Seoul Korean BBQ near DMC Station: whole pork belly, Mapo Guimadang

Why we ended up at Mapo Guimadang after a day of house hunting in DMC

Mapo Guimadang DMC (마포구이마당 DMC본점) is a whole pork belly restaurant tucked in an alley off Jeungsanseo-gil, near Digital Media City Station Exit 6. On Saturday, September 5, after spending the whole day scouting redevelopment zones around Gajaeul, Jeungsan, and DMC, we walked in around 6pm.

Gajaeul already had plenty of apartments up, and Jeungsan was mid-construction, but the DMC side still had its old-school alleys intact. There's a lot of redevelopment talk about this area lately, so I wanted to see it with my own eyes — but after all that walking, my legs were aching and I was getting hungry.

By the time we finished scouting it was around 6pm, and I was so hungry I just walked into the first BBQ place that caught my eye. Something about the sign pulled me in without much thought, and it turned out to be a great call.

Never expected the place we wandered into out of hunger to be this good

What makes the charcoal-seared whole pork belly different?

The place was called Mapo Guimadang DMC. Even tucked in an alley, it filled up fast once evening hit — clearly a local favorite, since people kept coming in behind us.

One tip: seats fill up really fast in the evening, so I'd recommend going before 6pm.

Normally two servings of pork belly is plenty for the two of us, but this whole-cut pork belly was a different story. They sear it on charcoal first, then finish it off on a natural stone grill — and you could really taste the difference, crispy outside and juicy inside.

Staff cut and grilled the meat for us, so all we had to do was eat. The first bite burst with juice and savory flavor, so we ended up ordering one more serving. Even the thick fatty parts went down smooth and nutty instead of greasy, which surprised me.

Never thought the two of us would order 3 servings

My wife and I both have small appetites — normally we can't even finish 2 servings — but that day we somehow ate a whopping 3.

50,500 won for two, with minari and doenjang jjigae

We added minari (water dropwort) to grill alongside the meat — its fragrance cut through the richness nicely. We also added a doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) to finish, which was pretty filling too.

With 3 servings of whole pork belly plus minari and doenjang jjigae, the total came to ₩50,500.

For anyone curious about the location and prices, here's the rundown.

• Mapo Guimadang DMC
• Location: Jeungsanseo-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, near DMC (Digital Media City) Station Exit 6
• Whole pork belly price: ₩13,900 per serving; total that day for 3 servings plus minari and doenjang jjigae was ₩50,500
• Parking: I parked elsewhere and walked over, but there seemed to be parking space right in front of the restaurant

The one letdown: grilled kimchi that was too sour

Everything was great except for one thing. They give you kimchi and green onion kimchi to grill alongside the meat, and staff said it was a house specialty.

But it was too sour for me — I could only manage a few bites, so maybe I just have a kid's palate. The table next to us seemed to be enjoying it fine, so it might just be a personal thing.

Other than that, the side dishes were generous and plentiful. If you're sensitive to sourness, I'd suggest skipping grilling the kimchi and just eating it as-is, or only grilling a small amount — much easier on the palate that way.

I'm eating dinner here again next time I go site scouting

This is a place I'd go back to just for the whole pork belly alone. We wandered in by chance while scouting the neighborhood, and I never expected to be this satisfied. If you're looking for a good BBQ spot near DMC, this one's worth a visit. And if anyone knows a side-dish-friendly restaurant nearby for people who don't do well with sour flavors, let me know!