Sunday-evening wait and 2nd-floor swing at Namyangju BBQ: 2002 Witch's

• Business name: 2002 Witch's Arpeggio
• Menu: tomato-jang pork belly, potato pancake and more
• Hours: 11:00–21:00
• Parking: dedicated lot in front of restaurant

Location and parking — near Myojeoksa Valley

2002 Witch's Arpeggio sits near Myojeoksa Valley in Wabu-eup, Namyangju. We were spending the weekend in Namyangju with our kid and looking for dinner when we found a place serving tomato-jang pork belly! Curious, we went to check it out haha.

Parking was available right in front of the restaurant, but there was also a large lot across the street! Plenty of space made things convenient.

Atmosphere by the valley and the 2nd-floor waiting area

The restaurant sits right next to the valley, so it was cool and the atmosphere was great. Apparently during peak summer season it's packed with valley visitors ☺️ We couldn't get into the water, but just looking at it felt healing hahaha.

There were too many guests inside for me to get a photo, but there were both outdoor and indoor seating options to choose from.

We arrived around 5:30pm on a Sunday and every seat was already full, so we couldn't avoid the wait 🥲

After putting our name down, we walked around while waiting for our turn, and the valley here was really pretty! Seems like a nice spot to bring parents too haha.

We went up to the 2nd-floor waiting area. It was spacious and comfortable, and there was a swing our kid loved, so the wait wasn't boring at all.

After about 20 minutes we were seated. We chose indoor since we thought our kid would get cold outside! As soon as we walked in we saw the aging jars.

Pork belly made with tomato-jang...🤔 I had no idea what it would taste like. But everywhere you looked there were signs of how long the owner had researched tomato-jang, and you could feel the pride behind it! My expectations for the taste kept rising.

This was our assigned table. Even though it was indoors, it was by the window so it didn't feel stuffy, and a cool breeze came through, which was nice.

Menu and order — a separate kids' menu too

Besides the main tomato-jang pork belly, there was potato pancake and fried rice, plus a separate kids' menu, which made it feel like a great place to visit with children. In fact, besides our table there were many other family tables with kids too.

Gomfinut's Pick!

• Jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly (2 servings)
• Witch's crispy-outside chewy-inside potato pancake
• Tteokgalbi kids set
• Squid roe scorched-rice fried rice in stone pot

The tomato-jang pork belly had 3 spice levels, and we ordered the mildest one. It was described as being about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, and since we figured it'd still be too spicy for our kid, we also ordered the kids' menu. We ordered generously with potato pancake and fried rice as sides too, since we were hungry 🤗

Food review — from side dishes to fried rice

After ordering, the side dishes were set out quickly.

Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and wheat crepes. They explained the wheat crepes are meant to wrap the meat in. It seemed like an unusual combination, but then I thought about how bossam wrapped in rice cake wraps is surprisingly good too.

Wrap vegetables, pickled radish, seaweed, ssamjang (wrap dipping sauce), tomato kimchi, perilla leaf oil-jang. That was the first time I'd seen tomato kimchi! I wondered if it would work, but the spicy seasoning went surprisingly well.

Also the first time I'd seen perilla leaf oil-jang, and it was so good ❤️ Quite spicy, but the kind of flavor that keeps you reaching for more!

Jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly, 2 servings

Finally, the main dish arrived! Jar-aged tomato-jang pork belly. The appetite-stirring red-seasoned pork belly along with the bean sprouts and mushrooms made for a generous portion, even for two servings. It was quite different from the usual gochujang pork belly. The seasoning was richer, and there was a subtle tomato scent. I really couldn't guess what it would taste like! 🤔

The staff flipped the meat for us along the way, and at the end there was even a fire show! 🔥

For the first bite I just tried the meat with bean sprouts, and the tomato scent was less intense than expected. But it wasn't a gochujang flavor either — it was something mysterious, and it really suited our taste!! It paired really well with the crunchy bean sprouts.

We also wrapped it in the wheat crepes, and the combination with raw seaweed and pickled radish was the best!

The perilla leaf oil-jang...👍 If they sold this, I would've bought some to take home. I bet it'd be great with plain warm rice too.

Witch's crispy-outside chewy-inside potato pancake

This is Witch's crispy-outside chewy-inside potato pancake. The visual alone was on another level compared to potato pancakes I've had elsewhere. True to its name, crispy outside, chewy inside.

Dipped lightly in the soy sauce it came with and topped with onion, the texture was crisp and crunchy!

Tteokgalbi kids set

This is the tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) kids set we ordered for our child. Served on a cute panda tray, our kid loved it and ate well! With only combinations kids tend to love, it seems like a can't-miss menu item.

Squid roe scorched-rice fried rice in stone pot

We were already full from the pork belly and potato pancake, but how could we not order the fried rice...?😘 They brought out a small stone pot.

I think we would've regretted skipping it hahaha. True to its name, the squid roe scorched-rice fried rice really was packed with squid roe. It was mixed well with the other ingredients. With cheese, seaweed flakes and pickled radish, there was no way it could taste bad. Definitely order it! A must!

Final thoughts — a reason to come back with our kid

Unfamiliar but delicious tomato-jang pork belly enjoyed with a gorgeous valley view! Our family decided we're definitely coming back next summer hahaha. Our kid was also a bit sad about seeing the valley right there but not being able to get in. Now I understand why this place is so popular in summer. During peak season, you'd definitely need to line up early! If you want to try a special menu in a quiet spot, I highly recommend visiting once.