Pork galbi lunch with free cold noodles, Uijeongbu: Manpo Galbi

I went to Uijeongbu for lunch with my dad. I'd been here before and remembered the pork galbi being delicious, but what really stuck with me was that ordering the ribs comes with a free bowl of naengmyeon (cold noodles). If you're looking for Uijeongbu pork galbi that isn't too pricey but still comes with a solid spread, this is the place. Though this visit, I found out I'd actually had the menu names mixed up the whole time, haha@_@

How to get to Manpo Galbi from Uijeongbu Station and Uijeongbu Light Rail Station

Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch is about an 8-minute walk from Exit 1 of Uijeongbu Station, and about 3 minutes from Exit 1 of the Uijeongbu Light Rail Station. Both stations are walkable, so it looks fine to reach by public transit too. We drove this time, and we could park right in front of the restaurant without having to hunt for a parking lot, which was convenient. Parking is often a hassle when going out for lunch, so I liked that it's easy to visit by car too.

Inside Manpo Galbi: a spacious, clean room built for charcoal grilling

Inside, there are plenty of tables, each set up with its own charcoal grill. The wood-tone tables and chairs are mixed with darker colors overall, giving it a clean, put-together barbecue restaurant feel. The gaps between tables aren't cramped either, so it felt comfortable for two people, and it looked like it would work fine for a bigger group too.

This time I actually read the menu closely, and it had handmade LA galbi and handmade marinated galbi, along with raw marinated beef short ribs and Korean native raw pork ribs. On weekday lunches there's also a separate galbi hot-pot rice set, plus galbi-tang (rib soup) as a meal option, so there are lunch choices beyond just grilled meat.

Why the handmade marinated galbi is the one to order

We ordered two servings of handmade marinated galbi and a bowl of rice. The handmade marinated galbi is ₩16,000 for 250g per serving, which isn't bad for charcoal galbi pricing. But there was a small mix-up here — I'd remembered the dish I loved last time as the handmade LA galbi, so I initially ordered that.

When the meat arrived, it wasn't the look I remembered, so I asked the staff, and it turned out the dish I actually wanted was the handmade marinated galbi, haha. Wait, what?? I apologized and asked to swap it, then got the handmade marinated galbi instead. Turns out it's also cheaper than the LA galbi, so it worked out even better.

Once the meat goes on the charcoal, the marinade starts to cook and gets glossy, browning from the edges first. Marinated galbi burns easily, so we kept flipping it along the way.

Cut into bite-size pieces, the marinade was sweet and salty, soaked well into the meat, and the meat itself wasn't tough at all, easy to eat.

It went well with rice too, and wrapping a bit of rice, galbi and ssamjang (dipping sauce) in a perilla leaf was a familiar, satisfying combo. If you're looking for Uijeongbu pork galbi that's not overly sweet and pairs well with rice and naengmyeon, this one fits the bill.

What comes with the meal: yukhoe and free water or spicy naengmyeon

Ordering meat also gets you more basic side dishes than you'd expect. Along with ssam vegetables, there's japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), various seasoned dishes, and mushroom fritters to snack on in between, so the table felt full rather than just being meat the whole time.

What I liked most among them was the yukhoe (beef tartare). We didn't order it separately, but it came with the basic spread, which felt like a nice bonus right from the start of the meal.

The thinly sliced yukhoe came with a savory seasoning, good to eat piece by piece while the galbi was still grilling.

And one of the reasons I came back to Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch is the naengmyeon. Ordering galbi gets you a free bowl of handmade Hamhung-style naengmyeon, your choice of water naengmyeon or spicy mixed naengmyeon. My dad had the water version, I had the spicy mixed.

The spicy mixed naengmyeon had a tangy, spicy sauce that tasted even better paired with the marinated galbi. I already like wrapping meat in spicy mixed naengmyeon when eating pork galbi, and getting it at no extra cost made it even more satisfying.

Eating a piece of galbi together with the spicy mixed naengmyeon, the sweet meat and the spicy sauce blended together so well that I never got tired of it, right to the end. With two servings of meat, rice, and a bowl of naengmyeon each, lunch turned out pretty filling.

Worth a return visit? What to order next time at Manpo Galbi

I remembered my last visit fondly and came back, and this time I properly figured out that the dish I loved was the handmade marinated galbi. The price isn't a big burden, and with the basic sides, the yukhoe, and even free naengmyeon at the end, the overall package left me quite satisfied. I think I'll order the handmade marinated galbi again next time I visit.

Overall, the meat and side dishes were solid, and both parking and public transit access were convenient, which I liked. That said, marinated galbi cooks fast on charcoal and can burn easily because of the sauce, so it's worth flipping it often while grilling. If having naengmyeon generously paired with your Uijeongbu pork galbi matters to you, Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch is more than worth choosing.