Podaepo near Seoul Station: Pork Rinds & Magic Shows

2016-01-05 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Sophomore year of college. My friends who had retaken the entrance exams finally got into university, and we were going out drinking with neighborhood friends to our hearts' content. One guy suddenly suggested grabbing soju near Sookmyung Women's University. It's been so long now that I don't remember what we talked about, but I still vividly remember being excited to go to a women's university neighborhood, only to be super disappointed when I first saw the shabby exterior of Podaepo. But back then, just like now, the pork rinds and lean meat were so ridiculously delicious that we drank a ton of soju and barely made it home.

Even though the main purpose of this blog is to store my own memories, I've still been making my own categories with reasons like 'this place fits my taste' or 'this place is super cheap'. Podaepo is not only incredibly delicious, but it's also so cheap that I actually worry how they manage to pay rent in Seoul. Plus, they have a unique feature you won't find anywhere else: the owner's magic show! And it's a magic show mixed with cheesy dad jokes. At first, it feels a bit awkward and you wonder why he's putting you on the spot, but after just one minute, it turns into an amazing show that has you begging for just one more trick.

I usually have to wait at least 30 minutes every time I come here, but since today is the last day of 2015, there's only one other table of customers. I wanted to spend the end of 2015 at my favorite restaurant, but ironically, unlike other places, people don't seem to come here at the end of the year.

Exterior view of Podaepo restaurant lit up on a night street — I forgot to take a picture on the way in, so I took this shot of the sign on the way out, which is why it came out darker.

Inside the restaurant with the walls filled with TV appearance frames and menus — The restaurant hasn't changed at all from the old days. They've been on TV quite a lot, too.

Inside the restaurant with old photos, menus, and a holiday notice on the wall — The owner's wife isn't here today; their daughter is filling in.

A framed movie poster parody with the names of Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan — Beauty and the Beast

It seems like whenever they were featured on TV, they were introduced as "Beauty and the Beast." Looking at the wall full of TV appearance screenshots, the owner is always depicted as the beast. His wife, who is currently taking a break, is truly a beauty, and since the owner used to work out, his body is thick like a real beast. I don't know which TV producer coined it first, but it's a perfectly fitting phrase.

My girlfriend and I don't eat very much, so we ordered a mixed 2-portion set. Plus, I drove here so I can't drink; I'll just have to eat with the mindset of doing a light tasting today.

A yellow menu showing the prices for kkeopdegi (pork rind) and sogum-gui (salt-grilled pork) — It's really cheap. A unique point is that they are 'closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.' They rest on all of them. If you ever think, 'Are they open today by any chance?' they are closed. It's the kind of bold business style that only famous restaurants can pull off.

Back view of a restaurant employee grilling meat behind a transparent plastic screen — The owner, sporting some cool tattoos, does the initial grilling.

A small bowl of thinly sliced onions in soy sauce

A plate of roughly chopped cabbage, green chili peppers, and garlic — The side dishes are simple. They just add a soy sauce and wasabi combo for dipping. The cabbage and garlic look sparse because I took the picture after eating quite a bit.

Golden brown kkeopdegi (pork rind) and meat pieces grilled on a round grill — One of my all-time favorite foods, 'Podaepo Pork Rinds'. There's no need to wait around for the meat to cook. The owner's magic show starts in the meantime.

Marinated meat being grilled on a grill with sauces and vegetables around it

A piece of well-grilled kkeopdegi (pork rind) held up with chopsticks — It's really simple, but you don't need anything more.
Just the end part in case it's a trade secret. Adding Mozart music makes it funny.

#Food #SeoulStation #PorkRinds