Gangnam Korean BBQ with charcoal oddol galbi: Kkondae Kim Bujang

Why we chose Kkondae Kim Bujang for pork belly near Gangnam Station

As the weather turns chilly, I've been craving pork belly like crazy. I used to be more of a raw-fish-and-soju person than a pork-belly-and-soju person, but lately I have no idea why samgyeopsal is all I want haha. That pork belly with a little bit of skin still attached is just too good..

So I met a friend in Gangnam and we ended up at Kkondae Kim Bujang Gogi-jip!!! I can't say whether the drama came first or this place did, but either way the name felt trustworthy.

Hours are Monday–Saturday 11:30–24:30 and Sunday 11:30–23:30, so it's easy to drop by for lunch or dinner whenever. You can head over in the evening, eat as much as you like, and still have plenty of time afterward!

The location is also great — just 340m from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station. It barely took any time to walk there. That kind of accessibility really matters when picking a meeting spot.

Generous banchan and wide table spacing at Kkondae Kim Bujang

Honestly, the banchan (side dishes) were way better than I expected?? Pink ham, jeon, spicy salted oysters, mukk, seasoned squid, onion, myeongran, and more. Perfect soju snacks before the meat even started grilling!!

The photo came out a bit shadowy because of the hood casting shade, but I loved that every table had its own hood. None of the smoke from grilling drifted toward us!

BBQ restaurants are often loud and chaotic, but maybe because Kkondae Kim Bujang Gogi-jip Gangnam Station Branch is spacious, the sound didn't echo around. And the tables were spaced far enough apart that conversation was totally comfortable.

What we ordered: pork belly, oddol galbi and pork skin

Here's the menu. There were a lot of meat options, but we ordered pork belly, oddol galbi, and pork skin (kkeopdegi)!! I was curious about kkodeulsal too, but it was sold out, which was a bummer.. we went in the evening, so next time I'll try going earlier.. I already love oddolppyeo (cartilage rib bones), so the oddol galbi menu item had me very curious.

I guess I got so into eating that I took another photo.

Charcoal pork belly grilled at the table by the staff

The pork belly! Thick and such a beautiful color, right? They grill it for you here too. Charcoal-grilled pork belly is just so good.. This much was two servings, so the portion was generous!! Controlling the heat over charcoal is tricky enough on its own, so having it grilled for us was really great.

Neatly grilled pork belly. Maybe because a pro was grilling it, it came out perfectly done, don't you think?

Oddol galbi with the restaurant's special sauce

Next up is the oddol galbi. This one was grilled separately, at what I guess was a different briquette or charcoal station!! They told us to dip this oddol galbi in the special sauce.

This was my first time eating oddol galbi that wasn't spicy-style, and unlike regular oddolppyeo, it had a lot more meat attached and wasn't tough bone but more like cartilage, which made it perfect as a drinking snack. The sauce was sweet-and-salty and paired so well with it haha.

Finishing with nurungji (crisped rice) and thick pork skin

We ended up adding nurungji (scorched rice) too. It came out like 3 to 3.5 times the usual amount! Eating it with the spicy salted oysters, myeongran, and kimchi was such a nice breather in the middle of the meal..

And finally, the pork skin (kkeopdegi). We really ate a lot.. Isn't the pork skin so thick..? It had been a while since I had kkeopdegi, and this place's wasn't greasy at all — thick, chewy, clean-tasting, and springy, so good.

They gave us curry powder and bean flour to dip the pork skin in as well, and we ate every bite. The place is spacious, so it seemed like a really good spot for a hoesik (work dinner). It would be great for meat-loving friends, coworkers, or family to visit without any pressure, and the atmosphere felt relaxed.

If you're planning a hoesik or a friend gathering in Gangnam, I'd recommend this place. As the cool breeze picks up and wedding season approaches, it also seems like a really good spot for a cheongmo (pre-wedding gathering). Since the staff grill everything for you, you can focus on the conversation too haha. Hope this is helpful!