Jongno outdoor Korean BBQ with a Japanese friend: Tapgol Gongwon

Today I finally took a trip into Seoul after a while and got to fully soak in the atmosphere at a great outdoor yajang (night market-style patio) BBQ spot in Jongno 3-ga, 'Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch' haha.

When you think Jongno 2-ga, you think yajang, right?! Once evening hits, tables spread out all over the alleys and the streets fill with people enjoying good food and a cold drink — just walking through it gets me a little excited.

Getting from Jongno 3-ga Station to Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch is a 4-minute walk from Exit 1 of Jongno 3-ga Station on Line 1. It's right next to Tapgol Park, so it's easy to find, and since you can enjoy frozen pork belly at an outdoor patio here, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants the full yajang vibe.

Tapgol Gongwon Jongno 3-ga Branch 🏬 111 Supyo-ro, 1F, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea ⏰ Daily 17:00 – 1:00 (next day) ⭐️ Group seating available, Wi-Fi 🅿️ No parking

An outdoor patio dressed up with bamboo and lighting

Walking around near Jongno 3-ga Station, I could spot the soft glow of lights from a distance ✨ A row of outdoor tables was set up right in front of the restaurant, and it felt just like stepping into the yajang alleys of Jongno 3-ga. The exterior, decorated with bamboo and traditional-style lighting, looked even more atmospheric once night fell!!

At every table, people were grilling pork belly and chatting happily, and seeing that made me want to sit down right away and have frozen pork belly with a beer myself lol.

What we ordered and the prices

As soon as we sat down we ordered quickly, and here's what we got — worth keeping in mind if you visit.

• 1st-grade quick-frozen pork neck ₩19,000
• 1st-grade female pig quick-frozen pork belly ₩18,000
• Pork kimchi stew ₩9,000
• Steamed egg ₩5,000
• Savory kimchi fried rice ₩6,000

First out came the cold Terra beer along with the frozen pork belly and neck. The thinly sliced frozen pork belly and neck arrived piled generously on one plate — just looking at it made me want to throw it straight on the grill.

Side dishes with grandma's homestyle taste

Neatly arranged side dishes came out to go with the meat — seasoned bean sprouts, bracken fern, kimchi, and garlic — a good variety to pair with the meat depending on your taste. The side dishes were really well made, and since they're prepared directly by grandmothers, their skill really showed!! Solid, solid ~ ^_^ b

Comparing the two cuts: frozen pork belly and pork neck

Since the meat was sliced thin, it started sizzling and cooking fast the moment it hit the grill. Seeing the frozen pork belly turn golden brown with its signature savory look made my chopsticks move on their own lol. Grilling the pork neck alongside it was fun too, comparing the texture and flavor of the two cuts.

Add a cold glass of Terra beer with my Japanese friend on top of that, and yeah — frozen pork belly eaten at a Jongno 3-ga yajang really does taste better with the atmosphere added in. Since it was my friend's last night in Japan-bound travel, I wanted to visit somewhere extra special, and I felt good that we'd found just the right place.

Pork kimchi stew ₩9,000

You can't skip pork kimchi stew while eating meat, so we ordered that too!! The tangy, spicy kick of the kimchi combined with the savory pork made the broth rich and full of umami. Taking a hot spoonful in between bites of meat cleared the palate nicely, so it was great to have on the side throughout the meal 🤤

Steamed egg ₩5,000

The steamed egg came out soft and moist — one spoonful and the fluffy, tender texture was great. The seasoning wasn't too strong, nicely mild, and paired well with the salty meat, working perfectly as something to soothe the palate in between bites. Having the pork belly, kimchi stew, and steamed egg together really felt like the complete, filling combo for a yajang meal!!

Finishing up with savory kimchi fried rice ₩6,000

Last but not least, we had to order kimchi fried rice ~ Kimchi fried rice after eating meat is basically the golden rule lol. The well-fried rice combined with the tangy, salty flavor of the kimchi, plus the savory oil from the meat, made for a deeply savory, umami-packed dish!! (Highly, highly recommend this one.) It had that subtly addictive quality where every spoonful kept me reaching for more even though I was already pretty full. Filling up on frozen pork belly and finishing with kimchi fried rice made for the perfect ending to a yajang meal.