Chonnom (촌놈): Charcoal BBQ In Seoul With Yangnyeom Beef Galbi & Cheese Bomb Fried Rice

3 min read

Korean barbecue is a non-negotiable meal if you’re travelling to Korea. There are so many options, but one of our recommendations would be Chonnom (촌놈), a charcoal BBQ restaurant in Seoul that recently gathered traction on Korean social media.

Visited By Celebrities

The restaurant is in Hyehwa (혜화), a train stop away from Dongdaemun. Its unassuming storefront is located on the second floor of a building tucked away in an alley, but the long waitlist gives away it’s popularity.

Chonnom has been visited by many stars (including Super Junior!) and is equally favoured by locals. Despite this, they maintain a humble interior and simple menu.

No-Frills Restaurant

The space is basic and able to accommodate about 30 people. Every table has a personal grill and benches that double up as storage for your items so they don’t smell!

All the meats are pre-cooked before it’s served and warmed at the table. You can see the staff grilling it behind a counter full of smoke.

Each table is welcomed with an assortment of banchan, including a few types of kimchi, pickles, dipping sauce and lettuce. We added Steamed Egg (계란찜, 4,000 won) – a must-order for Korean barbecue.

Chonnom Menu

The menu is slim but diverse enough to cater to many tastes. It’s a fully Korean menu, but we recommend using Papago to translate and simply gesture to let the staff know which ones you want!

The signature item is the Yangnyeom Beef Galbi (특제양념소갈비, 250g, 26,000 won) with a housemade marinade.

There’s the 1% Samgyeopsal (1% 삼겹살,170g for 15,000 won), a prized three-way crossbreed of Yorkshire, Berkshire and Duroc and the Snowflake Sliced Pork (눈꽃항정살, 170g, 17,000won) with lots of marbling.

They also offer set menus for 2 to 4 pax (ranging from 69,000 won to 83,000won), each featuring a mix of premium pork and beef cuts.

There are also sides like 1++ Hanwoo Yukhoe (한우육회,19,000won), Bibim Guksu (비빔 국수, 7,000 won) and Imsil Cheese (구워먹는 임실치즈, 9,000 won for 10 slices), designed to be grilled and enjoyed with your meat.

Yangnyeom Beef Galbi

Our absolute favourite was the Yangnyeom Beef Galbi (특제양념소갈비). Each piece was perfectly grilled – charred on the outside, juicy on the inside – and super tender.

The marinade was delicious, striking the balance between savoury and sweet with an umami from the soy sauce. It had a richer taste than ones you find in Singapore, which stood out to us.

It was also caramalised from the grill which added another layer of flavour. This is a must-order if you come!

Pork Belly

We tried the Pork Belly (등덧심살, 170g, 16,000 won), which is the restaurant’s speciality cut. This too was memorable, fatty but very clean without any porky taste. The thick cube cut made for a very satisfying bite, and it’s best enjoyed it in a ssam.

We found the serving size of two meats just right for two people!

Cheese Bomb Fried Rice

Another dish that was popular online was the Cheese Bomb Fried Rice (치즈 폭탄 삼겹 볶음밥, 11,000 won) with bits of samgyeopsal (pork belly). It’s meant as a finisher to the meal after your meats and can be warmed up on the grill to melt the cheese!

This tasted as good as it looked. It was coated in deonjang-like sauce which gave it an addictive umami, further complemented by the creamy cheese.

Charcoal Barbecue In Seoul

Chonnom was a memorable meal for us and we highly recommend it for your Korea itinerary! The quality and taste are good for the price and it’s sure to satisfy.

The region of Hyehwa is also a popular university town called Daehak-ro, filled with cafes and restaurants worth exploring. Check out our list of things to do and see in Korea for more!