Nowon Korean BBQ with Iberico pork and naengmyeon: Junggye Gogi Party

A Junggye-dong Korean barbecue dinner with my elementary-schooler

My elementary-schooler, who loves samgyeopsal (pork belly), and I had promised ourselves a meal out for the first time in a while. While wondering where to go for dinner, I came across Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch (중계고기파티 노원본점). It is a well-known Korean barbecue restaurant in Junggye-dong, Nowon-gu. Maybe because it was dinner time, the place was quite bustling.

Kiosk ordering and the meat selection

You order by kiosk. From skirt meat and an Iberico assortment to emperor beef rib meat, flower-cut chuck flap, and prime sirloin, the menu has so much variety that choosing is part of the fun~ And the marbling on the Iberico black pork flower-cut chuck flap is no joke.

Prices were divided by cut, from ₩15,000 to ₩26,000 per serving, and I thought they were reasonable for the quality at this popular Nowon meat restaurant. The emperor beef rib meat had marbling worthy of its grand name, so I was excited. Time to grill up the pork jowl my elementary-school son loves~

Salad, wrap vegetables, and all sorts of dipping sauces.

Iberico black pork and self-bar sides

Once we grilled it, the Iberico black pork was wonderful: soft in texture with juices bursting through and a lovely savory richness from the fat. With the banchan (Korean side dishes) and vegetables from the self-bar, we could enjoy every wrap deliciously.

Since it was a birthday, we got into the mood with a highball for the first time in a while~ We ordered grapefruit and bokbunja (Korean black raspberry) flavors, and their sweet yet strong taste really brought the atmosphere along.

A little dip-dip in the various seasonings—this is the good stuff. Such a treat.

My elementary-school son, a real little food connoisseur, said it was incredible and thoroughly enjoyed it. It hit his taste exactly! He said the meljeot (fermented anchovy sauce) and curry salt were made for dipping, or something like that~

The self-bar had wrap vegetables such as lettuce and perilla leaves, plus bean sprouts, mushrooms, garlic, and more, so you can refill only what you need~ There was also sikhye (sweet rice drink), so my son had that instead of a beverage. I usually order a soda for each of us, so I loved that they had sikhye. We could help ourselves to seasoned bean sprouts and scallions, salad, pickles, and wrap vegetables, and enjoy them alongside the meat.

He went on and on about how tender the meat was~ Those juices made it disappear in no time! He said he was going to hurry up and roll it into the naengmyeon.

Mul-naengmyeon and beef brisket doenjang stew after the meat

For our meal dishes, we ordered mul-naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) and beef brisket doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew), and they were perfect for refreshing our palates after the meat. The broth was clean and the noodles nicely chewy~ I almost want to recommend it not just as a Junggye-dong meat restaurant, but as a naengmyeon spot.

Weekday unlimited makgeolli and a puffed-rice donation

Unlimited makgeolli (Korean rice wine)—now that is a real perk. I heard that unlimited makgeolli is free when you order meat or a special menu during weekday daytime hours. I am curious about the fresh makgeolli with tiny ice crystals on top. Right? We could not use the offer because we visited at dinner, but I would love to try it on a daytime visit.

There were yogurt drinks and sikhye, too.

There was even a puffed-rice donation event. A puffed-rice machine stood at the entrance, with a notice saying diners receive one free and that all sales proceeds are donated. It says the money goes to a support fund for youth outside the school system.

Junggye Gogi Party Nowon Branch was really great, from the meat quality to the well-stocked self-bar and services such as unlimited makgeolli. I recommend it for a Nowon family dinner gathering or a work dinner with friends.