Mapo Korean BBQ for juicy pork belly: Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal

Between Hapjeong and Sangsu, on a Friday when pork belly and soju were calling

Between Hapjeong and Sangsu, there are so many great restaurants and pretty cafés. Isn’t finding gems among them the very mission of food explorer Doossi??

Just as pork belly and soju call your name after work on a Friday, that was exactly what I was craving today. So I came with my college friends.

This is a pork belly spot with incredible meat quality, where the owner grills it beautifully. Seriously, it ranks in my top five pork belly restaurants I’ve ever tried. (Seriously, highly recommended.)

Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal

It’s just a short walk from Hapjeong Station, so take note if you’re using the subway~~

When I walked in, I saw that lots of famous people had visited!? Especially foodie Lee Su-ji too?? That’s proof this place is delicious★ This is officially the boss of Hapjeong meat restaurants from now on!

A two-level dining room and second-floor seating

The layout was pretty interesting. The restaurant is divided into first and second floors, and the second floor has seats lined up along just one side like this. There was a work dinner happening downstairs, so we took a second-floor table to chat and eat comfortably :)

The owner’s recommended way to enjoy the meat

The owner at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal’s highly recommended way to eat the meat!! The fresh wasabi plus salt combo is such a foodie move, and meat plus kimchi plus bean sprouts—okay, memorized~~

And generally, the owner grills the meat for you, and he is seriously good at it. Let’s trust him with it~!?

The ₩55,000 set and its sides

Here’s the pricing!! Also, isn’t that ₩55,000 set such a solid deal!?!? We picked that one too!! It was perfect for three people~~~

Following the owner’s advice, we portioned out the wasabi and salt!! The wasabi had a nice textured look, so it looked delicious at first glance too!? I like wasabi with bits you can chew. Once I tried it, it even had a little sweetness—good wasabi, right~~ (Maybe it was Samkwang?)

From the tips above, the bean sprouts are meant to be dunked generously in this chamnamul (Korean parsley) sauce!! Ahh, that is honestly cheating~~~ Then I mixed the shredded scallions too, and wow, the sesame-oil aroma was so nutty—these little guys are an outrageously good meat-thief combo~~

But the reason I’m praising this place so much is simple: forget everything else and look at the meat.

2 servings of pork belly, 1 serving of pork jowl

Thick pork belly that bursts with juice in every bite

Look at that color on the meat. Top left is whole pork jowl, and below is pork belly... visuals exploding... It looks delicious already, but when you actually eat it, the juices burst out. Maybe it’s because the pork belly is so thick.

When you go, the owner plates it prettily like this. Ahh, such a comfortable arrangement. Isn’t this why everyone talks about experience!?

There are lots of great meat restaurants around here, you know!? Hapjeong Naengjanggo and so on. But I think this place is kind of overwhelmingly good.

Steamed egg and soybean paste stew included in the set

This is the gyeran-jjim (Korean steamed egg) included with the set★ Ahh~~ it was fluffy and soft, perfectly seasoned, and delicious haha. Taking a spoonful now and then as a drinking snack freshens up your mouth so nicely~~

This little one is doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew)!! Everyone, this set is seriously packed with value hahaha, you have to order it!! The stew had that irresistible nutty flavor unique to homemade-style doenjang, with its savory-sweet charm coming through beautifully and an absolute umami explosion. Look at all those generous ingredients. I’m telling you, this really is a Hapjeong favorite?

Can you see the color of that meat haha? Wow, I drooled a whole liter while writing this blog post,, I want to go back already, nom,, And they grill potatoes too, which is exactly my style,, You have no idea how delicious potatoes crisped up in meat fat are~~

Take one bite of this thick pork belly with salt plus wasabi?? The thickness gives it an incredible texture, and the nutty richness and umami from the fat are doubled.

Most of all, the juices just keep flowing out with every bite, so my friend and I each took a bite of pork belly, our eyes got huge, and we stared at each other.. This place is truly delicious. Trust me and go just once. ★★★★★

Whole pork jowl, meat-fat potatoes, and fried rice

The whole pork jowl was cut up like this, and its crisp-chewy texture was fun and delicious haha. (But pork belly wins by a mile.)

We made ssam (lettuce wraps), had potatoes too. Wow, the potatoes had practically become fries, soaking up all that meat fat—so delicious~~

With the growing number of soju bottles, we couldn’t resist ordering fried rice.. Amazingly, it was only one serving..

How generous can this owner possibly be ㅠㅠ I’m making this my regular spot from today,, Today I visited Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal, a genuinely fantastic meat and pork belly restaurant between Hapjeong and Sangsu. If this isn’t delicious, you can blame me—seriously, 200%. I’m writing this because I truly hope everyone goes at least once.