Cheongna pork belly: kimchi vs. thick-cut kimchi belly at Sammi-jip

We compared two kinds of pork belly, 720g total, at Sammi-jip, a pork belly restaurant in Cheongna. The menu total including doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) and rice came to ₩77,000, and we also worked out how the two cuts differed in texture.

Looking for a good pork belly spot in Cheongna, my husband and I stopped by Sammi-jip. It's a place where you grill not just pork belly but kimchi, minari (water dropwort), and seasoned bean sprouts together on a giant pot-lid griddle.

This time we ordered two servings each of kimchi pork belly and kimchi thick-cut pork belly to compare the two. One thing that stood out: the meat comes already grilled from the kitchen, so eating is easy.

Location and hours at Sammi-jip

Sammi-jip sits on Cheongnacanal-ro 233beon-gil. The signage outside reads "Pot-lid Kimchi Pork Belly Specialist" and "Handmade domestic kimchi."

• 📍 Location: 18 Cheongnacanal-ro 233beon-gil, 1st floor, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–22:30
• 🕘 Last order: 21:30
• 📆 Reservations: Available (contact the restaurant)
• 🅿️ Parking: Available

Where do you park?

There's a dedicated lot right in front of the restaurant. Signage says that when it's full, you can use the parking at Onnuri Somang Church.

📍 Onnuri Somang Church: Cheongnacanal-ro 229-15, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea

We didn't end up using that lot ourselves, so we can't speak to how hard it is to find a spot there.

Interior and group seating

Every table inside has its own overhead hood, and there's a separate group seating area partitioned off from the main hall.

Corkage was listed as free for one bottle at the time of our visit. If you plan to bring your own, it's worth confirming the terms when you reserve.

Ordering two pork belly single items instead of a set

The Sammi Kimchi full set combines pork belly, pork neck, and pork jowl. With doenjang stew included, the 700g full set is ₩73,000, and the 520g half set is ₩56,000.

That day we were in the mood for straight pork belly rather than a mix of cuts, so we skipped the set and went with single items. What caught my eye on the menu was that pork belly itself came in two versions: regular kimchi pork belly and kimchi thick-cut pork belly.

• Kimchi pork belly 180g ₩17,000 × 2
• Kimchi thick-cut pork belly 180g ₩17,000 × 2
• Doenjang stew ₩6,000
• Rice ₩1,000 × 3

That's 720g of meat total, four servings, with a menu total of ₩77,000 for the full order. We usually eat a fair amount, but this felt like a huge portion for two adults. We were stuffed to bursting but finished every last bite.

The basic table setting and self-serve bar

The basic table setting came with dongchimi (watery radish kimchi), lettuce wraps, garlic, salt, ssamjang (dipping sauce), and a house special sauce. We started with the cool dongchimi while waiting for the meat.

Anything missing, you can grab yourself from the self-serve bar. It was neatly organized overall, and I picked up extra garlic scapes and pickled peppers.

A pot-lid platter, already grilled from the kitchen

The two servings each of kimchi pork belly and kimchi thick-cut pork belly came out already grilled to eating-ready from the kitchen. Just seeing the two cuts arranged around the edge of the giant pot-lid griddle looked appetizing.

Since we didn't have to grill raw meat ourselves, it was hands-off and easy throughout the meal.

A staff member set kimchi on first, then arranged seasoned scallions, minari, seasoned bean sprouts, onion, and mushroom on the pot lid. After that setup, it's just a matter of warming everything over a low flame and cooking it further to taste.

Even though the meat came pre-grilled from the kitchen, it never felt cold or dried out. Placed on the hot pot lid and kept warming over low heat at the table, it stayed hot and moist to the last bite.

The taste of regular kimchi pork belly and the house sauce

The regular pork belly looked thin at first glance, but each piece turned out to be quite substantial once you picked it up.

There was no gamey smell, and the savory char on the surface came through clearly. The ratio of lean meat to fat was well balanced, and the texture was tender yet chewy with some springiness.

Eaten plain without seasoning it felt a bit bland, so it worked better with sauce. The house special sauce was a soy-based, garlicky sauce similar to chamsauce (sesame oil dipping sauce). Slightly sweet and salty with good garlic aroma, it suited the meat better for me than salt or ssamjang.

How was the kimchi thick-cut pork belly?

The kimchi thick-cut pork belly lived up to its name in thickness. Despite being chunky, it was cooked through evenly, and each bite delivered a clear burst of juiciness.

Comparing the two side by side, though, the lean part of the thick-cut belly felt a little drier than the regular pork belly. If we'd only ordered the thick-cut version we'd have enjoyed it plenty, but the balance of tenderness and fat in the regular kimchi pork belly suited my taste better.

Grilled aged kimchi paired with seasoned scallions

Kimchi, seasoned scallions, minari, and seasoned bean sprouts all get grilled together on the pot lid. It was an unusual touch that even the seasoned scallions, normally eaten cold, went straight onto the griddle.

The kimchi was whole-cabbage-style aged kimchi (mukeunji). The sourness was medium, not overpowering, and even as aged kimchi it kept a crisp texture. The seasoning wasn't overly sharp, just pleasantly salty, and paired well with the meat.

Once it soaked up the pork belly fat on the griddle and turned golden, the kimchi's savory flavor really came alive, pairing especially well with the pork belly. We alternated between kimchi with minari and bean sprouts with scallions, and it was fun mixing up the combinations.

We also made wraps with perilla leaves, meat, grilled kimchi, and a bit of garlic or minari on top. Big chunks of onion and king oyster mushroom cooked alongside the meat too, and we ate those as well.

Eating the hot seasoned scallions made us crave the cold version too, so we asked for it separately. It arrived quickly and in a generous portion. It had a spicy-tangy flavor that worked well alternating with the greasy pork belly.

Doenjang stew and rice

The doenjang stew was savory with a spicy kick at the end. It had plenty of tofu, zucchini, and mushrooms, and went well with rice.

We started with one bowl of rice each, but my husband added another. Normally we each stick to one bowl, but between the doenjang stew and the meat, we went through three bowls that day.

FAQ

What's the difference between kimchi pork belly and kimchi thick-cut pork belly?

Both are 180g for ₩17,000, so price and quantity are the same, but the thickness and texture differ. The thick-cut belly is chunkier with clearer juiciness but a slightly drier lean part, while the regular belly is more tender and chewy.

How much meat should two adults order?

We ordered 720g, four servings' worth, and even as fairly big eaters we were extremely full. If you're also having doenjang stew and rice, starting with 540g, three servings, and adding more if needed, seems like the better call by our standard.

Do you have to grill the meat yourself?

The meat comes pre-grilled and ready to eat straight from the kitchen. After a staff member arranges the kimchi, seasoned scallions, minari, and seasoned bean sprouts on the pot lid, you just keep it warm over low heat and cook it further to your liking.

Which would we choose again?

Sammi-jip grills the meat in the kitchen for you and lets you pile kimchi, minari, seasoned bean sprouts, and seasoned scallions all onto one pot lid at once, making for an easy, comfortable meal.

Kimchi pork belly and kimchi thick-cut pork belly are both 180g for ₩17,000, but the textures were quite different. The thick-cut belly stood out for its chunky bite and juiciness, while the regular belly was more tender and chewy.

If I had to pick just one, I'd go with the kimchi pork belly again for its better balance of fat and lean meat. The aged kimchi grilled golden in pork belly fat, and the unusual touch of grilling the seasoned scallions right on the griddle, also stuck with me.

Menu items, prices, and operating details are current as of our visit and may change, so it's worth checking before you go.