Jungdong, Bucheon pork belly BBQ with scallion refills: Bangatgan

What kind of BBQ restaurant is Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjung-dong Station Branch?

Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjung-dong Station Branch is a brand-new samgyeopsal (pork belly) restaurant that opened just a few months ago in Jungdong, Bucheon. The drinks are so cheap they're practically a giveaway, which makes it a great place to enjoy meat and alcohol together. I ate here on a day I was back in Bucheon after a long time, and I think anyone who loves a drink should try it at least once.

• Address: 110 Jungdong-ro 254beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi
• Hours: Daily 12:00 - 24:00

Across from Lotte Department Store Jungdong: how is the location?

Lotte Department Store Jungdong branch is right across the street, so the location was really great. Before the meal I wandered through the basement food hall and picked up fresh abalone cheaply. It seemed to be a pop-up store, and the abalone was so fresh and good!

Being so close to Lotte Department Store, I really think the location is excellent. And true to the name ("bangatgan" means a mill), the symbol seems to be a rabbit pounding rice cake with a mortar.

Is the 2nd-floor dining room spacious?

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and the inside was much bigger than I expected. It's far roomier and more comfortable than it looks from outside, a good place worth returning to for anyone who has tried it.

The windows are all floor-to-ceiling glass, so the already large space looks even bigger and feels wonderfully open.

How much are drinks? How the self-serve alcohol works

Drinks and beverages are ₩1,500 and imported beer is ₩2,500. Each table has a shopping basket, and you just fill it with whatever drinks you want.

It's hard to find a place that lets you drink this cheaply when eating out, so anyone who really wants to drink will find it very tempting.

The self-serve corner has everything from ssam vegetables to side dishes, so it was easy and convenient to use.

You order meat for the number of people, and bring your own drinks and beverages from the self-serve area. There used to be a lot of bars in the "liquor department store" style, so it was nice to visit a restaurant with a similar feel after so long.

What meat comes in the A Set?

Bangatgan A Set

What I ordered at Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjung-dong Station Branch was the Bangatgan A Set, a good-value set with a whopping 1050g of meat. It includes four cuts, pork belly, pork neck, pork jowl and smoked makchang (pork intestine), so you can enjoy a variety of flavors. I loved that there's a set menu that lets you try so many cuts.

Side dishes and scallion salad refills

Once you order, the side dishes are set out, with a variety of sides and sauces that go nicely with the meat.

The scallion salad (pa-muchim) was especially good, so I even went back to the self bar for a refill. It went really well with the meat.

How was the meat quality and the pork belly?

What surprised me when I saw the meat was how good the quality was. It even came already salted and ready to grill, and watching it cook I got a strong feeling that this was going to be delicious no matter what.

As a well-known Bucheon samgyeopsal spot, of course I grilled the pork belly too, and it was full of juice and the best.

It's not only meat: mushrooms and minari (water dropwort) are included in the set to grill too, which I liked.

I usually stick to pork belly, but this time I got to try pork neck, pork jowl and smoked makchang as well, which made it even better. The dipping sauce that comes with it had rave reviews, and trying it, it was true! You have to taste it yourself to know.

The scallion salad was seriously good too, the kind you can't resist refilling.

Who is Gogi Gubneun Bangatgan Sinjung-dong Station Branch for?

There are lots of vegetables and side dishes to go with the meat, so you can enjoy it in many combinations. We drinkers-in-spirit just ate the meat plain this time, but if you love drinking, ordering meat and alcohol together is definitely the better deal. It's a great Bucheon samgyeopsal spot with cheap drinks, and I think it will become a hot place!