Suwon restaurant near Ajou Univ. with self-serve fried rice: Sarangjip

Sarangjip 📍18-7 1F, Ajuro 39beon-gil, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea ⏰ Daily 11:00AM - 10:00PM (Break time 2:30-4:30PM)

Why I chose Sarangjip, the pork kimchi grill spot near Ajou University

A friend who lives in Suwon raved about a really good pork kimchi grill place near Ajou University, so I got curious and went to check it out haha🥹 Honestly I always thought pork kimchi grill tastes decent no matter where you eat it, but hearing my friend hype it up so much made me expect even more haha.

The place I visited this time was Sarangjip, known as a must-eat spot near Ajou University! 🫶 Being right in front of a university area, the prices were really easygoing, and the menu lineup felt exactly like something students would love. I think it'd also be great for anyone nearby wanting a hearty, filling meal.

Inside Sarangjip: retro dining room and open-air seats by the door

The interior has a retro look, and since the front door was left open we sat near the entrance for that open-air vibe haha. It was so nice and breezy~~

Where to park at Sarangjip in Suwon

For anyone driving, take note! You get 1 hour of free parking at the Uman 2-dong paid public parking lot~~

Sarangjip menu and prices

Besides the main pork kimchi grill, Sarangjip's menu includes lunch specials like pork kimchi fried rice for ₩5,000, a large portion for ₩6,000, and large plus extra meat for ₩6,500.

Side dishes include soy sauce egg rice for ₩3,000 and egg stew for ₩3,000, and soju and beer are each ₩4,500 — overall the prices are really reasonable! There were also plenty of highball options. Above all, the fact that the signature pork kimchi grill is only ₩19,000 already gives off that great university-area value.

Pregnancy badge and review event perks at Sarangjip

Also, if you show a pregnancy badge at Sarangjip, they'll give you a free egg stew. Worth remembering if that applies to you~!! They were also running an SNS post event and a receipt review event, where you can get either a free drink or fried rice!

Free refills on Sarangjip's side dishes

The basic side dishes that came out were pretty generous too. They serve corn salad, mayonnaise, ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), perilla leaves, bean sprout soup, and pickled radish — and all of these are refillable!! The perilla leaves in particular were in great shape! No bug-eaten marks or spoiled bits, which I really liked👍

Pork kimchi grill for 19,000 won, flame-kissed on arrival

Finally, the pork kimchi grill we ordered arrived, and the visuals alone made my mouth water🤤 What I loved most was that it comes already cooked with that smoky fire flavor!!

There's a portable burner on the table, so once the food arrives you can turn on a low flame and eat it warm. It was also great not having to wait to grill the meat from scratch — you can dig in right away.

The dish has pork, kimchi, and onion all together, and the subtle smoky flavor blended really well with the tangy kimchi and the savory pork.

The owner's perilla leaf wrap combo

They recommended not just eating the meat plain, but wrapping the perilla leaf with kimchi, onion, and the pork kimchi grill, then adding mayonnaise, ssamjang, and garlic. I tried it exactly that way and it was definitely delicious😍 The distinct aroma of the perilla leaf, the spicy-tangy kimchi, the smoky meat, and the smooth mayo all combined — the flavor really comes alive in one wrap!

Bomb-sized steamed egg custard for 3,000 won

And the side dish I personally loved the most was the egg stew.

Such a steal for ₩3,000!! It caught my eye right away for being that bomb-style egg stew, puffed up plump on top and looking so appetizing. When I scooped it up with a spoon, the egg was soft and moist, and it went great alongside the pork kimchi grill.

Since the kimchi grill has that smoky, spicy kick, eating a bit of egg stew in between mellows out the flavor nicely! Between the two of us, with one main dish plus rice and egg stew, the portion turned out to be surprisingly a lot.

Tablet refills and finishing with self-serve fried rice

Partway through, we used the tablet to order refills of sweet corn and perilla leaves hahaha. Actually at first I thought about ordering fried rice too, but after already eating the pork kimchi grill, rice, and egg stew, I was already completely full lol.

So instead of ordering fried rice separately, we made our own self-fried rice with the leftover rice. We mixed the remaining pork kimchi grill, kimchi, and sauce into the rice, and it turned out way more delicious than expected lol. The seasoning from the kimchi grill itself pairs so well with rice, so frying it up at the end made for the perfect finish.

If you're looking for a pork kimchi grill spot near Ajou University that's budget-friendly and filling, I recommend Sarangjip!