Korean BBQ in Gangnam: Friday 7pm wait, outdoor soju-beer, Kkondae Kim

Why I chose Kkondae Kim Bujang for a wedding-invitation get-together

Kkondae Kim Bujang Gogi-jip (꼰대김부장고깃집) Gangnam Station Branch is a Gangnam Station BBQ spot that works well for wedding-invitation get-togethers, company dinners and group meetups :) Picking a venue for a get-together like this is surprisingly hard work. Besides good meat, I wanted somewhere comfortable for a big group with a decent atmosphere, and that's how we ended up here, haha.

It turned out to be a good pick for a Gangnam group gathering. Corkage is free, so you could bring a nice bottle for an anniversary. Daytime drinking is possible too, and I loved that you can enjoy the yajang (outdoor drinking-tent) vibe, haha.

What's on the menu at Kkondae Kim Bujang?

The menu is a mix of sets with office-worker-themed names and à la carte Korean beef and pork. The restaurant is called "Grumpy Manager Kim," so the menu names are hilarious lol. There's the Kim Daeri Early-Leave Set with whole pork belly, whole pork neck and pork skin, all the way to the New Employee Welcome Party Set, so just choosing is fun.

They also say they're working toward using 100% domestic ingredients, and that made me feel the care and sincerity they put into the food.

There's a wide range of Korean beef and pork. For company dinners on the corporate card, go for the Korean beef; for a casual get-together like ours, whole pork belly or kkodeulsal (a chewy pork cut) is a good order.

How many side dishes come with the meat?

When you order meat, the table fills up with side dishes (banchan) like acorn jelly, seasoned squid, yukjeon (battered beef pan-fry) and salted oysters. We ordered pork belly, kkodeulsal and pork skin, and it wasn't just meat. A generous spread of sides came first.

I was surprised by how many kinds of sides there were. Choosing a place like this for a wedding-invitation get-together in Gangnam would make guests feel properly hosted, haha.

Do the staff grill the meat for you?

Yes, the staff grill the meat for you. After we ordered, nothing came out for a while and I thought, "Why is this taking so long?" Then I realized they grill it first and bring it out.

There's a separate grill station inside where the staff cook the meat. We sat at the outdoor yajang seats, so they grilled it inside and brought it out to us. And here it finally was, a big plate of meat~

Pork belly with salted oysters

The pork belly was nicely thick and juicy, with a faint smoky grill aroma, and wrapped in lettuce it was sooo good! Adding the salted oysters gave it a briny, savory depth and, surprisingly, it paired really well.

Pork skin with curry powder and soybean powder

And dipping the pork skin in curry powder plus roasted soybean powder is the golden rule, lol. It was chewy and nutty, and perfect as a drinking snack.

The texture of kkodeulsal

Kkodeulsal has a slightly unusual, springy texture, as the name suggests. The more you chew, the nuttier it gets, and with the grill aroma on top it's sneakily addictive.

If I had to pick one of the three: pork belly

If I had to pick one of the three, I'd choose the pork belly. Maybe because it was aged well, it was tender yet chewy and really delicious.

You can't resist drinks in front of great meat... In the end I couldn't hold back and made a soju-beer bomb (somaek), cheers! 🍻

Location, waiting and reservations at Kkondae Kim Bujang

The Gangnam Station branch sits a little up from the main eating alley near Gangnam Station, so the surroundings aren't overly crowded, which I actually liked. Even so, around 7pm on Friday the restaurant was almost full and a wait formed. If you're planning to visit, I recommend booking on Naver in advance, T_T

Indoor or yajang seating: where to sit?

There's roomy seating inside, and outside there are yajang-style seats too, so you have options.

After some debate, the weather was nice, so we went with the outdoor yajang concept!

Would I recommend it for daytime drinking or a wedding-invitation get-together in Gangnam?

On a nice day it seems great for enjoying Gangnam daytime drinking through to the evening, and with free corkage it's a solid option for anyone looking for a group or drinking venue. Next time I'm planning to come on a weekend afternoon and drink while watching the street, haha. I think it'll feel really good. If you're looking for a Gangnam Station group gathering spot, a wedding-invitation get-together venue, a company dinner place or a yajang with good vibes, I recommend Kkondae Kim Bujang~