What’s worse than not eating at all? An unsatisfying meal. Oftentimes, I find myself wandering the streets, steadfastly refusing to eat anything other than the perfect spread. 

On a Saturday night that perfect meal was at a BBQ restaurant called Piggy Bank. Piggy Bank’s defining feature is that you cook the meat on hot black stones instead of directly on a grill. This separation between the charcoal and the stones produces a less  smokey flavor than traditional barbecue.

We ordered two servings of Samgyeopsal (삼겹살), or pork belly, and a bottle of green apple soju. The restaurant is open-air, facing the vibrant and youthful streets of the Hongdae university area, so we were able to people-watch as we ate. 

The banchan, or side dishes, and soju came first. Jessye and I thought the doenjang-jigae (된장찌개), or fermented soybean soup, was really addictive, the best that we have had at a BBQ joint.

When our meat & mushrooms came the staff prepped the rocks by pouring water all over them. I felt a stone-age satisfaction as I cooked my meat and fungus over the sizzling black rocks. 

Overall, I highly recommend Piggy Bank BBQ if you are in the Hongdae neighborhood.