Yangju Korean BBQ after work, second-floor seating: Manpo Galbi

Today I'm sharing my review of a Yangju restaurant I genuinely love, Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch. I remembered how good it was on my first visit, so I headed straight there the moment I got off work on a weekday evening.

Where is Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch, and is there parking?

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch / 65 Songnang-ro, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea / Hours 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM / Parking available

With its grand, clean exterior, Manpo Galbi always puts me in a good mood the moment I arrive. Running out of parking at a restaurant is such a hassle, but this place has a genuinely spacious lot, so you can visit without any parking stress at all — a huge plus.

Weekday evening: the first floor was full, so we sat upstairs

On my last visit I ate on the first floor of Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch. Even on a weekday evening, the first floor was packed full of people! Definitely living up to its reputation as a famous Yangju restaurant.

So this time we were shown upstairs to the second floor, and that space was also wonderfully spacious and airy. On one wall was written the meaning behind the name Manpo Galbi — 'to give abundantly' — and by the time you finish your meal, you'll fully understand that phrase.

Kiosk ordering and the yukhoe and yukjeon side dishes

We started ordering at the convenient kiosk. We got two servings of raw pork galbi, one serving of hand-marinated galbi, and the naengmyeon (cold noodles) and bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) that come as complimentary service.

Just look at the side dish lineup! Along with salad, they even serve yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and yukjeon (pan-fried beef) as basic sides. Add the smooth potato salad, crunchy seasoned cucumber, namul (seasoned greens), and various kimchi — every single one was delicious, so my chopsticks were busy before the meat even hit the grill.

The yukhoe and yukjeon in particular were such high quality that they melt in your mouth. Way too luxurious to just be complimentary sides.

Two servings of raw Korean pork galbi, thick meat on each bone

Finally, the main event arrived! The vividly colored raw pork galbi and the sweet hand-marinated galbi. We put the raw pork galbi on the grill first, and the visual of a huge single bone with two servings' worth of meat attached in big chunks was the best!

How big are the free water and bibim naengmyeon?

While the meat was cooking, the water naengmyeon and bibim naengmyeon we'd requested ahead arrived. You can technically order it as dessert, but galbi really tastes best wrapped in naengmyeon, right? Here, ordering meat gets you free naengmyeon, and the Yangju Main Branch seems to give the largest portion of all. It's not served like a token freebie — it comes as generous as a proper standalone order, which was genuinely touching.

For the perfectly golden-brown raw galbi, my first bite was simply dipped in salt. Maybe because it's fresh Korean pork, it was so savory and delicious!!

Ordering more ssam vegetables with the kiosk staff call button

Wanting to eat wraps, I pressed the staff call button on the kiosk to request lettuce. Being able to instantly tap for whatever you need was really convenient. I tried wrapping a piece of meat in fresh lettuce with a generous dab of ssamjang (dipping sauce).

How the hand-marinated galbi tasted, and the final verdict

Having demolished the raw galbi, next came the hand-marinated galbi. The sweet and salty marinade was well soaked in, making it a flavor anyone would like without exception. Lightly infused with charcoal aroma, the marinated galbi was just as delicious as the raw version.

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch always has friendly staff no matter when you come, which keeps the mood great throughout the meal. True to the restaurant's philosophy of 'giving abundantly,' the table was overflowing with food, and with the generous free naengmyeon on top, it was a satisfying meal that left me stuffed. If you want to experience quality galbi paired with an incredibly generous spirit, I strongly recommend visiting Manpo Galbi, a true Yangju favorite!