Hi there!
Here in Korea, the weather has been really hot, humid, and sticky lately. But today, it finally rained.
It poured down and felt so refreshing!
Tonight, I had dinner in Incheon and ate samgyeopsal (Korean pork belly).
It’s actually one of my favorite foods — I honestly feel like I could eat it every day.
I really think samgyeopsal is a must-try dish for anyone visiting Korea.
From now on, whenever I find a great samgyeopsal place, I’ll be sure to share it — there are so many amazing spots hidden all over the country!
(Since the place is quite new, it’s not on Google Maps yet — so I pinned the exact location using coordinates instead.)
Anyway, the restaurant I visited this time is called “우시대숯불구이 (Usidae Sutbulguyi).”
It’s located in Bupyeong, a district in Incheon, and the building has two floors.
The exterior looked neat and modern — and the inside was just as clean and welcoming.
We ordered one set that came with both samgyeopsal and hangjeongsal together, it was 800 grams of meat.
Hangjeongsal is pork jowl, and I personally like it because it’s juicy and has a nice chewy texture.
The set was 49,900 won (36.5 USD), and it was more than enough for two people!
You can see the side dishes (called “banchan” in Korean) in the photo above. There are some namul and sauces.
Namul is a Korean side dish made from seasoned vegetables.
When you eat samgyeopsal, you can enjoy it one bite at a time with different side dishes — or just pick your favorites and eat them together.
There’s no “right” way to eat it. Just go with whatever tastes best to you! That’s the beauty of it, haha.
I’ll share how I like to eat it down below — but for now, let’s keep going!
If you finish your side dishes (banchan) or sauces, you can head over to the self-serve counter for refills.
There are plenty more banchan available. Just take as much as you can eat!
This restaurant uses a self-grill system.
Although some places in Korea have the owner grill the samgyeopsal for you, most restaurants let you cook it yourself.
Lately, I’ve been really into cooking, so I enjoy grilling samgyeopsal on my own.
It’s not hard, Just grill it until it turns golden brown!
This photo shows my samgyeopsal paired with “myeong-i namul” a type of seasoned wild garlic leaf.
Myeong-i namul only grows in specific climates, so it’s quite rare globally, but it grows well in Korea and is considered a premium ingredient.
It has a fragrant, refreshing aroma and personally, I absolutely love it.
Not every samgyeopsal restaurant offers it, so whenever I find one that does, I get really excited!
If you ever visit Korea, I highly recommend trying samgyeopsal with myeong-i namul. It’s such a great combination!
It goes really well with pa-chae, thinly sliced green onions seasoned with a tangy sauce.
Pa-chae has a fresh, zesty flavor and light texture that balances out the rich, fatty taste of samgyeopsal.
Luckily, many Korean BBQ restaurants offer it in generous portions!
This is konggaru, a dipping powder made from finely ground roasted soybeans — commonly used in Korean BBQ.
It has a wonderfully nutty, toasty flavor and a soft, almost fluffy texture.
When paired with fatty meats like samgyeopsal, konggaru not only helps cut through the grease,
but actually enhances the savory richness of each bite.
Some people like to lightly dip just the edge of the meat, while others coat it generously — there’s no wrong way!
If you enjoy deep, roasted flavors, this little powder might become your new favorite side.
This photo shows a lettuce wrap topped with a mix of different ingredients.
I added samgyeopsal, grilled garlic, wasabi, and ssamjang (a savory dipping sauce).
I chose the ingredients kind of randomly — just picking what looked good at the moment!
That’s part of the fun! Wondering, “How will this combo taste?” as you put it all together. Haha!
This is Doenjang Sulbap — it’s a bowl of rice served in hot doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew).
I almost always order either doenjang jjigae or sulbap because I love the deep, savory flavor of the stew.
Oh, and it’s served super hot, so be careful when you eat it!
The price is 7,000 won, which is roughly 5 USD.
I truly hope everyone gets a chance to try samgyeopsal when visiting Korea — it’s absolutely delicious!
I really enjoyed my meal at this restaurant!
I’ll be back next time with another great spot.
Thanks so much for reading all the way through — see you again soon!