Jaengbanjib 8292 (쟁반집)
One of Korea’s most popular foods is Korean BBQ, or thinly sliced pieces of meat grilled in front of you. While there are countless restaurants dedicated to grilled meats, many of the ones found in Korea tend to specialize in certain cuts or preparations. For example, one restaurant might be more popular with locals for serving grilled intestines, whereas another might be better known for marinated meat dishes.
Jaengbanjib 8292 in Hongdae is an excellent restaurant focusing mainly on both pork belly and sliced beef dishes. While beef is also offered (and equally delicious), many customers seem to go for the pork belly and pork neck as it is the most popular option, especially for the value.
Upon arrival, you will usually find that there are lines around dinnertime. When we arrived, we ended up waiting about twenty minutes, which is not that bad at all given the crowds of people walking the streets at night. The inside is clean and is filled with large round tables with a grill in the center. The front of the store also opens up to simultaneously let the smoke escape while letting customers enjoy a semi-outdoor experience while eating (if you get the tables closest to the front, that is).
Each table gets a plethora of side dishes as well. Jaengbanjib’s is noticeably fresher than others, with a detailed diagram on the wall explaining the health benefits and vitamins found in each side dish. Our personal favorites are the lettuce wraps and shredded scallion with spicy paste as they both have a fresh, crunchy, and bright flavor.
A serving of pork will cost diners about ₩15,000 (prices may vary over time) and comes with two thick slabs of pork belly. Each serving of meat, whether beef or pork, is weighted equally at around 200g. For two people, we’d say that two servings of pork belly, one serving of pork neck, and one serving of beef is more than enough and left us satisfied.
The pork belly’s fat content is balanced perfectly with the ratio of muscle in each slice. While some pork belly dishes can be overly fatty and greasy as a result, Jaengbanjib’s is tender but firm in all the right ways. The taste is rich, pure, and exactly what Korean pork belly should taste like. Their pork belly is up there with some of the better pork bellies we’ve tried.
The pork neck is fairly similar to the pork belly, but with less fat and with a chewy texture. While it is also delicious, our recommendation is to try the pork belly first and to venture out if you want something different.
While we do not have any photos of the sliced beef dishes, you also cannot go wrong with it. The beef is thinly sliced to let it cook faster while letting enough of the fat to drip and caramelize each piece on the surface. Each piece is savory, almost sweet, and just plain delicious when wrapped up in the lettuce leaves and paired with the orange ssamjang (fermented soybean paste) and a slice of raw garlic.
Other items can also be ordered alongside the meat. We ordered the naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) which was ₩3,000. While we expected it to be tiny for this price, we were pleasantly surprised when it was a full-size bowl with a huge portion of noodles. The cold broth is subtly sweet with a hint of vinegar, and Jaengbanjib’s noodle texture is some of the best we’ve tried for this dish.
One other thing to mention about Jaengbanjib is the service. When we went, our waiter was incredibly attentive and always made sure that we were taken care of, even amidst a busy dinner rush with other customers. For this alone, this restaurant stands out to me positively. While many other casual Korean restaurants in the area tend to skimp on service, our waiter was quick and professional with every request.
As this was our first KBBQ spot to try in Seoul, we left impressed (and full) after everything. The cost came out to about $17-23 USD per person, which includes the cold noodles. Whether you come with a large group or a smaller one, or just decide to dine solo, your wallet will not suffer. A great gem in Hongdae, and one that is highly recommended by Xplorago.
