Korean Grilled Pork Belly (삼겹살)

This is probably one of my unhealthiest blog in terms of the food I ate.

I went to eat at Korean Grilled Pork Belly All you can eat restaurant. I dont know the restaurant's name in English as there is no sign except this one:


I think the restaurant's name is Pork Belly Buffet. But not sure.





Grilled Pork belly is called 삼겹살 / Samgyeopsal gui (or samgyupsal, sam gyup sal). Chinese also love this cut of meat and call it Five Flower meat because of the meat and fat layers (五花南). I think most readers will know it as bacon.

It's unhealthy because of all the fat and with grilled pork belly restaurants, that's mainly what you eat, pork belly.

What I've been told is that since you grill pork belly, the fat is rendered out so it makes it "healthier". Sorry I don't buy that. Also I've been told that this used to be food for poor Koreans because the meat is cheap. Typically you eat this with soju (Korean vodka). It's actually a must to make the meal delicious and fun (fun due to the alcohol buzz).

Anyways, this is the Korean grilled used for pork belly. There is water inside so that when the oil drips (hehe...fat), it won't splatter. Again, from experience, I have found to be not true because I often get burned by the oil splatter.


Here's the first dish of pork belly.


In this restaurant, only this sauce came with it. It is fermented soy bean paste with chopped garlic and Korean hot sauce (gochujang 고추장).

Usually the dipping sauce is salt, sesame oil and pepper. The sauce below is used to make lettuce wraps.


Here is the meat grilling.








When the meat is close to done, it is cut into smaller pieces. The meal also came with mushrooms and onion to grill.


This meal came with kimchi,


A salad (unfermented kimchi),


Lettuce, raw garlic, soup, rice and pop. All of it is unlimited.

Typically after the pork belly is cooked, it's dipped in the salt and sesame oil (none given at the restaurant) and a piece of raw garlic and chili slice is dipped in the fermented soy bean paste. This is placed into the lettuce...


And wrapped up and voila. I'm told that you are suppose to eat it in one bite. It's a bit hard for me cos I like stuffing my wraps with so much stuff that I'm very messy when I eat this.



Final Thoughts:

At this restaurant, you get unlimited pork belly, rice, soup, pop, mushroom, onion, garlic, sauce, salad, lettuce for $15. It's a pretty good price. It's become quite busy so be prepared to wait because the Restaurant is small.

The quality of meat isn't quite as good as Westender Restaurant who also specializes in grilled pork belly. It's not all you can eat thought the side dishes like kimchi, potato and other vegetables are unlimited.

What makes Westender my favourite place for pork belly is their green onion topping that you eat with the pork, either in a lettuce wrap or just alone with the pork. Because I use so much green onion topping, I typically have to order a second plate.

Anyways, back to the all you cam eat restaurant...it's a good restaurant to go because the food is pretty good and the price.I wish they had more vegetable choices because I don't like eating so much greasy meat and like to balance it out with fresh vegetables.

Anyways, fun to try.



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