.

I wrapped it all up into a ssam (lettuce wrap) too. Can you see the size of the meat!? It's so thick and big that it fills your mouth, and it made for a really happy dinner. If you're looking for easy-to-reach, tasty black pork belly in Seoul~! Or a spot for a company dinner, group gathering or date in Jongno, give Cham Dwaejitgan a visit!!