Gyodae Station pork belly: cold-fresh cuts at Gyodaepae

Wanting thin-sliced pork belly generously sprinkled with black pepper, I visited Gyodaepae (교대패) near Gyodae Station. I ordered the 500 g Gyodaepae Set and grilled the cold-fresh thin-sliced pork belly, pork neck, and thin-sliced pork belly one after another.

How do you get there from Gyodae Station, and is parking available?

Gyodaepae is about a five-minute walk from Exit 14 of Gyodae Station. The address is 23 Seocho-daero 48-gil, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul (서울 서초구 서초대로48길 23, 1층). Parking is unavailable, and the restaurant said Naver reservations were available.

When I visited, the posted hours were 11:30–23:00 from Monday to Saturday. The break was 15:00–17:00, last order was at 22:30, and the restaurant was closed every Sunday and public holiday.

Is it a good space for groups?

I went in at opening time. Each table had a pepper shaker, and the tables were widely spaced. There was also storage space for belongings in every chair, so it looked suitable not only for meals with friends or a partner but also for family gatherings or company dinners.

What meat comes in the Gyodaepae Set?

The meat menu included cold-fresh thin-sliced pork belly, cold-fresh thin-sliced pork neck, thin-sliced pork belly, and pork skin. I ordered the 500 g Gyodaepae Set so I could try several kinds. Yukhoe (raw beef) was listed at ₩10,000.

What lunch dishes and sides are available?

The lunch menu included cheonggukjang (fermented soybean stew) and kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), along with steamed rice, ramen noodles, and sujebi dough pieces. Sides included cheonggukjang, mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles), truffle jjageutti, Sweet Buldak stir-fried noodles, steamed egg, and fried rice.

What banchan comes with the meal, and can you get more?

The basic banchan included lettuce, perilla leaves, chili peppers, scallion salad, seasoned bean sprouts, kimchi, julienned radish salad, ssamjang, and garlic. The kimchi and bean sprouts were good choices to put on the grill alongside the meat.

I could freely get any additional banchan I needed from the self-service bar.

How was the cold-fresh thin-sliced pork belly grilled?

The set came with cold-fresh thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck, along with thin-sliced pork belly. I am usually familiar with very frozen thin-sliced pork belly, so the cold-fresh pork belly and pork neck were new to me, and they looked more appetizing too.

I put the fresh thin-sliced pork belly on the grill first. It cooked quickly with a sizzling sound, so I sprinkled it generously with black pepper and had a shot of soju alongside it.

I also put kimchi on one side of the grill. The meat was cut into large, long pieces, making each bite substantial. Most of all, it cooked quickly, so there was little waiting and the flow of eating did not stop.

I placed the thin-sliced pork belly on a perilla leaf and wrapped it with grilled garlic and bean sprouts. The rich pork belly went well with the bean sprouts’ crisp texture.

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) also arrived during the meal. I liked the broth and thought it would taste good with a bowl of rice.

How was the pork neck different from the pork belly?

The fresh thin-sliced pork neck felt less fatty and milder than the pork belly. Switching to pork neck after eating the rich pork belly made the difference between the cuts clear. If you prefer a leaner cut, pork neck may suit you.

Finally, I grilled the thin-sliced pork belly until golden and finished everything. I was curious about the pork skin too, but I had another meal planned and could not order it, which was disappointing.

It was a filling meal of several kinds of thin-sliced pork with banchan on the side. If I crave thin-sliced pork belly near Gyodae Station, I would like to visit again.