Spicy shabu-shabu pork belly set with melt sauce in Suyeong, Busan

A place I'd recommend for both group work dinners and family meals! I visited Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch (거북이동네 부산남천점), a well-known pork belly spot in Namcheon-dong. My parents have been regulars here, but this was my first visit — and I was more than satisfied.

One minute from Namcheon Station: location and hours

Open 11:30 / Close 22:30

Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch, a pork belly favorite in Namcheon-dong, is just a one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Namcheon Station. Being so close to the station makes it very accessible, and it's popular with locals in the neighborhood.

Friday evening wait and seating

Here's the interior. We came on a Friday evening, so it was busy and there was a bit of a wait. Still, the tables were spaced generously apart and the seats were comfortable, so it seemed like a great spot for a family gathering.

Kids' video room

And Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch has a kids' video room! Kids don't just want to eat, right? Haha. There's a space where children can watch TV and relax a bit. They can play there before or after the meal 🎶

Group room and self-serve bar

There's also a group room! With a reservation, you can grill your meat a bit more privately in the room. Really great for a work dinner too 👍

Lettuce wraps, side dishes, and sauces are all available at the self-serve bar. The bar itself was clean and had so many sauce options that I had a hard time deciding what to try 🤔

Ordering the shabu-samgyeop set, 14-day aged pork

Here's the menu. At Geobugi Dongne you can get not just grilled meat but also shabu-shabu and doenjang-simmered pork (dwaeji jjagulyi)! So we ordered the shabu-samgyeop set from the tablet. (There's a ₩5,000 table fee, haha.)

Once we ordered, the owner sliced the meat fresh right away. It's served 14-day aged, and you could definitely taste the extra depth of flavor. The shabu-shabu came out right away too!

We picked out our own dipping sauces — salt, curry powder, and wasabi. A pretty solid spread all around 👏

My dad is the best pork belly griller in the world! He grilled it to a perfect golden brown on the hot plate.

You can't have pork belly without a drink — cheers!

Scored pork belly and grilled white kimchi

The thick pork belly had fine, even scoring across the surface, so heat reached deep inside on the grill — the outside came out crisp while the inside stayed moist and full of juice! As the meat browned nicely, we grilled whole garlic cloves and savory white kimchi in the rendered fat too!! The white kimchi was a real standout.

My first bite was with pickled scallions, and the fresh sharpness of the scallions paired really well with the deep, savory flavor of the aged meat. And of course the salt-and-wasabi combo never fails — a true classic~

Melt sauce simmered on the grill

Since we especially love melt (anchovy) sauce, we dipped the meat in the sauce as it bubbled away right on the grill, and the salty umami was so good :)

How was the spicy shabu-shabu?

It's great that the shabu-shabu burner sits right next to the grill, so you can enjoy both at once! They first make a broth with fresh vegetables like bok choy, mushrooms, and napa cabbage.

We added the meat gradually so it wouldn't overcook, and it paired really well with the vegetables! We ordered it spicy, and while grilling the pork belly, sipping the hot, savory-spicy shabu-shabu broth in between was a perfect match.

Since this place clearly specializes in meat, even the shabu-shabu meat was tender and not tough at all — loved that!

Ice cream to finish

Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch also has an ice cream machine!! Everyone, young and old, seemed to love it 🍦 We grabbed one too :)

Such a nice way to cleanse the palate after the meal!! A place that takes care of dessert too, haha. Friendly staff, a clean interior, and delicious food — I'd definitely recommend this Namcheon-dong pork belly spot, Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch ☺️