Samsong Station BBQ: grilling order for 5 pork cuts at Neopttakjip

With the mornings and evenings suddenly turning cool, I got a craving for grilled meat and headed to Neopttakjip, a BBQ spot near Samsong. Friday night calls for meat, am I right~~

What to order at Neopttakjip Samsong Branch

I'd already been to another Neopttakjip location, so the quality and taste of the meat were pretty much guaranteed haha. We started with the mixed grill (600g) plus grilled vegetables (for 2), and figured we'd decide on sides while eating.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The basic side dishes were curry-flavored macaroni salad, kimchi, garlic scape muchim (seasoned garlic stems), and pickled peppers. For lettuce wraps or anything else, you just grab it from the self-serve bar.

And there it is—a meat-aging fridge sitting right there in the restaurant.

The 600g mixed grill: which cut to grill first

On the day I visited, the mixed grill lineup was pork neck, sasaetsal, kkodeulsal, hayansal, and pork belly, and the grilled vegetables were king oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, onion, and sweet potato.

The staff put the pork neck and sasaetsal on first, and told us to save the fattier hayansal and pork belly for later.

They grilled the pork neck and sasaetsal to just the right point. Just looking at it, you could tell it was going to be delicious!!!

Three tips for eating Neopttakjip's pork at its best

Following Neopttakjip's recommended way to enjoy the meat, I first tried dipping it in sesame oil, perilla seed powder, and salt. Savory and salty at the same time, so good~! Sasaetsal, a specialty cut near the loin, was wonderfully chewy.

Second method: I topped the meat with pickled peppers. The spicy kick of the peppers cut right through the fattiness, so the meat never felt greasy!!

Last, the garlic scape muchim! This seasoning was seriously amazing, TT I wish they had a green onion muchim with the same sauce, TT

When you're grilling meat, you're usually flipping pieces nonstop worrying about the cooked ones burning—but this Samsong favorite, Neopttakjip, has a little square plate at the edge of the grill where you can set the finished pieces. It's great being able to eat only perfectly cooked meat from start to finish, no burnt bits haha.

The king oyster mushrooms, grilled in pork fat, are even better if you slice them along the grain and grill them a bit more—so good!!

Kkodeulsal, hayansal and pork belly: the later cuts

Next up, kkodeulsal~

It's a specialty cut from near the neck, and true to its name, it has a fun chewy (kkodeul-kkodeul) texture. Wrapped in lettuce with garlic, obviously delicious, TT The meat itself is so fresh and tasty that any combination works.

Finally, they grilled up the hayansal and pork belly too.

While the rest of the meat was grilling, we skewered the rice cake and sausage that came as a default side on chopsticks to make sotteok-sotteok (rice cake and sausage skewers) 😆

Where did my hayansal photo go 😅 No picture, but it was a cut with just the right amount of fat, savory with a nice crisp texture. My friend who loves fatty cuts said hayansal and kkodeulsal were the best, while I, who prefers lean meat, liked the pork neck the most 😋

The side to add: perilla oil makguksu noodles

600g of meat is quite a lot, but eating only meat felt like it was missing something, so we ordered perilla oil noodles as a side. (Noodles don't count as calories... right?)

What's interesting about the perilla oil noodles here is that there's a red seasoning sauce mixed in. It was also topped generously with seaweed flakes, which I loved haha. Perilla oil noodles are usually a bit bland for my strong-flavor palate, but Neopttakjip's version was seasoned just right for me. The savory perilla oil and seaweed aroma combined with the umami of the sauce made it seriously delicious 🤤🤤

You already know noodles plus meat is a guaranteed winning combo lol. The noodles had a bit of a kick, so the meat tasted great even without dipping it in any other sauce 👍🏻

By the time we finished the noodles, I was seriously full lol. The meat was so good it made me curious about the raw galbi (unmarinated short ribs), TT Next time I'll have to try that!!

Inside Neopttakjip Samsong Branch: seats for group and family dinners

There are about 15 tables inside, and the spacing between them is generous, making it comfortable to eat and chat.

Sometimes in winter, you go to a restaurant and there's nowhere to put your coat, which is annoying—but here you can just tuck it right into the chair lol.

There's also a room that seats around 6 people, so it looks like a good spot for family gatherings or company dinners too 👍🏻👍🏻

The restroom is inside the restaurant and they thoughtfully provide mouthwash...!! Starfield is right next door, so it's great for shopping and eating out together, and it's close to the station, making it easy to visit. Most of all, the meat is delicious, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for good food in Samsong or Wonheung :)

The mixed grill comes with a variety of specialty cuts, so you won't get bored eating it—if you want to try a little bit of everything, give the mixed grill a shot! I'll definitely be going back to try the raw galbi 🤗