Two whole beef ribs in one bowl at a Gwangjin galbitang restaurant near Achasan Station: Achasan Tong Galbitang

A hot bowl of galbitang after hiking Achasan

Cheoseo (the late-August start of cooler weather) arrived and it turned crisp right away, so I started craving a hot bowl of soup. It had been a while, so I came to Achasan Tong Galbitang (아차산통갈비탕) for a hearty galbitang (beef short rib soup). This is a place I used to go to often after hiking Achasan — the ribs go in whole and really big, and the portions are generous, so it's perfect for getting your energy back after coming down the mountain.

Achasan Tong Galbitang

📍 About 5 minutes on foot from Achasan Station (Line 5) exit 2. Great to visit before or after hiking Achasan whenever you want something hot and soupy. If you're coming by car, I recommend the public parking lot across from the restaurant. (₩900 per 30 minutes)

Achasan Tong Galbitang gets a lot of visitors on weekends and at lunchtime, so there's always a wait, but this time I came on a weekday and got in right away with no waiting.

Achasan Tong Galbitang has 17 years of experience behind it, and you can feel that solidity in the service, the friendliness and the atmosphere of the place. It's neat and tidy, and the tables are spaced generously, so families can eat here comfortably. The food is easy for kids to eat too, and there were lots of families with small children.

The prep that goes into one bowl of galbitang

✔️ One of the reasons Achasan Tong Galbitang tastes so good is apparently the way they prep and boil the ribs. Every day they soak 120 kg of ribs for 12 hours to draw out the blood and then wash them clean. They add various ingredients and parboil for about an hour, and the whole process — removing the fat and trimming the meat — takes more than 6 hours, they say. You can really feel how much care and time goes into a single bowl of galbitang 👏🏻

Self-serve banchan and misugaru after the meal

All the banchan (side dishes) are self-service, so you can go back for more. On top of that, they give you complimentary misugaru (roasted grain drink) and barley crackers 💛 It tastes like the rich misugaru my mom used to make when I was little — just right as a little dessert after the meal.

Achasan Tong Galbitang menu and ordering rules

✔️ Achasan Tong Galbitang menu From the arongsatae galbitang with its chewy, nutty beef shank, to the Wonggi Hoebok Wang Galbitang ("energy-restoring king galbitang") with its huge king-size ribs, to the sogalbi-jjim (braised beef short ribs) that's great for sharing — one delicious thing next to another 🤤 Every menu item requires one order per person, and rice comes with unlimited refills, so you can fill up properly.

Wonggi Hoebok Wang Galbitang with 2 whole king-size ribs

The Wonggi Hoebok Wang Galbitang, with 2 king-size ribs in whole. My immunity has been way down lately and I've had no energy at all, but this is the kind of dish where you can feel your energy shoot back up after one bowl.

Aren't those ribs seriously meaty? Even at this size the meat isn't tough at all — it's tender, and that's the charm of Achasan Tong Galbitang ✨

Just one push with the chopsticks like this and the rib meat slides softly off the bone, so it'd be good for small kids to eat too.

Rich broth with no gamey taste, and tender rib meat

The broth, simmered for a long time, had no gamey or greasy taste — just a clean yet rich beef broth flavor, exactly as it should be. It especially wasn't salty or heavy-handed, so it went well with the kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) 🫶🏻

This silky-soft meat also pairs really well with the soy sauce and mustard dipping sauce. The salty umami added to the tender, mild rib meat cuts any richness completely while bringing the beefy flavor up even more 😛

A piece of meat, a big pinch of dangmyeon (glass noodles), eaten with the broth and a bit of rice — one bowl and you're completely full, you know?

When your body feels sluggish and your energy is low like it has been lately, a warm bowl of galbitang seems like just the thing to soothe a tired body and get your strength back.

Finished every drop ✨ Leaving with good energy from one clean, carefully made bowl of galbitang.