Hongdae samgyeopsal restaurant, lunch for two: Gogikkun Gim Chunbae

Today I went to Hongdae with my cousin ?! Before we hit the shops and a café, we had lunch at a Hongdae BBQ spot that turned out to be really solid, so I wanted to share it with you all !

It's a BBQ restaurant near Hongdae — for the exact location it's best to check the map. The interior was spacious and well-partitioned, so I could eat comfortably, and I liked that the staff grill the meat for you. The menu is also nicely varied by price range and the sets are generous and tasty.

Famous as a Hongdae samgyeopsal (pork belly) spot, but you can also get hanwoo (Korean beef) here, so it's a great pick when you're craving "good meat" — this is Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch. The Korean pork/hanwoo set for two, plus the side dishes of half-and-half naengmyeon (cold noodles) and diced radish rice, were especially solid !

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch: address and opening hours

• Address: 36 Hongikro 3-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 3rd floor (서울 마포구 홍익로3길 36 3층)
• Hours: 3rd floor 12:00 – 23:00 / 4th floor 12:30 – 23:30
• Parking: Not available
• Restroom: Separate for men/women

What to order: the Korean pork and hanwoo set for two

Korean pork/hanwoo set for two + half-and-half naengmyeon, diced radish rice

If you asked me what you absolutely have to order at Gim Chunbae, I'd say the Korean pork/hanwoo set.

This might honestly be Gim Chunbae's own signature — the set comes with ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly), fresh galbisal (rib meat), and a random cut of hanwoo, so you get to eat both pork and beef ! Add the side menu of half-and-half naengmyeon and diced radish rice on top of that, and you've basically covered all your bases.

The banchan (side dishes) come out really generously, and there's a good variety of dipping sauces too. I also loved that they grill the meat for you directly. Looking at those thick cuts, you might worry about whether you could grill them well yourself — but no need to stress at Gim Chunbae ~

The day's random hanwoo cut was sirloin

I was curious what today's hanwoo cut would be, and it turned out to be hanwoo sirloin ! That basically makes me a lucky girl. The marbling was insane and hit my mouth first before moving on to the pork.

It melted away in my mouth, so good,, after the hanwoo came the ogyeopsal's turn ! Unlike regular samgyeopsal, ogyeopsal is chewier and has a springier bite as its signature trait.

Half-and-half naengmyeon, cold broth and spicy, plus diced radish rice

It was delicious whether dipped in the sauce, eaten with rice, with naengmyeon, or with both ! A half-and-half naengmyeon for people who can't decide haha, both halves were great so that was a plus.

I wonder if there's another Hongdae BBQ place that lets you split mul-naengmyeon (water noodles) and bibim-naengmyeon (spicy mixed noodles) half-and-half ? The diced radish rice felt fried-rice-like, with crunchy, savory kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) as the main event, which paired great with the meat.

How to find Gogikkun Gim Chunbae in Hongdae, and what the seating is like

Location and interior info for Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch

Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is on the 3rd floor of the building, so if you only look straight ahead while walking you might have trouble finding it. Find the maze-like entrance first, then look up and you'll spot it right away.

Both the 3rd and 4th floors are the restaurant, but the 3rd floor opens and closes 30 minutes earlier. Not sure what the difference is haha. I've been to about three Gim Chunbae branches ? This one felt the most like a mountain lodge, with a really distinct concept, which made it fun.

The seats are clearly divided with partitions, so it's great for conversation, and the strong vibe gets you in a good mood right away !

For reference, Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch is located between Hongik University Station, Hapjeong Station, and Sangsu Station — the distance is about the same from any of them, so you can get off at whichever one.

Is this Hongdae samgyeopsal restaurant worth a visit?

That's my review of eating meat at Gogikkun Gim Chunbae Hongdae Main Branch, a well-known Hongdae samgyeopsal spot. I'd already been before, but the Korean pork/hanwoo set is really solid, generous in portion, and tasty,, and I'm still satisfied that they grill it for you @@ Going forward, whenever I'm craving meat in Seoul, I'll definitely check if there's a branch nearby first.