Seoul on paper.archive

Kkot-Samgyeop (Flower Pork Belly) — Daebit Sikdang, Gaebong-dong

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:37:00 +0900

Korean BBQ night at Daebit Sikdang near home. Their thing is kkot-samgyeop (꽃삼겹, “flower pork belly”) grilled on a dome-shaped stone pan.

Kkot-samgyeop is thin-sliced pork belly rolled up like a rose. It goes on the hot stone dome together with kimchi and mountain vegetables — gosari (fernbrake) and minari (water dropwort).

The dome shape drains the fat away as it cooks, so the pork crisps up without swimming in grease. Wrap it with the greens (ssam style) and it never gets heavy. There’s a little pot of sauce bubbling in the center for dipping.

Homesul Night — Kahlúa Milk, Jjukkumi, Yukhoe

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0900

Drinking at home tonight — Koreans call it homesul (홈술, home + sul/alcohol). All the food is takeout.

The drink: Kahlúa mixed with milk. Not Korean at all, but it’s a beloved “easy mode” drink here for nights when soju feels like too much.

The anju (drinking snacks):

Jjukkumi-bokkeum (쭈꾸미볶음) — stir-fried baby octopus in a spicy gochujang sauce. The heat plays surprisingly well against the sweet, milky Kahlúa
Yukhoe (육회) — Korean-style beef tartare, seasoned with sesame oil. Nutty, chewy, needs no explanation

Takeout containers, comfortable clothes, something on the TV. Homesul has its own charm.

Dakjang Maekju — My Neighborhood Chicken & Beer Pub

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:19:00 +0900

My local pub, Dakjang Maekju in Gaebong-dong — walking distance from home, which in Korea is a blessing. The whole “chicken and beer” culture here even has its own word: chimaek (치맥, chicken + maekju/beer).

Tonight’s order: dak-bokkeum-tang (닭볶음탕 — spicy braised chicken stew) with wang-daechang (beef large intestine) added, ₩32,000. Chicken, potatoes, and rice cakes simmered in a gochujang broth right at the table. You pick the spice level; we went medium. The potatoes soak up the broth and might be the best part.

Gopchang Jeongol — Korean Intestine Hot Pot in Gaebong-dong

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:30:00 +0900

Tonight’s anju (안주 — food you eat while drinking) is gopchang jeongol, at my regular place Yeokjeon Sundae-guk in Gaebong-dong, Seoul.

What is it? Gopchang jeongol (곱창전골) is a spicy hot pot loaded with beef or pork intestines, simmered at your table in a gochujang-based broth. Sounds intense if you’ve never tried offal, but done right the gopchang is chewy, clean-tasting, and the broth gets deeper the longer it boils.