Family tip: grill just two slices at a time at Geobugi Dongne, Busan

Geobugi Dongne is my family's true go-to spot. Ever since one opened near our house, we've gone once or twice a week — that's how good the value-for-money grilled pork is!

This time a new branch opened in Namcheon-dong, and word was the self-serve bar there is even better, so we went to check out the Namcheon branch. After the visit, our whole family agreed: 'It's barely farther than our usual spot, and the self-serve bar here is so much better!!!' Total satisfaction!!!

Here's my thoroughly biased introduction to Geobugi Dongne, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Namcheon-dong.

Location and parking at Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch

• Address: 1st floor, 414 Suyeong-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: 11:30 - 22:30
• Parking: use nearby paid parking lots
• Info: kids' movie corner available, high chairs available

The Yongho branch has its own parking lot, which is convenient, but the Namcheon branch has none — a bit of a downside. But we managed to park in the alley behind it, so parking gets a pass from us!

Interior and seating

The restaurant is very spacious and pleasant. It has 4-person sofa tables that can be connected, so if you're coming as a group, the Namcheon branch is much better suited.

What's at the Namcheon branch's self-serve bar

The biggest strength of the Namcheon branch is the self-serve bar! It's spotlessly clean and really well stocked. Starting with things to pair with the meat...

Bracken fern, potatoes, rice cakes, bean sprouts, kimchi, and corn to grill alongside the meat

Pickled radish for wraps, dried radish strips, mustard leaf kimchi

Seaweed and a wide variety of sauces

The fresh produce section is also fully stocked with vegetables — peppers, garlic, onions, lettuce leaves for wraps, scallion salad, and more.

The Namcheon branch of Geobugi Dongne doesn't set out a default spread at all — after ordering, you just bring over exactly what you want to eat. Actually more convenient this way, since nothing goes to waste.

I'm a bracken fern lover so this made me so happy — grilling it with the meat is pure gold!!!

Menu and prices

Single items, priced per 100g

• Flash-frozen pork belly ₩5,990
• Aged pork belly ₩5,990
• Aged pork neck ₩5,990
• Aged five-layer belly ₩6,490
• Aged pork jowl ₩7,490
• Aged gabrisal ₩7,490

Set menus

• Pork jjaglagi + flash-frozen belly set 500g ₩41,500
• Jjolmyeon five-layer belly set 500g ₩40,000
• Couple set 500g ₩32,500 (belly 200g + neck 100g + jowl 100g + gabrisal 100g + mixed mushrooms)
• Family set 800g ₩52,000 (belly 200g + neck 200g + jowl 200g + gabrisal 200g + mixed mushrooms)

Meals

• Giant spicy vegetable jjolmyeon ₩11,000
• Pork jjaglagi ₩15,000
• Doenjang-jjigae 2 people ₩4,000 / 3-4 people ₩6,000
• Pot rice 2 people ₩4,000 / 3 people ₩6,000
• Buckwheat noodles (cold or spicy) ₩6,500

How to order

On your first order, a minimum of 5 servings is required (at least 200g per menu item), and there's a ₩5,000 table setting fee.

Our order: 5 servings of flash-frozen pork belly + 3 servings of aged pork neck

Flash-frozen pork belly x5 + pork neck x3. We've tried everything at Geobugi Dongne, and this is the combo we finally settled on. The flash-frozen belly in particular is genuinely delicious!! It's just a little thicker than the usual paper-thin cut, savory and tender! (Grilling method coming right up.)

Aged pork neck x3. My daughter is die-hard pork neck team here! She polishes off 3 servings solo — this restaurant's neck stays tender and chewy even when grilled a long time, must be because it's aged well. If you want the best part of the neck, I recommend ordering it as a 300g+ chunk.

The order: neck first, then belly two slices at a time

Pork neck takes longer to cook so they grill that first. It's tasty grilled whole on both sides first, then cut and grilled further.

I lowered the exhaust fan because of the smoke and now I can't see anything!!! Honey! Move it out of the way!!! Hahaha

The soft, tender neck meat is all my daughter's — once it's fully cooked we move it aside and start on our flash-frozen belly.

Since the neck is fairly lean, the kids eat it really well.

Now, once the neck is done, we grill the flash-frozen belly. Our family's tip: never put it all on at once — just two pieces at a time. Any meat gets tough and hard if grilled too long, so it tastes best eaten slice by slice, fresh off the grill.

Cut it right in half and eat it piece by piece — beats beef, honestly hahaha. How is it this good..... it's thin so it cooks fast, meaning you can eat calmly and deliciously without ever feeling rushed!!

Genuinely delicious — you have to try this!!!

We wrapped some in lettuce too~

They had shrimp, which we never saw at the Yongho branch — we didn't know how to eat it so we just grilled it, and it turned out savory and nicely salty!! Would probably be great mixed into rice too hahaha

Doenjang-jjigae, pot rice, and mustard leaf kimchi

Once we were full, we ordered doenjang soup with rice. Geobugi Dongne doesn't serve plain steamed rice bowls — only pot rice. It takes about 10 minutes, so I recommend ordering it in advance.

The doenjang-jjigae bubbles away nicely. The seasoning is spot-on, and it's amazing mixed into rice too.

And two servings of pot rice!!! Freshly cooked, wonderfully sticky rice — no more needs to be said......

One reason Geobugi Dongne is so popular: the mustard leaf kimchi! Eat it with rice and the bowl disappears in no time. The Yongho branch also has scallion kimchi, hehehe, which is also delicious!!

Kids' play space (movie corner)

Once our daughter had mostly finished eating, she wandered off to the play area by herself. There's nothing special there besides a movie playing, but it's a nice quiet spot for kids to hang out together.

Dessert: soft-serve ice cream

To finish!! There's ice cream. Takeout available too!! But...... this............ is genuinely delicious.................. honestly, ice cream at a Korean barbecue restaurant?? It's often a letdown, but wow~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Super smooth, exactly like McDonald's soft serve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahaha, I don't usually eat much ice cream, but I had one... then went back for more.... wait, how is..... a Korean barbecue restaurant this perfect all the way down to dessert?!

Final verdict

Geobugi Dongne in Namcheon-dong had absolutely nothing to complain about. The meat is delicious~ prices are affordable~ the self-serve bar is excellent, plus a kids' play room and soft-serve ice cream for dessert!! Oh, and the staff are kind too........... I recommend Geobugi Dongne as a great-value Korean barbecue restaurant in Namcheon-dong!!