Hongu Samgyeop, Hongdae: Pork Belly the Staff Grill for You

Quick answer

• What: pork belly (ogyeopsal) that the staff grill for you, in Hongdae.
• Price: pork belly 170 g is 17,000 won (about $12).
• Getting there: 1-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 7.

Where Hongdae locals go for pork belly. No tourist menu, no tongs, no guessing. It’s right outside Hongik Univ. Station Exit 7, the stop on the Airport Railroad.

They say they use Gangwon-do sows. The sign leads with soybean leaves (kongnip, used for wraps) and deodeok (a mountain root vegetable).

The menu is short. Pork belly, pork neck and special cuts, plus fried rice, cold noodles and soybean paste stew.

Pork belly (ogyeopsal)

They bring pre-seared meat on the plate. From there, the staff do all the grilling. They put the kimchi and deodeok on it too.

The grilling service is very convenient. You never pick up the tongs. All your hands have to do is wrap meat in soybean leaves. The meat is decent too.

There is a set way to eat it. Dip it in the plum-and-pear sauce, then in the perilla sauce. Then wrap it in a soybean leaf.

The sauce is good. A sweet sauce first, then the nutty perilla.

Hongu naengmyeon (cold noodles)

It is the spicy mixed kind (bibim), not the broth kind. The noodles have a buckwheat feel. Fine. A good way to finish after meat.

Price

Pork belly, 170 g: 17,000 won (about $12). Not cheap. But you skip the work of grilling.

Cold noodles 7,000 won, fried rice 4,000 won, soybean paste stew 3,000 won.

Good to know

Map: search 「홍구삼겹」 in Naver Map

Easy, since they grill for you. I’d go back for the cold noodles.