Korean BBQ near Hapjeong Station: fresh pork ribs and jowl, Jeongyukdo

Everyone, I found a legit good meat spot near Hapjeong Station,,, the meat is truly the real deal and the staff are all so kind, which is rare these days — this place has both.

+It's even less than a minute's walk from Hapjeong Station, the accessibility is insane

Jeongyukdo's outdoor patio seats are now open in Hapjeong

The moment we arrived at Jeongyukdo, the patio seats greeted us, but I guess since this is already a well-known meat spot, the patio was completely full ㅜㅜ

This is a shot of the patio taken as we were leaving — it looks insane..(p) Meat really does taste twice as good when you eat it on the patio, right!! I'll aim for a patio seat next time haha

What Jeongyukdo looks like inside

The moment we were led inside, we saw so many autographs on the wall! Looks like a lot of celebrities who know their food have been here..

We sat at a four-person table in the back! The inside was very spacious and the atmosphere was clean and nice — this office worker immediately thought it'd be a good spot for a company dinner too. Also FYI, the inside was very cool/well air-conditioned (important) ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Jeongyukdo menu and what this meal cost

The menu board was nicely organized and easy to read! I usually go for the signature menu, but this time my boyfriend kept singing about wanting pork jowl ㅋㅋㅋ so we ordered two servings of pork jowl, plus fresh rib meat (which I love)!

• Pork jowl, 2 servings (300g) — ₩42,000
• Fresh Hanwoo pork ribs, 1 serving (250g) — ₩19,000

That's what we ordered!

Sign of a real find: Jeongyukdo's side dishes are delicious

Honestly, what made me feel this place is the real deal — even the side dishes were all delicious;; You get 3 basic side dishes, shredded scallions, and pickled onions. The side dishes were genuinely all good, and not many places give you shredded scallions like that these days, so that's totally my type.

+Personally I wish the pickled onions came more soaked in sauce...! Since the sauce is only lightly drizzled on top, the onions were a bit spicy

There are even 3 kinds of meat sauces prepared (salt, wasabi, whole grain mustard), so help yourself to whichever suits your taste! All of them were good

How good is the meat quality at Jeongyukdo?

Wow, you guys ㅜ Jeongyukdo (meaning "meat shop") really lives up to its name here.. it comes out weighed exactly like a real butcher shop! Just looking at the color already gives you confidence... this meat is guaranteed to be delicious...

On the left is the pork jowl (2 servings), on the right is the fresh ribs!

Honest review: pork jowl at Jeongyukdo

FYI, we grilled the pork jowl first! Make sure to load up the mushrooms first!

The crisp, crunchy texture unique to pork jowl and the nutty flavor of the crackly fat, mixed with the smoky char — it's just absolutely amazing, everyone..

FYI, we cut it into bite-sized pieces to eat, but I recommend eating it whole without cutting! You have to stuff a big piece of pork jowl in your mouth and chew it for it to really taste good ㅋㅋㅋ

Grilled crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a bit of wasabi and a dip in salt, there's zero greasiness and it just keeps going in endlessly,,ㅎ

Honest review: fresh pork ribs at Jeongyukdo

Next up, the fresh pork ribs!!

Since these are fresh ribs, not seasoned ones, the quality of the meat itself matters a lot — and there was zero gamey smell, with an insanely nutty flavor!

Wow, everyone, I personally highly recommend the fresh ribs!!! The flavor of the fresh ribs is genuinely insane;; the skin side is chewy and the lean meat melts softly in your mouth — it's light yet bursts with juice the more you chew, truly delicious.. no wonder this Hongdae-area meat place has such a reputation...

If the pork jowl is highly recommended, the fresh ribs are *EXTREMELY highly recommended!!!! Next time I'll order 2 servings of fresh ribs and 1 serving of pork jowl haha

Doenjang sulbap: is the soybean-paste rice worth ordering?

Everyone, this place's doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice) is also great — salty, savory, and goes down so easily.. It's ₩10,000!

Honestly there are no words for this.. you have to order it ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ

Jeongyukdo in Hapjeong: final verdict and summary

Not only is the meat quality great, but the atmosphere is on point too, so I'll be coming back soon (patio seats please). If you're looking for a proper meat place around Hapjeong or Hongdae, Jeongyukdo is a genuine, genuine must-visit!!!! Everyone, catch that patio vibe before it gets any colder...