Mapo Korean BBQ second round with whole kimchi: Ijjok

After finishing a platter of beef with a friend on a weekday evening, it somehow felt a shame to call it a night, so we looked around nearby for somewhere to have more meat as a second round.

As we walked toward Hapjeong Station, I remembered Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal (이쪽 김치삼겹살), a place I’d wanted to try for ages, and headed straight there. We were already half full from the beef, so I didn’t think we could eat much—but we ended up clearing 2 portions of pork belly, 1 portion of pork jowl, and even doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), haha.

The atmosphere for a weekday-evening second round

Maybe because it was a weekday evening, finding a table wasn’t difficult at all. Tables ran in a long row toward the back, so it looked perfectly suitable both for a casual second round for two like us and for a larger work dinner. The restaurant itself was not overly cramped and felt fairly spacious, making it a nice place to have a drink and chat comfortably.

On the way in, I noticed several celebrity autographs displayed near the entrance, which made me even more excited for no reason. We were already pretty full from the first round, but somehow looking at those signatures while walking to our table got my mouth watering again, haha. Since it was a weekday evening, there were quite a few other tables that seemed to have gathered in small groups and moved over after finishing their first round too.

Starting the order with fresh pork belly

Once seated, we looked over the menu first, and there were so many choices—from Korean beef brisket to whole pork jowl and pork neck—that it took some thinking. Still, when you come to a pork belly place, you get pork belly, right? So we ordered 2 portions of fresh samgyeopsal (pork belly) without hesitation.

Not long after ordering, the banchan (Korean side dishes) arrived. Even though we were already full, just seeing the dishes made my appetite slowly creep back. The seasoned mung bean sprouts especially stuck with me: they had a soy sauce-based dressing with chopped chili peppers, and eating them with pork belly cut through the richness so well that I kept reaching for them. The lettuce and seasoned scallion salad were fresh too, which made it fun to eat the meat with vegetables.

The staff grill the meat all the way through

From the moment the meat went on the grill, the staff kept an eye on it and cooked it for us. If we had been grilling it ourselves, we probably would have flipped it carelessly since we were already full, but they cooked it to a lovely golden brown, so all we had to do was eat. That’s the beauty of a second round, haha. Being able to just talk with my friend and eat without worrying about the grill was a bigger advantage than I expected.

Although the pork belly was fairly thick, it was grilled crisp on the outside and moist inside, keeping that satisfying chewy texture. The savory richness of the fat came through nicely, and above all, their signature touch was putting an entire uncut kimchi on the grill alongside it.

Deep doenjang-jjigae and whole grilled kimchi

For a side, we went with doenjang-jjigae, and it was honestly a stew that did the basics really well. It didn’t taste like watered-down ssamjang; it had plenty of ingredients and a deep, rich soybean paste flavor that felt soothing after the meat. We started this second round already full, yet still finished every drop of the stew. A spoonful of hot stew to finish a meat meal feels so comforting.

Nutty, savory, and seriously delicious.

One piece of pork belly with one piece of grilled kimchi, and I immediately understood why the restaurant is called Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal. The tangy, well-fermented kimchi with the rich meat made for a combination that kept our chopsticks moving even though we were full. The potatoes grilled alongside were nicely chewy too—such a treat.

Alternating bites with pork jowl

Next came 1 portion of hangjeongsal (pork jowl), and its texture was distinctly different from the pork belly. It was chewy, with more savory flavor emerging as I chewed, so there was something fun about alternating between pork belly, pork jowl, and then pork belly again.

They were both pork, but ordering different cuts and sharing them meant we never got tired of the meal and could keep enjoying it. It was also just the right amount for two people to share.

The owner and staff were all kind, and what I liked most was how attentively they grilled the meat from start to finish.

For people like us who arrive for a second round already full, that is such a major advantage. You do not have to think about grilling at all; you can just sit, talk, and eat. It suited both a drinking gathering and a casual meal really well.

Thinking back, it was satisfying in a totally different way from the beef we had in the first round. The beef had been tender and refined, while the pork belly at Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal was rich, familiar, and filling with the kimchi. This visit really showed me that beef first and pork belly second is a surprisingly good combination.

My friend kept moving their chopsticks while saying they were full, and we both laughed. It is not near my office and takes a deliberate trip to get to, but the fact that I already want to return says it all—good restaurants really are good restaurants, I guess.

Final thoughts after the meal

• Thick pork belly with plenty of juice
• Whole, uncut grilled kimchi—the restaurant’s signature
• Chewy, savory pork jowl that is great alternated with pork belly
• Hearty, deeply flavored doenjang-jjigae with plenty of ingredients
• Staff grill everything from beginning to end, making the meal easy to enjoy

The prices were less burdensome than I expected, too. Since we had already eaten beef for the first round, I had thought we might just have one or two beers with a little food for the second. But even with 2 portions of pork belly, 1 portion of pork jowl, and doenjang-jjigae, it did not feel overly expensive. The amount was satisfyingly filling too, so it felt like we ate quite well for a second round.

Whether you are looking for dinner near Hapjeong Station or a second-round drinking spot, Ijjok Kimchi Samgyeopsal seems like a solid option when you are craving meat. Those who love the pork belly-and-kimchi combination, and especially anyone who likes pork jowl, should be very satisfied. More than anything, the fact that the staff grill everything through to the end means there is almost nothing for diners to worry about, which is exactly why it works especially well for a second round. Next time I am in Hapjeong, I will have to stop by again and try other cuts too.