Dog stroller and tomato side dish at a Namyangju BBQ: 2002 Witch's

Wondering what to do on the weekend, I just decided to hop in the car. I'd been staying indoors way too much lately. I kept picturing grilling meat while listening to a creek, so I headed just outside Seoul. That's how I ended up at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio (2002 마녀의 아르페지오).

Parking and waiting at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio

Parking at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio was genuinely easy. There's a spacious gravel lot right below the restaurant.

Even on a weekend afternoon, I didn't have to circle around looking for a spot. There was plenty of room to get Terry's stroller out and gather our stuff.

There's a big sign at the entrance, and the moment we sat down and saw the view of the creek, my friend and I both went "whoa~" at the same time.

The table sits right above the creek. You keep hearing the water the whole time — I get why people call this a Namyangju creek-view restaurant.

Outdoor creekside seats with a dog stroller

If you're looking for that outdoor-seating feel among Namyangju restaurants, you'll probably like 2002 Witch's Arpeggio — it's a row of yellow parasol outdoor seats. Terry sat quietly in his stroller, and there were other people with dogs at the next table too. It was easy to see why people search for dog-friendly restaurants in Namyangju and end up here haha.

• 🍅 2002 Witch's Arpeggio / 142 Suryero661beon-gil, Wabu-eup, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours 11:00–21:00, break time 15:30–17:00
• 🐶 A restaurant that's great to bring your dog to

What the tomato-jang pork belly tastes like

We ordered two servings of the Witch's cheese tomato-jang pork belly, pollock roe stone-pot fried rice, a beer, and a zero-sugar cola for my friend and me.

We picked the slightly-bad-guy spice level. It all came to ₩64,000 total. When the plate came out, the color kind of surprised me.

I was like, isn't this gochujang?! But apparently it's made from tomatoes. A staff member came over and torched the cheese right on top — that moment stuck with me.

The smell was really good. Both my friend and I grabbed our phones first lol.

How spicy is the "slightly bad guy" level?

I tried the first piece plain, with nothing on top. The spice hits first, then a sweetness follows behind it.

They say slightly-bad-guy is about Jin Ramen spicy level, but for me it came in a bit stronger than that. Piling on the cheese really pushes that heat down though. I also tried wrapping it in a rice cracker with bean sprouts, and that combo worked the best for me. Wrapped in seaweed was good too.

The seasoned tomato side dish

Among the side dishes at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio, the tomato salad was a surprise. After all that greasy food, one bite and your palate resets completely.

Both my friend and I kept reaching for it. There's also japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), though the portion is small — but given how heavy the main dish is, maybe that's the right amount. Between the pickled radish and perilla leaf oil sauce, one plate ends up eaten a bunch of different ways.

Finishing with pollock roe nurungji stone-pot fried rice

Last up was the stone-pot fried rice. You flip a 5-minute hourglass and wait, then mix it all together.

The nurungji (scorched rice) crisps up on the bottom, and scraping it off was half the fun. Even full, our spoons kept going back in. If you're looking for a Namyangju BBQ restaurant that also nails the ending, this one's solid.

What I liked and what fell short at 2002 Witch's Arpeggio

What I liked most about 2002 Witch's Arpeggio was, unsurprisingly, the seating. Eating to the sound of the creek made the same meat taste different. I think the reason this place is known for tomato-jang pork belly ultimately comes down to that sauce.

There are downsides too. It's outdoors, so you're at the mercy of the weather. We had an overcast day, which was perfect, but on a hot day you might want to consider the second floor instead. Also, once you're done eating, staff ask you to move to a seat closer to the water — so lingering leisurely for a long time isn't really an option.

Next time I'll try going one spice level down. I feel like the tomato-jang flavor would come through better that way. I'll probably bring Terry again too. My friend said next time we should sit by the water a bit longer.