Minari, bean sprout and kimchi pork belly combo, Bucheon: Cham

Whenever I'm craving meat, I end up at a pork belly place. This time, though, I went for the real deal — proper Jirisan black pork belly — and I have to tell you about it :) It's Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch.

This wasn't even my first visit — I came back because it was that good, so this review comes with extra confidence. What I especially love is that the staff grill the meat for you, so you can just relax and eat, and the sliced potato grilled alongside the meat is a genuine highlight.

You know how minari (water dropwort) pork belly is everywhere these days? Here, it's not just minari — you get to eat the pork belly with a combo of bean sprouts + kimchi + minari, and honestly the combination was way more delicious than I expected. Totally my thing 🤍

Getting to Cham Dwaejitgan from Sinjung-dong Station

Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch is located at 1F, 68 Jungdong-ro 262beon-gil, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's a great spot for a meal near Sinjung-dong Station, so anyone looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant near Sinjung-dong Station will find it easy to visit. It's introduced as walkable from Exit 3 of Sinjung-dong Station toward Lotte Department Store, so accessibility is pretty solid.

Visiting again, I found myself thinking, 'Right, the meat here really was good!' and naturally ended up coming back. If a place makes you want to return after just one visit, doesn't that pretty much say it all?

What we ordered: black pork belly, gabrisal, kudzu cold noodles

Here's what we ordered this time.

• Jirisan black pork belly
• Gabrisal
• Jirisan kudzu bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles)

Cham Dwaejitgan says it uses quality Jirisan black pork and Boseong nokdon pork. Sure enough, the menu includes both Jirisan black pork belly and Boseong nokdon gabrisal, so you can pick the type of pork that suits your taste.

I was most excited for the pork belly that day. I love regular samgyeopsal too, but I have a soft spot for the extra-chewy texture and savory fat of pork belly.

It's easy when the staff grill for you

When choosing a Korean BBQ restaurant in Bucheon, one thing I quietly care about is whether they grill the meat for you. At Cham Dwaejitgan, the staff grilled it for us themselves, which made things really easy.

The sliced potato that stuck with me as much as the meat

There's something I really have to mention — Cham Dwaejitgan's secret weapon: sliced potato. Thin slices of potato grilled alongside the meat, and it's way more delicious than you'd expect. The juices and fat from the pork naturally soak into the grill as the potato cooks alongside, so it comes out golden and crisp outside, fluffy inside!

Grab a piece of meat, then a piece of potato in between — it's such a treat. I already love grilling side items like potato or mushrooms at Korean BBQ places, and here the thin potato slices went perfectly with the meat. If you want more than just meat at a Bucheon BBQ restaurant, make sure to order this potato.

Minari + bean sprouts + kimchi = pork belly combo

If I had to pick the single best combination of the day, it's this one: minari + bean sprouts + kimchi + pork belly. Minari pork belly is such a trend right now that I always like adding minari when I eat meat, and Cham Dwaejitgan uses domestic minari.

The fragrant minari pairs beautifully with the savory pork, and grilling it together with bean sprouts and kimchi made for a really great combination. The kimchi especially, once it soaks up a bit of the pork fat while grilling, tastes way better than eating it plain. The bean sprouts keep their crunch, which contrasts nicely with the chewy, savory texture of the pork belly.

Top it all off with the fragrant minari and... it's genuinely so good. This combo is actually one of the reasons we ended up coming back haha.

Grilled over real charcoal for proper flavor

Cham Dwaejitgan says it uses only real charcoal. Grilling good meat over charcoal adds a smoky depth on top of the meat's own savoriness, and it really does make a difference. They say the method preserves juiciness with a distinct chaff-smoked aroma, and I could definitely taste a subtle smokiness in the meat.

The pork belly especially, with just the right amount of fat, really came alive with that savory flavor once grilled over charcoal! It was great dipped lightly in salt, and also delicious with wasabi or ssamjang (spicy dipping paste).

Jirisan black pork belly, mixing up the combos

The Jirisan black pork belly lived up to expectations. It had that signature chewy texture along with savory juiciness, so I kept reaching for more.

First I tried it dipped in salt to taste the meat on its own, then with minari, bean sprouts, and kimchi on top, then with the sliced potato... mixing up the combinations like this, the meat disappeared in no time haha. I really think meat tastes better eaten multiple ways rather than sticking to just one method.

Overall thoughts on Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch

This visit to Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch let me enjoy good pork grilled over real charcoal along with a variety of tasty sides. Here's a summary of what I especially liked:

• Jirisan black pork belly
• Boseong nokdon gabrisal
• Real charcoal grilling
• Staff grill the meat for you
• Sliced potato as a standout side
• Domestic minari used
• Unlimited refills on vegetable side dishes (excluding minari)
• Handmade grill plate that reduces oil splatter
• Recommend the minari + bean sprouts + kimchi + pork belly combo
• Finish cleanly with Jirisan kudzu bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles)

My favorites were definitely the sliced potato with pork belly, and the pork belly combo with minari, bean sprouts, and kimchi. If you're looking for a Korean BBQ restaurant near Sinjung-dong Station, or just want a Bucheon BBQ spot where the staff grill for you, Cham Dwaejitgan Bucheon Sinjung-dong Branch is worth a visit. You might end up coming back for seconds like we did 🤭🥩