Hwaseongok 2: Samgyeopsal in Jeonnong-dong, Seoul

Intro

Hey everyone! Tonight I’m covering Hwaseongok Branch 2, a samgyeopsal spot in Jeonnong-dong that I’ve been to more times than I can count. The meat quality and the staff’s friendliness always give me peace of mind.

xterior and signage of Hwaseongok Branch 2 samgyeopsal restaurant in Jeonnong-dong

Storefront view of Hwaseongok samgyeopsal restaurant in Seoul

A Quick Note on Samgyeopsal Culture in Korea

A small tangent — let me touch on the culture around eating samgyeopsal in Korea. In Japan, going to a BBQ restaurant often means traveling out of your way to visit a famous, highly-rated spot. Korea’s samgyeopsal culture is a bit different. Rather than trekking across town for one legendary place, nearly every neighborhood has its own local samgyeopsal joint, and people just have their go-to spot they visit regularly. Hwaseongok Branch 2 is exactly that kind of place — the neighborhood standby for people living in Jeonnong-dong.

How to Order

Every table has a touchscreen kiosk for placing additional orders. From what I could tell, though, there’s no multilingual support (Japanese, English, etc.), so if you’re visiting from abroad, a translation app will come in handy.

Touchscreen ordering kiosk at Hwaseongok samgyeopsal restaurant

Staff grill the main meat for you, carefully monitoring the doneness right in front of you — reassuring if it’s your first time.

Raw samgyeopsal pork belly before grilling at a Korean BBQ restaurant

A Clever Trick for Keeping the Meat Warm

Here’s a neat detail unique to this place. Right next to the main grill, there’s a small charcoal brazier where you can grill kimchi and vegetables. And once your pork is fully cooked, you can rest it on top of this little brazier — it keeps the meat warm and juicy instead of cooling off. It’s the kind of trick you’d never notice unless someone told you, and honestly feels like something only regulars would know.

Kimchi grilling on a small charcoal brazier at a Korean BBQ table

Fully grilled samgyeopsal pork belly ready to eat

Cutting grilled samgyeopsal with scissors at the table

Vegetables and Sides from the Self-Serve Bar

Vegetables and extra side dishes are available to grab freely from the self-serve bar. A nice touch — there are Korean-language descriptions near the bar explaining the benefits of each vegetable. Running them through a translation app adds a little extra fun to deciding what to eat that day, so it’s worth checking out even if you can’t read Korean.

Self-serve vegetable and side dish bar at Hwaseongok samgyeopsal

Bean sprouts and king oyster mushrooms grilling on a small brazier

Wrapping grilled meat and seasonings in lettuce is, of course, one of the best parts of Korean-style samgyeopsal.

Samgyeopsal wrapped in lettuce and perilla leaves

Finishing with Doenjang-jjigae

After the meat, finishing the meal with doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) is the classic move. It’s a rich, savory stew with tofu, potatoes, and pork — mild enough even if you’re not into spicy food.

Bowl of doenjang-jjigae soybean paste stew

Table spread of side dishes and doenjang-jjigae at a samgyeopsal restaurant

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Good meat quality with plenty of rich, sweet fat
Friendly staff who carefully manage the grilling
Well-stocked self-serve bar, with fun added info on each vegetable’s benefits
The unique warming-brazier trick for grilled meat

Cons:

Kiosk isn’t multilingual (no Japanese option)
Being a popular spot, expect some wait depending on the time you visit

Restaurant Info

Name: Hwaseongok Branch 2
Address: 127-1 Jeonnong-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (2nd & 3rd floor)
Hours: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM (closed Tuesdays)
Phone: 02-2138-2687