400g pork belly and snow mak-guksu in Uijeongbu: Cheonpo Hoegwan

Photos and words © Hayom

What kind of restaurant is Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch?

Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch is a grill restaurant near Uijeongbu Station where you cook pork belly together with minari (water celery) and kimchi. I was craving pork belly near Uijeongbu Station, so I went to check out this Uijeongbu restaurant. I already love meat, but I especially love grilling minari and kimchi alongside plain pork belly!

Turns out Cheonpo Hoegwan is exactly the kind of place where you can enjoy minari and kimchi pork belly together. Let me walk you through the menu and atmosphere as I experienced it ｡•ᴗ•｡

• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–23:00
• 🚘 Parking: About 1 spot available, but nearby public parking lots are recommended

Walking from Uijeongbu Station and where to park

Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch is fairly close to Uijeongbu Station, so it wasn't hard to find. There was a bit of space to park in front, but it looked like it could only really fit one car, sigh. So if you're driving, using a nearby public parking lot seems easier. The exterior has a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, unlike a typical grill restaurant, so I could spot it from a distance — ah, this must be Cheonpo Hoegwan, haha.

Once inside, the space was way bigger than I expected. There was an outer section and an inner section! That's probably why there were groups dining together too.

There were family tables and it also looked good for larger groups eating together. If you're looking for Uijeongbu restaurant options for a family meal or gathering spot, this might be worth considering.

What we ordered at Cheonpo Hoegwan and what it cost

Looking at the menu, we ordered the signature pork belly 400g (₩32,000) along with snow mak-guksu (cold buckwheat noodles, ₩7,000).

An oiled griddle came out, and I was so excited, seriously. While looking at the chopsticks, I noticed the name Manpo Galbi printed on them — turns out it's run by the same owner as Manpo Galbi, which I'd visited before and loved. That gave me a good feeling going in, haha.

Free beef tartare and the self-serve grilled pancake

One great thing about Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch — beef tartare comes free with your order! We ordered pork belly, and beef tartare showed up alongside it, perfect for a light bite while the meat cooks. Total soju pairing... sigh.

Also a bit unusual — pancake batter with broth came out too. The pancake isn't served pre-made; you cook it yourself on the frying pan. It worked well as an appetizer while waiting for the pork belly.

A variety of ssam (wrap) vegetables were laid out, and they kept refilling the minari generously so we had plenty to eat with the meat. Sometimes lettuce that isn't fresh really kills the mood, but Cheonpo Hoegwan's was fresh, haha.

Doenjang paste also came out, and it paired with the pork belly better than I expected. Dipping grilled pork belly lightly in the doenjang added a salty, savory depth that worked great with the meat! With all these generous basics, this place seems like a solid pick for Uijeongbu Station dining.

Grilling 400g of pork belly with minari and kimchi

The pork belly we'd been waiting for arrived along with minari and kimchi — gorgeous from the first glance! Thick pork belly went right on the griddle, with kimchi and minari piled generously to the side.

The pork belly had real thickness, looking delicious just sitting there, and the kimchi was neither too sour nor underripe — perfect for grilling. Overly sour kimchi just doesn't taste good. I'm oddly picky about this.

The minari portion was more generous than expected, plenty for two. Once we started grilling, the heat was strong so the meat cooked faster than I thought.

Watching it turn golden brown made me keep waiting impatiently to eat, haha.

Finally took a bite... the juices from the pork belly burst in my mouth with a savory richness, sigh.

Wrapping it in ssam vegetables reminded me that meat really is meant for ssam! (Just my opinion.)

I strongly recommend the minari and pork belly combo...! The crisp texture unique to minari combined with the pork belly's juices made me keep reaching for more, sigh.

Adding doenjang paste and cheongyang chili peppers brought a spicy kick that gave it a whole different feel. If you're someone who doesn't just want plain pork belly, I recommend the minari pork belly combo!!!

Is the snow mak-guksu worth ordering to finish?

After eating a good amount of meat, we also tried the snow mak-guksu (₩7,000) for dessert. At first I wondered why it was called "snow," but the white topping seemed to be mushrooms! The noodles had a sweet and tangy flavor, cleansing the palate nicely after all that pork belly.

Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch: the verdict

What stuck with me most from this visit to Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch was the combo of grilling pork belly with minari and kimchi. Thick pork belly with crisp minari was great, and grilled kimchi alongside it was delicious too, sigh. If you're looking for Uijeongbu restaurants near Uijeongbu Station and want meat with plenty of sides, Cheonpo Hoegwan Uijeongbu Main Branch is worth considering. Had another great meal today ｡•ᴗ•｡