Mild beef rib stew in Seohyeon with staff-made fried rice: Gimcheongja

Sometimes I want to blow off stress with something spicy, but sadly I'm a spice wimp and I also keep track of my daily protein intake, so spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes) always comes with a little guilt, you know? This is the day I decided that whenever I crave something spicy, I'm heading to Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim (김청자매운갈비찜).

What's the atmosphere like at Gimcheongja near Seohyeon Station?

Even though it's on the 2nd floor of a building near Seohyeon Station, people find their way here by word of mouth, and this braised rib place gets a wait even on weekdays! The walls are covered in celebrity autographs, so I was excited the moment I walked in. The staff were super friendly and paid close attention to how the meat was cooking and to finishing the fried rice.

Where is Gimcheongja, and is there parking?

Gimcheongja is on the 2nd floor of Cheonji Officetel on Hwangsaeul-ro 330beon-gil in Bundang-gu. There's a parking tower on the 1st floor, so if your car fits, you can park there. We drove an SUV, so we squeezed into a spot along the roadside near the building and hoped for the best. Luckily there was no wait when I walked in, and although there are lots of tables inside, they fill up fast.

Gimcheongja opening hours and break time

Gimcheongja opens at 11:00 and closes at 22:00 every day, but note that it takes a break from 15:00 to 17:00.

How many dishes are on the menu, and which spice level did I pick?

The menu has just 2 items: spicy beef rib stew and spicy pork rib stew. You can adjust the spice across 3 levels, so you pick beef or pork, then choose your heat. I went with the mildest level.

Right after we ordered, they set a portable gas burner on the table.

What comes with the spicy beef rib stew for 2

Look at this beef rib stew for two! It comes with glass noodles and rice cakes too, so it's really filling.

The staff keep walking by to check on the pot, so they tell you right when it's ready to eat!

You can tell at a glance that the bone would slip right out of this beef rib stew. Come to think of it, it had been ages since I last had beef rib stew!

Is rice included at Gimcheongja?

Rice isn't included, so you have to order steamed rice separately. Once even the glass noodles are cooked, you can dig in, but who can resist white rice with beef rib stew? You're better off ordering it from the start. It's a different taste from the fried rice, too!

There's plenty of meat, cut into big pieces, so every bite feels satisfying. Wrap it with rice in the bean sprouts and seaweed that come alongside, and the texture and flavor are both great!

Is the rib stew fried rice worth ordering even when you're full?

At Gimcheongja, once the beef starts to disappear from the pot, it's time to order fried rice. There were two of us, so I planned to order 2 fried rice, but my boyfriend said he was already full and we probably didn't need any. I was like, what are you talking about, we're getting at least one, no question, haha.

A staff member scoops out some of the sauce, adds the fried rice ingredients to the pot and stir-fries it for you. The special handle they use looked so sturdy that I trusted them completely!

It looks amazing~ They also drizzle on sesame oil, so it smells great and has a glossy shine.

Then you top it with the beef ribs you struggled to save, and that completes the full Seohyeon Station experience.

Wrapped in seaweed it's twice as good, so even if you're stuffed, have the fried rice as a dessert at least.

Scraped clean. The end.

Would I go back to Gimcheongja in Seohyeon?

• Yes, I'd go back to Gimcheongja near Seohyeon Station
• There may be a wait
• Parking an SUV is a pain, but I'd still go eat there again