Hongdae Korean BBQ, grilled for you: Gogikkun Gim Chunbae

An established Korean BBQ restaurant near Hongdae’s main shopping area! Everything is grilled for you, so you can just relax and eat.

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is worth keeping in mind when you want pork belly in Hongdae. It is a popular meat restaurant with quite a few branches around Hongdae, but today I visited the main branch.

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch: Store Information

• 3rd floor: daily 12:00–23:00 (last order 22:00)
• 4th floor: daily 12:30–22:30 (last order 21:30)
• No parking available
• It is on the third floor with no elevator, so visiting with a stroller could be a little difficult!

Wooden Interior and Group Seating

The restaurant has a wooden interior, which gave it a distinctive feel, and the wooden-door entrance was surprisingly small too haha.

The third and fourth floors are both spacious, though looking back, the lack of windows made it feel a little stuffy. There are tables for two, four, and groups; even the two-person tables have lighting that makes them feel a bit like private rooms.

The group table is incredibly long, so it seems great for gatherings too! There were lots of international guests as well as Korean diners. I took this photo after a group had left haha.

Ordering the Hanwoo and Korean Pork Half-and-Half Set

Although it is famous for Hongdae pork belly, we ordered the two-person Hanwoo (Korean beef) and Korean pork half-and-half set (₩118,000), kkakdugi fried rice, and half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles).

The set includes ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), fresh galbi meat, and that day’s cut of Hanwoo, so one set lets you enjoy plenty of variety. It was also nice to settle the menu with a single set instead of overthinking it.

Charcoal-Grilled Meat, Cooked for You

Staff grill everything themselves over a charcoal brazier, so I could eat comfortably without worrying about the timing. From the initial sear to the finish, they handled it all, which meant we could focus just on our conversation!

The shredded scallion salad among the banchan (side dishes) was tangy and crisp too—so good! It paired nicely between bites of meat, and the seasoning was delicious enough that we got a refill.

They prepared all the meat for us while we waited. There seemed to be a grilling order, so we waited patiently haha.

Today’s Hanwoo Sirloin

Today’s Hanwoo cut was sirloin, and its melt-in-your-mouth texture made it my favorite.

Hanwoo really is Hanwoo, haha.

The charcoal aroma made its rich, savory umami pop even more.

Fresh Galbi and Ogyeopsal

The fresh galbi had a great chew. They put it on first because it takes a while to cook.

It was lightly chewy yet wonderfully juicy, so the fresh galbi was delicious too—it had been a while since I last enjoyed it this much.

The ogyeopsal had just the right amount of fat, making it perfect wrapped in lettuce.

Wrapped with the scallion salad, it was such a good combination! I was happy with every cut of meat, and alternating them kept the meal from getting repetitive.

Half-and-Half Naengmyeon and Kkakdugi Fried Rice

The mul naengmyeon side of the half-and-half noodles had a cool, clean broth, while the bibim naengmyeon side had just the right sweet-and-tangy sauce. Topped with a boiled quail egg and shredded radish, it was generously put together and perfect for refreshing the palate after the meat.

The kkakdugi fried rice comes already fried, but we ate it after finishing the meat, when it had cooled a little, which was slightly disappointing. It is best with a bit of char from the heat, so the timing was the shame—not the flavor haha.

A Hongdae Pork Belly Restaurant That Grills for You

It was nice to enjoy both Hanwoo and Korean pork in one place, all grilled for us, so we could eat with ease. Just note that your clothes can pick up quite a bit of smoke smell.

A great place in Hongdae for pork belly grilled for you! There are so many customers and tables turn over quickly, which may be why the meat itself seemed quite fresh. I am absolutely up for trying another nearby branch next time!