Gwangjin Korean BBQ seasonal wrap greens: Ssamchae Sotttukkeong

Along with staple cuts such as pork belly, pork neck, and skirt meat, this is a great restaurant with a well-stocked lineup of sides that pair fantastically with meat, including Chapagetti and kimchi stew.

Ssamchae Sotttukkeong Samgyeopsal near Guui Station

I also liked that the menu and prices were posted out front, so we could check them comfortably before going in.

Inside and how to order

The savory smell of meat tickled my nose right from the entrance. As soon as we walked in, there were tablet PCs at every table, making it easy to order. We ordered three servings of pot-lid kkodeulsal (pork jowl), rice, and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew).

Unlimited seasonal wrap greens self-service zone

One of this place's biggest charms is its self-service zone, where you can take as much as you like of 10 seasonal wrap greens and 12 side dishes. The wrap greens, said to arrive through the dawn auction every day, looked so fresh at a glance—as if they had just been picked from the field. Beyond lettuce and perilla leaves, there were lots of fragrant vegetables such as angelica and kale, making this a true paradise for anyone who loves wraps.

Once seated, the basic side dishes were set out: myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic leaves), pickled chili peppers, seasoned perilla leaves, garlic, ssamjang (fermented soybean dipping paste), and a house special sauce. The salty, tangy pickles and nicely ripened kimchi cut right through the richness of the meat, which I loved.

After bringing over seasonal wrap greens from the self-service bar, the table became seriously, seriously abundant hahaha.

Staff-grilled pot-lid pork jowl

The pork jowl we ordered arrived! The thick, bright pink meat characteristic of pork jowl made its entrance. The best thing here is that the staff carefully grill the meat from start to finish.

They checked the temperature of the grill and flipped the meat at just the right moment, so we could chat comfortably without worrying it would burn.

As the meat turned golden and its fat began to render deliciously, the staff gently placed bracken fern, seasoned bean sprouts, and napa cabbage kimchi in the spot on the pot lid where the meat fat collected. With the aroma of the vegetables and kimchi frying almost like they were being deep-fried in the meat fat, my mouth was watering.

I picked up a piece of fully cooked pork jowl and tasted it plain first! True to its name, it was pleasantly chewy and springy. The fatty part was crisp to the bite rather than greasy, while the lean meat was full of juices, bursting with savory, clean flavor with every chew.

I tried it dipped in the special sauce and paired with wrap greens too! It was even better when I piled a piece of pork jowl onto the fresh vegetables that arrived at dawn, added well-grilled seasoned bean sprouts and bracken fern, and took a big bite. Rolling the pork jowl in sweet-tangy myeongi namul was also exactly my kind of combination.

The savory doenjang-jjigae we ordered arrived too~ Served bubbling in an earthenware pot, it was generously filled with tofu and vegetables, with a deep, pleasantly spicy broth. Its clean flavor washed away the richness of the meat, so we could enjoy a hearty meal right through to the end.

The attentive grilling service, fresh seasonal wrap greens delivered every dawn, and the texture of the pork jowl all left me satisfied.