Cauldron-lid pork grill in Dongtan, Hwaseong: Gogigaondang Dongtan

Went looking for a proper cauldron-lid grill spot in Dongtan and ended up at Gogigaondang Dongtan Branch.

They use grade-1 female pork here, and the staff grill everything for you so it's easy eating. It wasn't just the meat that impressed me — the side dishes and sides overall were solid too.

Where to find Gogigaondang, a meat restaurant in 1-Dongtan's Bansong-dong

Gogigaondang Dongtan Branch is located near Gaenari Park in 1-Dongtan. It's about 30m straight ahead from the main entrance of Dongtan Sibeom KCC, so it wasn't hard to find.

• Address: 46-13 Dongtanbansong 3-gil, 1st floor commercial unit, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do / Bansong-dong 15-9, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Weekdays 11:00–22:00, break time 15:00–17:00, last order 21:30
• Weekends 12:00–22:00, break time 15:00–17:00, last order 21:30

Right from the entrance they highlight domestic Korean pork and house-made kimchi, and after actually tasting the side dishes I could tell they really put in the effort.

Apparently the place is run by a mother with 40 years of experience in Korean cooking and her son, a chef with 15 years' experience.

Most of the side dishes are handmade, and they say they use a lot of ingredients grown themselves at their own Ondang Farm.

A relaxed, easy-to-eat-in atmosphere

Overall the space felt clean and comfortable. Tables weren't cramped, and every table had its own cauldron-lid grill ready to go.

There was also a self-serve bar on one side where you could grab extra side dishes.

Gogigaondang's menu and prices

The signature meat dishes are raw pork belly (ogyeopsal) 180g ₩19,000, raw premium pork neck (teukmoksal) 180g ₩19,000, gabrisal 160g ₩19,000, hangjeongsal 150g ₩19,000, and Korean beef tartare (yukhoe) 130g ₩21,000. Side dishes include beef brisket house doenjang stew, gomchwi naengmyeon, ramyeon in a metal bowl, and steamed egg. At lunch they also run lunch specials like cauldron-lid Korean pork stir-fry and beef brisket doenjang stew.

Ordering is easy via the kiosk.

The basic side dishes were varied — house-made kimchi, shredded green onion, bean sprouts, pickles, and lettuce wraps — all good to pair with the meat.

They also brought out a refreshingly cold mukbap (acorn jelly soup) that was nice to have before the meal.

The springy, plump raw premium pork neck

Our main order: ✔ raw premium pork neck (teukmoksal), 2 servings, 180g each at ₩19,000. Thickly sliced pork neck went right onto the cauldron lid.

The meat was fairly thick, so once cooked it still held onto its juices, and the flavor got nuttier the more you chewed. It didn't have that dry pork-neck texture — true to its name, it was springy and tender.

The staff were overall young and friendly, and best of all, they grilled the meat for us.

Not having to worry about grilling timing meant we could just chat and enjoy the meal.

The fun of grilling everything together on the cauldron lid

Alongside the meat, you can also grill kimchi, bean sprouts, bracken, tofu, mushrooms, and onion together. As the meat fat spread across the cauldron lid, it naturally soaked into the kimchi and vegetables.

The house-made kimchi was already tasty on its own, but grilled on the cauldron lid it paired even better with the meat. They say it's made with domestic ingredients, hand-fermented in house. The pickled ramp (myeongi-namul jangajji) is also served free, made from wild ramps sourced from Mt. Taebaek in Gangwon-do. A piece of meat with shredded green onion or pickled ramp on top kept going down without feeling greasy.

Sides done right too: ramyeon in a metal bowl and gomchwi naengmyeon

✔ Ramyeon in a metal bowl (yangpun ramyeon), ₩5,000. Made with Shin Ramyeon. It comes out bubbling in a big metal bowl, and a hot spoonful of broth between bites of meat really hit the spot. A familiar ramyeon flavor, so it was an easy, comforting side to the meat.

You can't have meat without noodles, so we also ordered bibim gomchwi naengmyeon. ✔ Bibim gomchwi naengmyeon, ₩7,000. The noodles even looked a bit different in color from regular naengmyeon.

The spicy-tangy sauce had a subtle aroma from the gomchwi (leopard plant leaves) mixed in, and it went well with the meat. Adding a splash of broth and mixing made it moister and even better. Topping it with a piece of meat was a great combo.

The golden-browned pork neck along with tofu, kimchi, and mushrooms made for a plentiful, full cauldron lid.

Well-cooked house-made kimchi and tofu together with the meat made for a nutty, filling bite.

Piling lettuce wraps with meat, bean sprouts, and shredded green onion gave a nice crunchy texture too.

Dipping a piece of meat into the salted shrimp sauce cut through the richness nicely.

So how was this Dongtan cauldron-lid meat restaurant?

Worth a visit if you're looking for a cauldron-lid meat restaurant in Dongtan. The domestic Korean pork premium neck cut was thick and juicy, and having it grilled for you made for easy, relaxed eating. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was comfortable and unpretentious. If you're searching for a Bansong-dong restaurant, Dongtan cauldron-lid pork belly, or a Dongtan meat restaurant, Gogigaondang Dongtan Branch seems like a solid pick.