Cheonan pork belly restaurant with kids: booth seats and baby forks

It's been a genuinely long time since I had pork belly this good. We're a family of meat lovers so we eat samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) often, but the pork belly at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, was so tasty that even the kids noticed. The meat itself was delicious, and there were so many side dishes to go with it that we were practically bursting.

Inside Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch: space and booth seating

Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, had an enormous space.

I also liked that there were various seating options — booths with partitions for a private feel, and terrace-side seats with a nice atmosphere.

The pork belly at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, was so good that I want to try their other cuts of meat too.

What's on the self-bar, from tongs to baby forks

There was a self-bar, but so many side dishes came out automatically that we never even made it over there~

The self-bar had wet wipes, paper cups, tongs and scissors, and — most importantly — baby forks.

Green onion salad, fried egg and corn cheese the kids finished in seconds

The green onion salad at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, isn't just a vegetable side to go with meat — its true value shows when you wrap it with gim (seaweed), perilla leaves, and salted pollock roe in a samhap (three-way combo) or various wrap combinations. The spicy-sweet-and-sour seasoning gently softens the sharp bite of the green onion, boosting umami without overpowering the meat's own flavor.

Fried egg and corn cheese also came out as side dishes, and the kids finished them off the second they arrived, in one second flat... Anyone watching would think their mom starves them.

How good is the domestic fresh pork belly?

The pork belly at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji Cheongdang Branch, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, uses fresh domestic raw meat, so the texture is tender with no gamy smell and a rich, savory flavor. With a good ratio of fat to lean meat, the belly stayed juicy when grilled on the plate. The pork belly I had at Yeoyeojeong in Gangwon-do was delicious too, but I think Motsaenggin's pork belly is the best in Chungcheong-do.

Best combination: galchijeot simmered right on the grill

My favorite combination at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, was dipping the meat in galchijeot (fermented hairtail sauce). The galchijeot is simmered bubbling away right on the grill as you eat. While the meat cooks, the jeotgal reduces down just right — its distinctively funky, salty, deep flavor is fantastic, and it cuts through the greasiness of the pork fat while enhancing its savoriness at the same time. The longer it simmers, the more the fishy edge cooks off and the umami concentrates. Dip a piece of pork belly deep into the simmering galchi sokjeot, then top it with the finely chopped chili or garlic sitting inside it, and you get rich juiciness and salty depth all at once.

I tried it with radish wraps, with aged kimchi, and with kelp plus radish wraps — but my absolute favorite was the galchijeot!

Steamed egg with pollock roe and the doenjang jjigae

They served salted pollock roe (myeongnanjeot) and sesame oil, and since I already like adding myeongnanjeot to steamed egg at home to make myeongnan-gyeranjjim, and both the steamed egg and the roe happened to be right there, I combined them — and sure enough, it was exactly the flavor I love.

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) at Motsaenggin Ttungdwaeji, a pork belly restaurant in Cheonan, leans toward the heavy, nutty flavor of homemade-style doenjang rather than the lighter taste of store-bought paste, and it's served bubbling away in a ttukbaegi (earthenware pot) for deep umami. It's packed with tofu, zucchini and onion, giving the broth a rich flavor and good texture to chew on.

If you're visiting Cheonan on a trip like I was and looking for a great pork belly restaurant, I highly recommend Motsaenggin, with its variety of side dishes and especially its delicious meat!