Korean BBQ date near Hapjeong Station: miedeung-gyeopsal at Jipbuldon

I'm Sobiwang Yangaeng, the shopping queen who hunts down fun, new things! This time I went on a Hongdae–Hapjeong date with my boyfriend for the first time in a while! We walked over 20,000 steps that day, so I suddenly started craving meat!! And that's how we ended up at Jipbuldon, a Korean BBQ place near Hapjeong Station whose delicious smell was drifting out onto the street.

Where is Jipbuldon Hapjeong and when is it open?

Jipbuldon Hapjeong is at 76 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the first floor. It is open from 11:30 to 24:00, every day of the year.

What Jipbuldon Hapjeong looks like inside and out

This is what Jipbuldon looks like from outside. As the "jip" (straw) in the name suggests, it's a place where you can eat meat seared over a straw fire first. Being able to check the menu and prices outside beforehand was another plus, haha.

Jipbuldon Hapjeong also accepts the Livelihood Recovery Consumption Coupon, so keep that in mind if you plan to use one!

And this is the inside! There's one charcoal brazier, and I liked that the tables are spacious and clean.

Jipbuldon Hapjeong menu and prices: what to order

If you can't decide what to order at Jipbuldon, I recommend the set menu, the straw-fire mixed platter (₩54,000). It includes pork belly + pork neck + miedeung-gyeopsal + stew + assorted vegetables, all in one!! If you're curious about the other dishes and prices, check the menu photos.

There are also tips on the table for eating it the tastiest way, so be sure to follow them!

Jipbuldon side dishes and gamtae (seaweed) salt

Jipbuldon brings out side dishes and sauces as standard, and it's a pretty generous spread, right? The white kimchi and the gamtae (seaweed) salt impressed me most! According to Jipbuldon, it's a nationwide first, a gamtae salt that brings out the flavor of the meat as much as possible, and they make it in the shop themselves!

The meat arrives already seared once over the straw fire, and then gets grilled once more over charcoal. Having the staff grill it for us was sooo comfortable~

Which stew to get at Jipbuldon: aged kimchi stew

The stew that comes with the Jipbuldon mixed platter has an option, and I really, truly recommend the aged kimchi (mukeunji)! The aged kimchi stew was amazing! It even has rice inside, so it worked as a filling meal too :)

How does Jipbuldon's straw-fire mixed platter taste?

Here comes the star of the day! The straw-fire mixed platter, ₩54,000, with pork belly + pork neck + miedeung-gyeopsal + stew + assorted vegetables.

Isn't it packed? The vegetables are varied too: enoki mushrooms, pine mushrooms, onion, potato and even minari (water dropwort)! It's been seared once before it comes out, so it looks incredible already, right? Haha.

The meat itself looked high quality, and then it's straw-fire seared on top of that, so honestly it was a crazy combo where it's harder for it to be bad, lol.

Even good meat is wasted if it's grilled badly, but at Jipbuldon the staff grill and cut the meat at the perfect timing, so it was so comfortable~ I think that's why a lot of couples come here for dates.

Grilling order: pork neck, pork belly, then miedeung-gyeopsal

At Jipbuldon, the staff grilled the meat in the order pork neck > pork belly > miedeung-gyeopsal! I had miedeung-gyeopsal for the first time this visit, and the chewy, springy texture was totally my style! Please try it at least once!!!

See how thick the meat is? The juices are alive~ They grill the minari together with it too, so a fragrant aroma rises up, which made it even better~!

Sichuan jjapaghetti at Jipbuldon, the perfect side for pork BBQ

Okay everyone, from now on it's jjapaghetti (black bean instant noodles) with meat~! Jipbuldon sells a Sichuan jjapaghetti, and with chili powder in it, it's a little spicy but goes sooo well with the meat~!!!

The noodles were perfectly chewy too, so I finished them the moment they came out, lol.

How to eat Jipbuldon's pork without it getting too rich

Time to brag about the meat again! The meat the Jipbuldon staff grill is cut into a really good bite size, so it's perfect for wrapping in lettuce or dipping in sauce!

• Eat it with pickled onions
• Dip it in Jipbuldon's own gamtae sauce
• Wrap it in chives

With so many ways to enjoy it, I never got tired of the meat the whole time, haha. I left really full and happy! I think it was a perfect way to end the day, lol.

If you're like me and looking for a great meat place in Hapjeong, or you want delicious straw-fire seared BBQ that's grilled for you, I recommend Jipbuldon Hapjeong!