Bomun Station Korean BBQ, then grilled smelt: Gimgol Yeontanjip

I really love the smoky flavor and juiciness you only get from meat grilled over a homey briquette fire. Not long ago I was walking near the Seongbukcheon stream and found a real hidden gem: great meat quality, friendly service and a retro vibe, all in one place.

You can feel how seriously the owner takes every slice of meat and every single sauce. This is Gimgol Yeontanjip (감골연탄집) Bomun Station Branch, which is getting hot as a go-to Seongbukcheon BBQ spot.

I was so satisfied that I finished everything from first-round dinner to second-round snacks in one spot, so I'll go through it in detail. I'll honestly and transparently share what impressed me as I grilled it myself.

Where is Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch and what's the vibe?

Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch is right in front of Bomun Station, where Seoul Subway Line 6 and the Ui-Sinseol Line meet, so it's super easy to reach by public transport. Even though it's a briquette grill place, the restaurant is clean and comfortable with no greasiness at all, so it passed my first-impression test right away.

There are also lots of fun, useful events for customers, so if you visit, definitely join in and grab the perks!!

Drinks are really cheap overall, and the lineup from meat to side dishes is so strong and varied that you could start with round one and carry on to round three in the same place.

We got swept up in the mood too and ended up doing round two here non-stop, hahaha

Briquette grill, side dishes and basil ssamjang at Gimgol Yeontanjip

In the middle of the table sits the restaurant's pride, a patented clean-burning briquette, nicely lit. It adds only a clean smoky flavor with no worry about briquette gas, and amazingly the fire never died down until we finished eating and went home. It stayed really strong.

Next, the side dishes (banchan) are laid out neatly on the table, and the selection is nice and tidy.

The ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) and sauces that lift the meat even further aren't store-bought. The owner makes them all himself, so the savory depth really pops.

Among them, the fragrant, smooth "basil ssamjang" was so incredibly good that I kept marveling the whole meal.

Rice soju and the ice bucket at Gimgol Yeontanjip

The drink menu had a curious "rice soju" I'd never seen, so I ordered it right away. Great meat can't go without a drink, right? One sip and my mouth filled with the gentle natural sweetness of rice and a clean finish. Loved it.

On top of that, the owner very thoughtfully served the bottle in a cold ice bucket packed with ice,

so it never went lukewarm and stayed ice cold the entire time, and the drink went down smooth and easy~

The water comes in a nostalgic Delmonte-style glass bottle, generously filled with nutty hutgae tea (hovenia tea, a hangover-soothing drink), so it felt like I was sobering up while drinking and just couldn't get drunk, hahahaha

Can you order Gimgol Yeontanjip's thick pork neck by the single portion?

At Gimgol Yeontanjip Bomun Station Branch you can order each type of meat as a single portion, and the top meat of the day was definitely the "teukmoksal" (thick pork neck). We completely let loose that day and tried every kind of meat in the restaurant, and thanks to the single-portion ordering we could enjoy a varied meat tour without any awkwardness.

The pork neck is thick enough to stand out right away, and the raw meat itself is so good that rolling it over the briquette fire tasted like a premium steak at a fancy restaurant, wow. Dipping this big piece of pork neck into the owner's signature basil ssamjang was honestly the tender, high-end steak experience itself.

How to eat flat bibim noodles with Korean BBQ

Flat bibim noodles (napjak bibimmyeon, spicy mixed flat noodles) are Gimgol Yeontanjip's cheat-key signature side, and the best combo was wrapping grilled meat in them like a ssam (wrap). As we were eating meat, the flat bibim noodles arrived at just the right time.

The chewy, wide noodles are soaked through with a spicy-tangy sauce, and when you lay golden grilled meat on top and wrap it up, the chewiness and the juicy meat mix together and it tastes so good!!

Seriously, a fantastic feast fills your whole mouth, so you absolutely have to order this combo.

Kkodeulsal, samgyeopsal and briquette bulgogi

Besides that, the "kkodeulsal" (a chewy cut, sold only in limited quantity each day) with its springy texture was great too, and as for samgyeopsal (pork belly), the nation's favorite meat, what is there to say. The briquette bulgogi was also charming, with that deep briquette smokiness soaked all the way through.

Can you have grilled smelt as a second round at Gimgol Yeontanjip?

After finishing round one with meat, we asked the owner right at our seat to swap the grill plate and continued with "yeolbieo-gui" (grilled smelt, capelin) as round two. We changed the plate and kicked off a fun second round, hahaha

The smelt, grilled crisp on both sides over the strong briquette fire, was really nutty and salty with roe that pops with every bite, and when you're full there's no better premium drinking snack.

Maybe we were eating so heartily and happily that it looked like a mukbang, because the owner smiled proudly and even gave us jwipo (dried seasoned filefish) as a free extra, hahahaha

The free jwipo was thin and full of savory flavor, so we could finish the last of the rice soju happily.

But here's a super tip: dip it in basil mayo, made by mixing the mayonnaise served with the basil ssamjang into it. It's to die for.

Parting freebies: Chupa Chups and plum slush

On our way out, the owner even handed us Chupa Chups lollipops and plum slush. Even after a fun drinking session, the owner's special thoughtfulness kept going all the way to the trip home.

Not only did he give a sweet Chupa Chups lollipop for each person, he also packed a cool, refreshing plum slush in a cup to wash away the meaty grease, so the dessert finish was perfect.

From the meat quality to the sides and service, it was an awesome restaurant full of care for its customers.

A Korean BBQ spot after a Seongbukcheon stream walk

If you want a juicy, proper briquette BBQ party after a walk around the Seongbukcheon stream, Gimgol Yeontanjip at Bomun Station is a must-visit. You get the great combo of thick pork neck and fragrant basil ssamjang, plus the second-round mood with grilled smelt, all in one place, so I strongly recommend visiting with someone you love.