Korean barbecue restaurant in Mapo, Seoul: Geumseong Hoegwan pork set

A friend and I went to Geumseong Hoegwan Hapjeong Main Branch (금성회관 합정본점) for pork belly and pork neck at lunch. I had heard that it had appeared on Live Today, so we sought it out and ordered its signature pork set.

How long is the walk from Hapjeong Station, and is parking available?

The restaurant is between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations, on the first floor at 78 Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It took me about 10 minutes to walk from Hapjeong Station, and there was no parking support. The original post lists its hours as 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily, open year-round.

A meat order comes with free sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew), and there was also a notice saying that steamed egg is offered for waits of more than 10 minutes.

What was the atmosphere like on Saturday lunchtime?

I visited at noon on a Saturday, and there were quite a few diners. It looked to me as if the dining room could seat around 40 to 50 people.

How much is the pork set, and what does it include?

There were pork and beef options, and the Korean beef caught my eye, but I chose the signature pork set. It costs ₩55,000 and includes 400 g of pork belly with rib bone and 200 g of pork neck, for 600 g in total.

It was a filling amount for lunch. The side dishes included kimchi, lettuce, onion sauce, wasabi, doenjang (fermented soybean paste), ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), as well as breadcrumbs and teriyaki sauce. We could request free refills of any side dishes that ran low.

The range of sauces made it easy to try the meat in different combinations. The owner also kindly explained how to eat it.

I also had the sundubu-jjigae included with the meat order. Along with the meat, the pork set came with mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers.

Do staff grill the meat, and how were the pork belly and pork neck?

The staff par-cooked the meat and then cut it for us, which made grilling easier. They started with the pork belly with rib bone. Cut into thick pieces, it had a substantial texture from both the fat and lean meat; it also gave me a crisp bite similar to hangjeongsal (pork jowl).

I especially liked the pork belly with salt and wasabi. Dipping it in breadcrumbs and teriyaki sauce also worked well.

The pork neck we had next was lighter than the pork belly, with impressive juices. Even 200 g felt quite generous to me, and my companion was satisfied with both cuts.

I ate the pork neck with breadcrumbs and teriyaki sauce, too. I did not notice the characteristic pork smell, so it tasted clean. The grilled zucchini was lightly seasoned, so I preferred it with a little salt.

How were the pork skin and Korean beef yukhoe naengmyeon?

We also ordered one serving of pork skin for ₩10,000. The wide pieces came with soybean powder and chili sauce.

The pork skin splattered oil while grilling, so I stood back a little. Both the soybean powder and chili sauce suited my taste, so I dipped it in both.

My friend also ordered the ₩12,000 Korean beef yukhoe naengmyeon (cold noodles with seasoned raw beef). I cannot eat raw food, so I did not taste it myself. My friend said the yukhoe felt chewy and fresh, and the noodles were in the bibim-naengmyeon style.

Was lunch with the pork set satisfying?

The pork belly and pork neck were tender, and ₩55,000 for the pork set felt like a reasonable price to me. The sundubu-jjigae and many side dishes made for a filling meal, and the staff's help with par-cooking was convenient. I especially remember the salt-and-wasabi and breadcrumb-and-teriyaki combinations.