Dwaejijip 돼지집

Dwaejijip is a Korean restaurant at 56 Gia-ro in Gwangmyeong built around tong-dwaeji duruchigi, a table-cooked pork and kimchi dish. A broad, shallow pan contains thick pieces of domestic sow pork, fermented napa cabbage, and sliced onions. The ingredients begin as distinct sections in the pan. As they simmer, sweetness released from the softened onions joins the kimchi liquid, and rendered pork fat spreads through the broth. The pork is cut into substantial pieces with lean meat and an attached edge of fat rather than minced into the sauce. Fermented cabbage seasoning coats each piece during cooking. Handmade tofu can be added as thick, pale blocks set along the side of the pan, where they warm without losing their square shape. Extra kimchi increases the amount of cabbage and red seasoning in the liquid. Ramyeon noodles are another separate addition. They cook in the broth remaining around the pork and kimchi, releasing starch that changes its texture and helps the liquid cling to the noodles. Rice comes in a heated stone pot rather than a metal bowl. After the cooked rice is transferred out, hot water loosens the browned crust on the bottom into sungnyung, a warm scorched-rice infusion. The banchan is deliberately compact, with cucumber, garlic, and kimchi occupying small dishes around the main pan. Fresh pork belly is also listed as a separate grill item. It uses thick belly slices with visible lean and fat bands, while the signature duruchigi keeps the same kind of pork partly submerged with kimchi and onions. The restaurant occupies both the first and second floors. Rows of square tables provide a central burner for the shallow pan, leaving space for the individual stone pots and small side dishes. The completed table has the simmering pork pan at its center, rice pots beside it, and tofu or noodles added in their own stage of cooking rather than mixed into the pan before it reaches the table.