Hong Bar

Hong Bar
Level 3F
3-35 Myeong-Dong 10(Sib)-Gil
Myeong-Dong Shopping Street
Jung-Gu
Seoul
South Korea

Grilling

Carnivore's Delight At This Free-Flow Korean Barbecue Buffet

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 7
Value for Money: 10
Spent about KRW ₩12,900 / SGD $15 per person.


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Hong Bar is a Korean barbecue / grill restaurant, offering a free-flow buffet for 1 fixed price. Located in the busy and highly competitive Myeong-Dong Shopping Street, Hong Bar is not immediately visible, as it's on the 3rd floor of a building. Fortunately, their clear, numerous signage makes the place easy to find! Offering wallet-friendly prices for a buffet, it's a wonder that Hong Bar isn't crowded!

Ambience at Hong Bar is modern, clean, and functional. Sturdy wooden tables are neatly arranged in the spacious area, and the brightly lit place feels big. There are no overhead ventilation shafts here, the grilling is done over a metal grill built into the tables, which doesn't release much smoke, thus, there isn't much cooking odor. Casual, relaxing place, and it's not too noisy or crowded. And despite their name, they oddly don't have a lot of alcoholic drinks.

Service at Hong Bar is friendly, as a family-run joint, you almost feel like you're dining in their home! Staff are quick to seat and serve diners, bringing out an initial sampler platter of meats. Being free-flow, you can always request for more meat later, but it's self-service collection. The vegetables, Banchan / side dishes, and other dishes are also self-service collection, as is payment over the counter. Staff will guide you in operating the grill, but you're supposed to do-it-yourself as part of the whole experience.

Food at Hong Bar is all about barbecue meat, specifically, pork. They offer a wide variety of cuts of pork, but few cuts of beef or chicken. The variety of Banchan / side dishes is decent, with a mix of both Korean and Western options. Generally, I find taste to be good, the meat and vegetables are fresh, and being a free-flow buffet, it's all-you-can-eat. Prices are extremely cheap for this kind of good quality, budget about KRW ₩12,900 / SGD $15 per person for a meal here.


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Hong Bar Signage

Hong Bar Exterior

Hong Bar Interior

Hong Bar Free-Flow Buffet Prices

Self-Service, Free-Flow, Buffet Food Counter

Posters

Posters

Grilling

They focus on different cuts of pork for the Gogigui / Barbecue, which is a highlight here. The only cut of beef available on the menu is the Jjalbeun Peulleiteu / Beef Short Plate. Personally, I prefer the fatty Teog / Pork Jowl, and the meaty Seukachi Pilles / Pork Scotch Fillet.

Gogigui / Barbecue - Jjalbeun Peulleiteu / Beef Short Plate

Gogigui / Barbecue - Seukachi Pilles / Pork Scotch Fillet

Gogigui / Barbecue - Teog / Pork Jowl

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