Heukdongga (Gangnam Station branch)

Heukdongga specializes in black-skinned pork from Jeju Island. Black pig is a prized local species and has actually recently been designated by the government as a national cultural property. Jeju black pigs are raised on a special diet of tangerines, carrots and free grazing on Halla Mountain. Heukdongga serves dry-aged, grilled slices of pork belly and pork neck. Don’t be off-put by the thick black skin and even coarse hairs you may find still attached—they’re there as proof that you’re getting the real deal and not just any old pig. Take one bite of the juicy pork and you’ll see why—especially when you add a dash of meljeot (Jeju dialect for salt-fermented anchovy paste). Grilled pork and fermented seafood condiments are a classic combination, but black pig and meljeot is a whole new level of flavor, a mixture of aromatic meat, the fragrance of charcoal and deep saltiness of meljeot. Make sure to accompany your meal with glasses of Hallasan, a local soju from Jeju, to round out the experience.