Gimpo Korean BBQ set meals with charcoal flavor: Donpu The Grill

Donpu The Grill location, hours, and parking

⏰ 11:00–23:00 Break time: 15:00–17:00 Last order: 13:30 / 21:30 Closed every Tuesday 🚘 One hour of free parking at a nearby public lot

Donpu The Grill (돈푸 더 그릴) is about a three-minute walk from Exit 5 of Janggi Station‼️ I suddenly craved meat at weekend lunch, so I went looking for a great pork belly spot in Janggidong and ended up here. It is in Janggidong's dining alley, with lots of good places nearby.

For Donpu The Grill parking, you can park free for one hour at Janggi 3 Public Parking Lot, about a five-minute walk away. It is across from the Saranghae Saranghoe shop. Keep that in mind if it is your first visit!

Please refer to this sign for Janggi 3 Public Parking Lot rates.

Nearly full even at weekend lunch

Even though I arrived rather late for weekend lunch, it was almost full. I did not know many good restaurants around Janggidong, but seeing the stream of customers made me think, yep, Donpu The Grill must be one of the local favorites👍

The dining room was more spacious than I expected, too. There were plenty of regular four-person tables as well as group tables for up to eight, so it looked like a good option for a Janggidong work dinner or family gathering. There were even hiking-club guests having a company dinner in broad daylight, apparently..

They also have high chairs and aprons, so it looked convenient for a family meal with kids. A one- or two-year-old was actually eating in a high chair, and it was so cute..

Set meals and six meat sauces

I also liked that the menu was more varied than expected. There are meat dishes such as pork belly and pork neck, set meals that work well for lunch, and sides, so choosing was pretty easy! I originally went to grill meat, but the set-meal spread looked better than expected, so I switched over completely.

When ordering, you can choose a meat sauce, and I was surprised there were six kinds 😏 There were lots of sauces to have with the meat, including wasabi mayo, ponzu, steak sauce, and galchi sokjeot (fermented hairtail innards). I agonized over the sauce choice.. It was my first time seeing galchi sokjeot at a meat restaurant, especially, so that surprised me (p)

• Aged pork belly set meal ₩13,500
• Charcoal-grilled spicy pork set meal ₩12,900
• Mix-it-yourself bibim noodles ₩6,900
• TOTAL ₩33,300

Aged pork belly set meal for days I cannot be bothered to grill

First up, my pick: the aged pork belly set meal ✨ Set meals usually have a nice spread, but I do not expect much in terms of quantity when I order one—this dish completely proved me wrong.. 💕 It was plentiful and seriously delicious. Perfect for a light lunch on a day when I crave meat but cannot be bothered to grill it.

When pork is too thin, it does not really feel like eating meat; when it is too thick, it can be tough or greasy. But the aged pork belly was nicely thick, with such a great chew. The nutty, rich flavor distinctive to pork belly came through first in each bite, followed by a subtle charcoal aroma, presumably from the direct-fire grilling.

The pork belly was especially better with the side dishes or sauce than on its own. I chose wasabi mayo, and the smooth, nutty sauce lightly cut through the pork belly's richness, so I kept reaching for more. Next time, I am getting the galchi sokjeot🎶

I ordered it prepared to add a bowl of rice, but the set meal was so generous that I actually had a few pieces of meat left. The side dishes, including stew and steamed egg, were abundant too. While eating, I found myself wishing a meat restaurant like Donpu The Grill would open in front of our office..⭐️ If it did, I would become a regular without ever having to wonder what to eat for lunch.

Sweet-savory charcoal-grilled spicy pork set meal

The charcoal-grilled spicy pork set meal that my boyfriend ordered! I am no less of a spicy pork fan, so I stole plenty of bites from beside him, and it was genuinely delicious. It was ridiculously good enough for two spicy-pork lovers to approve.

The spicy pork had a more pronounced seasoning than the pork belly, making it especially good with rice. It had a gentle direct-fire aroma, and the seasoning was not overly hot or aggressive, so it was easy to keep eating with rice.

The spicy pork's signature sweet, salty seasoning had soaked into the meat nicely, and one spoonful of rice topped with a piece of pork—this pairing simply cannot fail, haha. If you like spicy pork, this is a must-order.

Mix-it-yourself bibim noodles, great between bites of meat

The mix-it-yourself bibim noodles I ordered as a side‼️ From the name, I expected something like stir-fried noodles served on a griddle, but they are actually bibim noodles that you mix yourself.

Their characteristic sweet-tangy flavor made them perfect for a bite or two between the meat💕 They completely cleared away the richness of the meat 👍 And the noodles were thicker than expected. They were much plumper than standard bibim noodles, almost as thick as udon, so the texture was great. Do keep that in mind if you prefer thin bibim noodles!

If I had to choose just one side at a meat restaurant, I tend to go for refreshing bibim noodles like these, so I was personally very satisfied. I would order them again on my next visit to Donpu The Grill.

Overall

Donpu The Grill is such a popular Janggidong meat restaurant that it was nearly full even at weekend lunch! Once I tried it, I understood why so many people come 🤤 The aged pork belly set meal had a lovely nutty meat flavor and charcoal aroma; the charcoal-grilled spicy pork set meal was sweet and salty in a way that went well with rice; and the mix-it-yourself bibim noodles won me over with their refreshing flavor and plump noodles.

Above all, even one set meal was quite generous, so it felt like great value. It would be good for anyone wanting a substantial lunch, as well as for coming by in the evening for a proper meat meal 💕 If you suddenly crave meat on a weekend like I did and are looking for a good Janggidong restaurant, Donpu The Grill is worth a visit. You get a generous spread of meat, rice, and side dishes all at once, and I was quite happy with this meal 😏