Seocho Korean BBQ with daily-limited kkodeulsal: Gamdol Yeontan Jip

The day I grilled meat over charcoal Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch

📍 Location 12 Gangnam-daero 6-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1st floor 3–5 min walk from Exit 3 of Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station, Sinbundang Line

🍽️ What I ate Charcoal grilled pork belly with salt ₩15,900 / Seolhwa kkodeulsal ₩17,900 Charcoal fried rice ₩6,900 / Stew ₩6,900 / 1-Second Gamgol soju-beer

🕐 Hours Dinner 16:30–22:00, Lunch special 11:00–14:00

📌 Reservations & Parking Reservations recommended for groups, parking available behind the store

⚠️ Note Seolhwa kkodeulsal is sold in limited quantity each day

There are really so many BBQ restaurants these days. But spots that make you go "ah, I want to come back here" are rarer than you'd think. While searching for good Yangjae-dong restaurants, I ended up at Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch. To cut to the chase — the meat was great, but the owner was so kind it's what stuck with me most. I was in a good mood the whole meal. Let me walk through it slowly.

How to get to Gamdol Yeontan Jip from Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station, and where to park

Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch is located at 12 Gangnam-daero 6-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1st floor. It's about 400m, a 3–5 minute walk, from Exit 3 of Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station on the Sinbundang Line. Just walk a short way along the main road from the exit — easy to find. I saw plenty of people searching for lunch spots near Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station too.

If you're driving, there's parking space behind the store. That said, spots aren't super plentiful, so if you're coming with multiple cars, it's worth calling ahead.

How big is the hall, and can it take large groups?

Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch has a genuinely spacious hall with generous space between tables. My first thought walking in was "wow, this is big." So many BBQ places these days pack tables right next to each other. Here, you barely have to worry about the next table over.

Floral tablecloths, red sofas, green walls, and even a fan. It has that retro feel like your grandma's countryside house. Everything photographs with a certain atmosphere.

And above all, the spacious layout makes it great for group gatherings. It seems like it could easily handle a big work dinner or club meetup. There's also seating divided by partitions, so you can chat freely with your own group. If you're coming with a big group, I'd recommend reserving ahead — it's easier to get seated, and the owner can prepare in advance.

Gamdol Yeontan Jip menu and prices

The menu at Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch is posted on the wall and neatly organized. Meat dishes start at ₩14,900, and meals and grilled sides range from ₩5,900 to ₩13,900.

Meat menu — charcoal direct-fire grilling

• Gochujang charcoal bulgogi 150g ₩14,900 (highly recommended, hand-made, aged in a jar for 1,440 minutes)
• Charcoal grilled pork belly with salt 150g ₩15,900 (hand-made, aged in a jar for 1,440 minutes)
• Juljuli teukmokssal 150g ₩15,900
• Seolhwa kkodeulsal 150g ₩17,900 (daily-limited special cut)

Meal menu

• Charcoal fried rice ₩6,900
• Flat bibim noodles ₩6,900
• Hangover sundubu stew ₩6,900
• Mrs. Im Soyoung's doenjang stew ₩6,900
• Changdong-ne steamed egg with shrimp ₩5,900

Grilled sides

• Seasoned kkomjangeo (hagfish) ₩13,900
• Honeycomb tripe ₩12,900
• Charcoal-grilled chicken feet ₩13,900
• Grilled roe-filled smelt ₩9,900
• Charcoal-grilled dried filefish ₩5,900

Below the menu it says, "Enjoy the flavor of charcoal grilling safely with our patented clean briquettes." Some people worry about smell or smoke at charcoal restaurants. I ate way more comfortably than expected. Each table has its own ventilation duct hanging down, so smoke cleared out quickly.

The side dishes that come with every order

The banchan (side dishes) at Gamdol Yeontan Jip come as one plate with potato salad, scallion salad, and dried radish strips, plus three sauces. They're set down as soon as you sit. The tablecloth says "hand-made side dishes made fresh every dawn at the restaurant," and honestly, everything tasted clean and well made.

The scallion salad in particular is made to eat with the meat. One bite of fatty pork belly, one chopstick of scallion salad on top — it keeps going endlessly.

Grilling over real briquette fire at the table

At Gamdol Yeontan Jip, a charcoal fire is set right in the middle of the table. Just looking at the glowing red charcoal puts me in a good mood already. The moment the meat hits the grill, the sound and smell are the real deal. There's a distinct, slightly smoky flavor you just don't get from gas or even charcoal briquettes elsewhere. This flavor is exactly why people come to charcoal restaurants.

Alongside the meat, we grilled kimchi and green onion too. Charcoal-grilled kimchi is basically cheating. It turns slightly sweet, and paired with the meat, the balance is just right. The fire is strong so things cook fast — I'd recommend grilling a little at a time instead of loading up all at once. If you're unsure of timing, the owner will let you know as they pass by.

Salted pork belly and the daily-limited seolhwa kkodeulsal

We had the charcoal grilled pork belly with salt ₩15,900 and the seolhwa kkodeulsal ₩17,900. The pork belly, aged in a jar for 1,440 minutes, has a subtle seasoning baked right into the meat. The salt isn't overpowering, so it's delicious even without dipping sauce. There's plenty of fat but it's not greasy — crispy outside, juicy inside. If you searched for Yangjae Citizen's Forest pork belly restaurant, this is the default order.

And now the real highlight. Seolhwa kkodeulsal ₩17,900, sold in limited quantity each day. It's a specialty cut with limited supply, so if you go late, it might be sold out. This was genuinely so good. True to its name, it has a chewy texture, but it's not tough — the more you chew, the more the nutty flavor comes through. If pork belly is soft and juicy, kkodeulsal is the fun-to-chew flavor. One bite in, and I ordered more immediately. Ask "is there kkodeulsal left?" the moment you arrive.

1-Second Gamgol soju-beer: the drink that steals the night

There's one more thing you absolutely have to try at Gamdol Yeontan Jip. It's the 1-Second Gamgol soju-beer. They mix draft beer with soju, and the ratio is spot on. The soju flavor doesn't overpower, it goes down smooth, but it's not watered down either.

One bite of charcoal-grilled meat, one sip of soju-beer. That combo is the real kicker. Honestly, I think I'd go back just for this. If you're drinking with people who like alcohol, watch out — you might refill infinitely.

Briquette fried rice to finish the meal

Once you're done with the meat, order the charcoal fried rice ₩6,900 at Gamdol Yeontan Jip. It's perfect for that moment when you're full but still want something to cleanse the palate. They serve the fried rice in a square cast-iron tray, placed right on the charcoal fire. A fried egg and namul (seasoned vegetables) sit on top.

Left on the charcoal fire, the bottom crisps up slightly, turning into something like nurungji (crispy scorched rice). That's the best part. Scraping it out with a spoon is its own kind of pleasure. Break the egg yolk and mix it in for double the nutty flavor. The portion is bigger than expected too, so one order for two to share works well.

Adding a stew to the table

All the stews at Gamdol Yeontan Jip are ₩6,900. Fried rice alone felt like it needed something more, so we ordered a stew too. It came out with tofu and zucchini, boiled up spicy, and after eating meat, the broth kept going down easy. Meat, then fried rice, then stew broth to finish — that order worked perfectly. This seems like the kind of flavor people come for as a hangover cure the next day too.

The owner's service at Gamdol Yeontan Jip

I'd be leaving something out if I skipped this part talking about Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch. The owner is genuinely so kind. They greeted us warmly right when we walked in, checked the fire in between grilling, and kept asking if we needed anything. Their tone was relaxed too, so even a first-time visitor loosens up quickly. They even asked if we wanted more side dishes before we ran out. Honestly, it's rare these days to find a place that takes this much care. The food was good, and I left in an even better mood.

Lunch specials at Gamdol Yeontan Jip

Dinner hours at Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch run from 16:30 to 22:00. And for lunch, they run a separate lunch special from 11:00 to 14:00. Office workers nearby could stop by easily for a low-pressure lunch. If you're searching for Yangjae Citizen's Forest Station lunch spots, keep this time slot in mind. That said, lunch is mainly the special menu, so for the full kkodeulsal or pork belly experience, I'd recommend going for dinner.

What to check before you go

• Seolhwa kkodeulsal is sold in limited quantity each day — ask as soon as you arrive
• Definitely have at least one 1-Second Gamgol soju-beer
• Finish with charcoal fried rice, scrape up the crispy bottom too
• Reserve ahead if you're a large group — the hall is spacious enough for group gatherings
• Parking is behind the store, though space isn't super plentiful

Final verdict on Gamdol Yeontan Jip

The taste of the meat, the space, and how kind the owner is. It's hard to find a place that nails all three, but Gamdol Yeontan Jip Yangjae Citizen's Forest Branch did. If you're weighing options for a work dinner spot, I genuinely recommend this one. A spacious hall, meat with that charcoal-grilled flavor, and the soju-beer on top. I keep thinking about the kkodeulsal, so I'll probably be back soon. Next time I want to try the gochujang charcoal bulgogi and the flat bibim noodles too. End of review.