Whenever someone asks me what my favorite Korean food is, Korean barbecue (or samgyeopsal) is the first thing to come to mind. I honestly think it’s the perfect meal. Tender, flavorful grilled pork belly with tons of vegetables and sauces on the side such as perilla leaves, garlic, marinated onions, kimchi, pickled radish, lettuce, soybean paste all work together with their different flavors and textures to give us the beloved Korean barbecue that we know and love.
My love for samgyeopsal knows no bounds, so I’m always on the lookout for new restaurants to try out. You know, for research. Last year, my friend showed me a picture of a restaurant she found on Instagram called Gagopa Grilled Pork Belly (가고파생삼겹구이) in Masan, which is on the west side of Changwon. What makes this particular samgyeopsal place special is the view — the tables are located directly next to the water, setup for a perfect view of the sunset if you time it right (and if the weather’s on your side).
A year later, and I finally got to try this place out. Admittedly, it’s a bit out of the way from, like, everything? Which, among other logistical factors, such as the restaurant only taking reservations the first Monday of every month (yes, seriously), is part of the reason why it took me so long to make my way out there. Thankfully it was worth the trek!
We reserved a table by the water, but I was surprised to see there was also a lot of seating underneath an awning of pretty twinkly lights, so if it happens to rain on the day you decide you to go, at least there’s a backup solution!
Onto the food — we ordered samgyeopsal (of course), jumbo shrimp, and a dish called 미더덕회 (mi-duh-duck-hway). I have to take a minute to talk about that last one. Care to know the English name for 미더덕? Here it is: warty sea squirts. Appetizing, right? I have to say, I’m not a picky eater, but I just cannot do these. I’ve tried, and I can’t. They pop like Gushers (hence the name), and I don’t know about you, but I’m not really interested in crunchy sea-flavored Gushers. The ones we ordered were also raw. I’ve only ever had them cooked, but honestly, I wasn’t about to try something I already hated in its raw form.
The samgyeopsal came with some pieces of hotdogs and soondae (blood sausage). You cook the food yourself at this restaurant, and we didn’t quite realize that until we noticed the meats were starting to get a little charred. That didn’t stop it from tasting good though!
Like I mentioned earlier, one of the things that I love about samgyeopsal is the number of side dishes that come with it. Quality side dishes are essential to a good samgyeopsal experience. Some of my favorite places serve you free doenjang jjigae, (soybean paste stew), rice cakes, eggs, and grilled veggies, along with lettuce and perilla leaves for making lettuce wraps with the meat and other veggies at the table. With this being said, I feel like the side dishes at Gagopa didn’t really exceed any expectations. They served some corn, lettuce, marinated onions, and kimchi. Sticking with the basics, which is fine.
The jumbo shrimp was a nice way to finish off the meal. These things were huge and I’d actually never seen shrimp on the menu of a samgyeopsal restaurant before. It’s always fun to see how samgyeopsal restaurants differentiate themselves from one another. The main idea is the same, but the details are not.
Overall, I definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a fun and unique experience. The view is so nice and it felt like it was just a group of friends having a summer cookout rather than being at a restaurant. The food is good, but nothing exceptional, so if you’re looking for the best samgyeopsal, I wouldn’t say this is it. Regardless, this place is definitely worth trying and I’m so glad I was able to go!
Gagopa Grilled Pork Belly – Masanhappogu Gusanmyeon Haeyanggwangwangro 962 / 가고파생삼겹구이 – 경남 창원시 마산합포구 구산면 해양관광로 962
Instagram: @gagop_a
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