Korean BBQ in Dogok-dong for weekend lunch: beef galbi-sal, Gukgojip

Last weekend at lunchtime I was looking for a good BBQ place near Yangjae Station, and ended up at Gukgojip (국고집), a well-known spot for group dinners in Dogok-dong.

Where is Gukgojip and how is the parking?

Gukgojip is a 4-minute walk from Yangjae Station Exit 4, so it's easy to reach by public transport. Parking may differ depending on the day and time, so please check with the restaurant beforehand. On our weekend lunch visit, staff directed us to the Dogok Star Class underground car park, and we got 2 hours covered.

Inside Gukgojip: a good space for group dinners?

As you'd expect from a well-known Yangjae Station restaurant, the moment we walked in we saw lots of celebrity autographs on display.

Gukgojip has a 1st floor and a basement level, and we were shown to the 1st floor. It was spacious and bright, so eating there felt comfortable.

The basement is quite big too, and looks great for large gatherings and company dinners. I heard that on weekday evenings, office workers from around Dogok-dong come for team dinners.

Gukgojip menu and what we ordered

Gukgojip serves both beef and pork. The meat menu includes fresh beef galbi-sal (갈비살, rib meat), marinated beef galbi-sal, boneless marinated pork galbi and fresh galbi, and the meal menu has seolleongtang (ox bone soup), Andong gukbap (rice soup), jeyuk-bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), bibimbap, chogye naengmyeon (cold noodles with chicken) and more.

• Fresh beef galbi-sal, 2 servings
• Boneless marinated galbi, 1 serving
• Dessert mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth), 1 serving

Basic side dishes and kongbiji stew

The basic table setting came with lettuce, white kimchi, green onion kimchi and pickles, plus four sauces: ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste), wasabi, salt and meljeot (salted anchovy sauce).

What stood out was the kongbiji-jjigae (soybean pulp stew). I hadn't had it in a long time, so it was a happy surprise! The nutty soybean flavor with a slightly spicy broth went really well alongside the meat. It wasn't harsh at all, so it was easy on the stomach too.

Fresh beef galbi-sal, 2 servings for ₩42,000: how was it?

Two servings of fresh beef galbi-sal cost ₩42,000. The meat quality looked pretty great for the price. The ratio of lean meat to fat was good, and the color looked fresh.

You grill the meat yourself. As you put a few pieces at a time on the charcoal, a savory beefy aroma drifts up, and it really gets your mouth watering.

My family prefers unseasoned meat to marinated, because you can taste the true flavor of the meat. For beef, I think dipping it in salt brings out the savory depth and aroma best.

The more we chewed, the juicier and more flavorful it got. It was tender but with just the right bounce, so the texture was great too.

Every now and then we wrapped meat in lettuce with a bit of white kimchi. The crunch of the vegetables kept it from feeling greasy right to the end.

Boneless marinated galbi, 1 serving for ₩17,000

The boneless marinated pork galbi is ₩17,000 per serving. After the beef galbi I got curious about the pork version, so I ordered just 1 serving.

The meat is scored between the pieces, so the marinade soaked in well. It already smelled sweet while grilling.

The sweet-salty balance was exactly to my taste, and I'd have regretted skipping it. It was juicy, and the sweet savory flavor deepened with every bite, so even though we were full it kept going down easily. The texture was tender too, so I think anyone, young or old, would like it.

Dessert mul-naengmyeon for ₩6,000, which turned out to be chogye naengmyeon

The dessert mul-naengmyeon is ₩6,000. Cold noodles are a must with BBQ, so I ordered one as a finish.

It turned out not to be regular mul-naengmyeon but chogye naengmyeon, with chicken on top. The chicken wasn't tough at all, just tender.

The cold broth with floating ice crystals wiped my palate clean, and it was tangy yet savory, a refreshing way to end the meal.

We finished off with the mild chicken and springy noodles, and it was a satisfying ending.

Gukgojip verdict and opening hours

Gukgojip, the Yangjae Station restaurant, offered good-value, tasty galbi, kongbiji stew and chogye naengmyeon in a spacious, comfortable space. If you're looking for a BBQ place for a group dinner around Dogok-dong, give it a look.

• Hours: 10:00–22:00
• Break time (weekdays only): 14:30–16:00