Ah, I see. Here’s the revised translation with the understanding that the term “Subpar Quality” is used ironically, indicating that the restaurant is actually excellent:
A meat restaurant near Nowon Station, which I visited with a friend who is a pork belly enthusiast. Particularly, the renowned quality pork belly we visited based on my friend’s habitual praise for its deliciousness, despite the tongue-in-cheek name suggesting otherwise. Is it truly as fantastic as its name suggests? Lol. While it’s common to express enjoyment even when saying the opposite, I had my doubts.
The entrance was adorned with a sign for “Subpar Quality Pork Belly Nowon Branch” (엉터리생고기 노원점), a name I had often heard, but I didn’t know if it operated as a chain.
However, I doubted if the service would be identical just because they share the same name.
Perhaps doubling as a butcher, they displayed meat separately at the entrance, enticing customers with additional temptations.
“Can we buy the meat separately?” I asked jokingly.
The Basic Set came with cabbage, seasoned greens, and stir-fried kimchi-style setting, alongside scallion salad and a miso stew filled with tofu and squash.
A unique feature was that they preemptively replenished the side dishes before they ran out.
We ordered two servings of pork belly, which came with a single shiitake mushroom. Although it seemed like a lot for two people, it was actually just 200g per serving, and the price was reasonable.
There seemed to be hardly any meat restaurants near Nowon Station offering individual servings of 200g pork belly… Regardless, it was a satisfying experience.
The miso stew was generously refilled with tofu, radish, squash, and chili, which was a nice touch.
The scallion salad and kimchi seemed like they could be stir-fried, with a layer of sesame oil spread on the bottom.
The raw pork belly made our mouths water. Even though I’ve been eating pork belly frequently lately, I’m not getting tired of it.
Among the pork belly I’ve had near Nowon Station recently, this one was exceptional.
It was grilled to perfection, whoever grilled it did a great job.
We enjoyed rolling the pork belly in the seasoned greens or wrapping it in our own style with my secret technique. Although many greens are Chinese imports nowadays, this combination still pairs well with the meat.
The grill had a built-in pot in the center, reducing the need to monitor a separate pot for the stew. Its rich, deep flavor spread throughout the mouth.
The miso rice was enticing with its unlimited refills, though it was best to stop at the second helping to avoid the burnt residue at the bottom of the pot.
Nevertheless, the miso rice at Nowon Station pork belly is a must-try.
My current method for eating pork belly:
First, prepare some lettuce.
- Dip the pork belly in the oil sauce. (Partially coat in oil and sprinkle very little salt)
- Place uncooked garlic on the lettuce and add ssamjang.
- Add about a third of a spoonful of rice.
This combination now tastes delicious and familiar.
Introducing the Subpar Quality Pork Belly restaurant located a 5-minute walk from Exit 10 of Nowon Station.
[My Personal Review]
✔️ The pork belly here seemed to be one of the best among the many near Nowon Station.
✔️ The service was commendable, with them offering additional side dishes like miso stew, cabbage, seasoned greens, and scallion salad if we felt they were lacking.
#SubparQualityPorkBelly #NowonStationMeatRestaurant #NowonStationPorkBelly