Samgyeopsal near Balsan Station: 3 servings and egg rice, Gangseo

I'd already been to the Sinjungdong branch of Chamdwaejitgan twice, so I knew exactly how good the meat was. My husband happened to have errands near Magok one day, so we went for dinner at Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch. It's one of those Balsan Station samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) spots where staff grill the meat for you and you get to eat it with all kinds of sides. Having already visited another branch multiple times, heading there for pork belly again felt like the natural choice.

One minute from Balsan Station Exit 9

Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch is really close to Exit 9 of Balsan Station — under a minute on foot, so it was easy to get to by subway. There are a lot of offices and restaurants around, so on weekday evenings you get plenty of people stopping by after work or for company dinners. Even on the weekday we visited, one side of the restaurant was already packed.

A spacious restaurant that looked great for group dinners

The place already looked fairly big from outside, and once inside it turned out to be split into two separate spaces. The tables weren't cramped, and each one had its own ventilation system, which gave the whole place a clean, well-kept BBQ-restaurant feel. One side was already busy with office workers, so we picked a table in the quieter side that still had some breathing room.

It was quiet at first, but more people trickled in as we ate. If you're looking for somewhere for a company dinner or a bigger group, the size definitely works in its favor.

Each table has a tablet for ordering, and the basic side dishes included shredded scallions, cabbage, and wrap vegetables. There were several sauces to pair with the meat too, so you could mix and match to your taste.

There's also a self-serve bar on one side, so if you run low on wrap vegetables or side dishes, you can freely grab as much as you like.

Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch basics

• Location: under 1 minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 9
• Space: large, split into separate seating areas
• Ordering: tablet ordering at the table
• Self-serve bar: extra wrap vegetables and basic side dishes
• Notable: staff grill the meat for you
• Atmosphere: good for both a casual dinner and a company outing

Ordering 3 servings of pork belly and soy sauce egg rice

We ordered three servings of pork belly (chamsamgyeopsal) and soy sauce egg rice. The pork belly came out thick-cut, served alongside onions and peppers.

One reason I like Chamdwaejitgan is that staff grill the meat for you. Thick-cut pork belly can vary a lot in texture depending on how it's cooked, so it was nice having someone grill it from start to finish.

They cut it into bite-sized pieces and grilled it until golden, and along one side of the grill they added kimchi, bean sprouts, and mugwort. As the pork belly fat cooked into the side dishes, it was fun mixing different combinations into each bite.

Sauces to wraps: enjoying the pork belly every way

The well-grilled pork belly had a golden, crisp exterior with a juicy inside. It was great dipped lightly in salt to taste the meat on its own, or paired with any of the sauces on offer.

I love wrapping my meat, so I piled pork belly and scallions onto perilla leaves. Whenever the wrap vegetables ran low, I could just grab more from the self-serve bar without feeling awkward about it. Grilling the kimchi, bean sprouts, and mugwort alongside the meat gave more variety than eating pork belly alone, so it stayed enjoyable right to the end.

The soy sauce egg rice we ordered came topped with two fried eggs. Mixing the rice with seaweed flakes and egg was a familiar flavor that went well with the meat.

My husband, who's serious about his protein, was especially pleased to see two eggs on top. Adding a piece of pork belly on top made the meal feel even more filling — a good side to have with the meat.

Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch delivered again

After paying at the counter, we found yogurt drinks and candy set out on one side. They even had dental floss ready, which felt like a thoughtful touch for after the meal.

Coming out of a BBQ restaurant, you often want something to cleanse your palate, and it was nice grabbing a yogurt drink at the end. I'd already eaten at the Sinjungdong branch twice and had high expectations for the flavor, and Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch didn't disappoint.

Overall, having the meat grilled for us made things easy, and the variety of sides and sauces made the meal more satisfying. That said, company dinner groups fill the place up even on weekday evenings, so if you want a quiet meal, it's worth keeping the busy hours in mind. If you're looking for a Balsan Station samgyeopsal spot that's close to the station and grills for you, Chamdwaejitgan Magok Branch is a solid choice.