Three generations at a Suwon Korean BBQ: pork belly with bibim guksu

On a weekend afternoon when I really wanted pork belly, I visited Dojeok Suwon with my mom and my kid — a famous knife-cut pork belly place in Inge-dong. It's supposedly run by a former year-end champion from the show 'Life's Master,' so my expectations were even higher haha.

Dojeok Suwon / Hours: 15:00 - 01:00 / Parking: 4 hours free if you park at Castle Tower

A pork belly restaurant with parking on Nahyeseok-geori in Inge-dong

Dojeok, a pork belly spot in Suwon's Inge-dong, sits on the busy Nahyeseok-geori street, where most places don't offer parking support, so people usually end up parking on the street. But Dojeok gives you 4 hours of free parking if you park at Castle Tower, two buildings over — so great! On this weekend afternoon the lot was quiet, so parking was easy.

After parking, we went up to the 1st floor and crossed over to the side, where Dojeok Suwon was conveniently located.

The exterior of the delicious knife-cut pork belly spot, Dojeok Suwon!

Knife-cut pork belly was listed as the best menu item, so I was curious what it actually was. We walked in with high hopes after seeing the appetizing menu board.

Inside the restaurant and seating

The interior of Dojeok Suwon! We came at an in-between hour and were the first customers, so I could take my time photographing the place. There are quite a lot of tables and they're spacious, so it seems like a comfortable spot for work dinners, family meals, gatherings, or drinks in Inge-dong.

Dojeok Suwon is run by a top pork belly master — I was so curious how the pork belly would taste.

Dojeok Suwon says it only serves top-grade domestic female pig!

Menu and order — three servings of knife-cut pork belly

Let's browse the menu. There was knife-cut pork belly, gochujang pork belly, hwangje deosal, and hangjeongsal on offer, plus kimchi kalguksu, bibim guksu, mul naengmyeon, bibim naengmyeon, and steamed egg for the noodle menu. With two adults and one child, we first ordered three servings of Dojeok's signature knife-cut pork belly.

For basic side dishes we got lettuce wraps and salad, green onion and bean sprout salad, kimchi, and garlic. My kid loved the bean sprout salad and ate it all up haha.

These were set out one per person — sliced onion, ssamjang (dipping paste), gochujang sauce, and soybean powder. It's been a long time since a BBQ place gave out soybean powder, so I was pleasantly surprised! Also, chopsticks wrapped in paper covers are rare these days too — the table felt spotless and hygienic.

How the knife-cut pork belly arrives

Three servings of knife-cut pork belly arrived. These days it's often shocking how little meat you get when eating out, but this was a very satisfying amount haha. They rubbed the grill with the fatty part first, then laid the knife-cut pork belly on.

You can just tell the meat quality is good, right? Dojeok's knife-cut pork belly is hand-scored 200 times a day for even thickness! It's said to go through 72 hours of in-house aging, giving it juicy, rich flavor, with tender texture and a nutty taste without any gamey smell. Seeing the scoring, I immediately understood why it's called 'knife-cut' pork belly.

It's turning a nice golden brown... At Dojeok Suwon, the staff grill it for you themselves, which made eating out so much more comfortable. A lot of pork specialty places don't grill for you, so this felt precious haha.

The free doenjang jjigae had that exact spicy, savory flavor you want from a BBQ restaurant's stew — loved it!

Look how full the table is, right? I thought they'd just cut the meat right at the table, but after the initial sear they took it to the kitchen for cutting. When I asked why, they said it's to cut cooking time with a pre-heated grill, and the master cuts it evenly in the kitchen!

They bring it back cut into appetizing pieces and put it back on the grill. It's cooking beautifully... The ventilation system also seemed excellent — I could actually see the smoke getting pulled straight into the vents. Maybe that's why the smell barely clung to my clothes, which surprised me haha.

The sizzling, deliciously cooked knife-cut pork belly from the master at Dojeok Suwon!

The fat-to-meat ratio looked just right and the pieces felt thick, so I dipped one straight in ssamjang and took a bite...

It was cooked just right — not tough at all, tender, with the fat spreading through it, and my dopamine spreading right along with it. The friendly staff grilled the meat really well.

I also tried wrapping it in lettuce — added bean sprouts, green onion, onion, and roasted garlic on top. Such a full, satisfying bite.

The cooked pieces get moved onto what looks like a stainless mesh, and they kept grilling the rest. Usually three servings feels skimpy for three people, but because Dojeok's knife-cut pork belly is so thick, it actually felt like plenty!

Since they gave us soybean powder, I dipped a piece in that too — the fatty pork flavor mixed with the nutty soybean powder so well. Even my elementary schooler ate the knife-cut pork belly with gusto!

How big are the 7,000-won mul naengmyeon and bibim guksu?

When food's this good you just keep taking photos lol. Once the meat was down to about this much, we ordered our noodles. My mom and kid wanted mul naengmyeon, and I wanted tangy bibim guksu to eat with the pork belly, so we ordered both.

The mul naengmyeon showed up first! But wait — this is only 7,000 won and the size and portion look like this?? It was almost the size you'd get at one of those 'wash-basin naengmyeon' places lol. The icy slush on top made it look so appetizing.

The noodle portion was seriously huge too. Such a generous restaurant, this Dojeok Suwon...★

I'd been saving a piece of pork belly for when the noodles arrived, and put it right on top of the naengmyeon. Need I say more about this combo... My kid also happily ate the noodles topped with meat.

Next up, the star of the show — bibim guksu. Thin wheat noodles topped with kimchi, perilla leaves, cucumber, and boiled egg, with plenty of sauce poured on for a hearty portion. This one's also 7,000 won... whoa.

I was definitely full by this point, but seeing this made my appetite come right back haha.

The bibim guksu portion is genuinely huge!! I thought there was no way I'd finish it...

Wrapping pork belly in bibim guksu

Whoa, I wrapped the pork belly in bibim guksu and just went for it...

It's just genuinely delicious. This was seriously the highlight. If you're heading to Dojeok Suwon, take note: order the bibim guksu and wrap it with the pork belly, no question. The bibim guksu here is legit;;;;; I went yesterday and I already want to go back and eat like this again...

I was sure the portion would be too much, but I finished the whole bibim guksu myself. And the knife-cut pork belly? Cleared too, obviously haha.

They even gave us an apron, but by the end I was covered in sauce anyway lol. I don't even remember how much I enjoyed eating haha.

Castle Tower parking voucher and final thoughts

The 4-hour Castle Tower parking voucher we received after paying! There's no pre-payment machine on the way out — you just put the voucher in at the exit.

Parking available in Inge-dong, a spacious and comfortable space, kind staff, and above all excellent-quality, delicious meat plus a perfect noodle menu — Dojeok is a pork belly spot in Inge-dong that delivers on all fronts! My mom, my kid, and I — three generations — all left this meal happy and satisfied. Highly recommend it if you're looking for a place to eat out, host a work dinner, gather with family, or go on a date near Inge-dong!!