Seoul Pork BBQ & Pub Night: Anthony Bourdain's Route

Charcoal pork, two markets, one pub, and a crash course in Korean alcohol

A three-hour evening in Seoul centered on pork BBQ at the restaurant Anthony Bourdain visited, where you grill Mapo-style galmegisal over charcoal while a local guide walks you through the etiquette and the side dishes. From there you move through a pigs' feet market and a pancake market, landing in a classic Korean pub for savory pancakes, Korean tempura, and a lesson in makgeolli, soju and dongdongju. All food and drink are included; the Three Stops option adds a final fried chicken pub to close the night.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dinner and Korean pub experience

• Enjoy pork BBQ at featured restaurant
• Visit pigs' feet and pancake markets
• Eat pancakes and learn about Korean alcohol

The Experience

The evening starts at a pork BBQ restaurant that stayed exactly as it was when the "Parts Unknown" crew filmed there. You're grilling Mapo-style galmegisal—pork skirt steak—over charcoal with an egg ring surrounding the meat, and a local guide is there explaining what you're eating and how Koreans approach the meal and the drinking that follows. The thick-cut pork belly, aged kimchi, and side dishes are the whole point; there are no substitutions and no other protein on the menu.

After the BBQ, you walk through a pigs' feet market and a pancake market, absorbing the neighborhood as it actually is. Then you settle into a Korean pub for savory pancakes, Korean tempura with tteokbokki rice cakes, and the crash course on traditional Korean beverages—makgeolli, soju, dongdongju—that most travelers never get. The guide teaches you how these drinks work and how Koreans drink them. Everything is included in the price, within reason.

If you book the Three Stops option, there's a final stop at an old-school fried chicken pub, crispy chicken and cold beer to close out the night. The whole thing runs three hours. Arrive by subway if you can; taxis get stuck in traffic, and if you're landing after 3 p.m., you may not make it in time for the start.

What’s included

• Charcoal-grilled pork galmegisal and thick-cut pork belly with egg ring and side dishes.
• aged kimchi.
• savory Korean pancakes and Korean tempura with tteokbokki rice cakes.
• unlimited beer and traditional Korean alcohol (makgeolli, soju, dongdongju).
• a local guide in English walking you through BBQ etiquette, drinking culture, and the neighborhood.
• passage through a pigs' feet market and a pancake market.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ZenKimchi Experiences

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to eat the exact pork dish that made the restaurant famous on television and you're comfortable with pork as your only protein option. The Three Stops option extends the night if you want fried chicken and another pub stop to close it out, rather than ending at the Korean pub.

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Top questions

What exactly is galmegisal and why is it special at this restaurant?

Galmegisal is pork skirt steak, a Mapo-style specialty, grilled over charcoal with an egg ring around it. This restaurant is known for it and was featured on "Parts Unknown" for this exact dish.

Are there vegetarian options or other proteins I can order instead of pork?

Pork is the only BBQ option at the restaurant, and the menu has no substitutions. The guide will tell you this upfront, so if pork isn't for you, this tour isn't the fit.

What Korean drinks will I learn about in the pub?

You'll get a crash course in makgeolli, soju, and dongdongju—three traditional Korean beverages—and how Koreans actually drink them. The guide walks you through the etiquette and the culture behind each one.

How much time do we spend at the BBQ restaurant versus the markets and pub?

The pork BBQ is the centerpiece of the evening. After that, you pass through the pigs' feet market and pancake market, then settle into the pub for the second half of the night. The whole experience is three hours.

What's the difference between the Two Stops and Three Stops options?

The Two Stops option ends at the Korean pub after pancakes and drinks. The Three Stops option adds a final stop at an old-school fried chicken pub with crispy chicken and cold beer to close the night.

Can I bring children, and is there a minimum age for the alcohol part?

Children are welcome from age 7 and must be accompanied by an adult. The legal drinking age in South Korea is 19, so younger children will participate in the food and the cultural lesson but won't drink the alcohol.