Seomyeon galbitang restaurant, radish kimchi refills at dinner: Gang

Why Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon became my regular spot

Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon, Busan is my favorite gukbap (Korean rice soup) place, and I've been so many times I've lost count. I'm not really a gukbap person, but there's exactly one spot I love, and it's Gang Galbitang! I've tried plenty of galbitang places in Busan, but I haven't found one with ribs this big, meat this generous, portions this large and a lineup this perfect :)

Gang Galbitang hours and parking

Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon is open from 9:20am to 9:00pm, with a break from 3:00 to 4:00pm. The blue parking lot covers 30 minutes if you spend ₩20,000 or more, takeout, delivery, group seating and reservations are available, and there are baby chairs too.

Since it opens at 9:20am, you can even have an early breakfast here. I've always come for lunch in Seomyeon, but this time I tried dinner.

You can buy a meal kit too

Gang Galbitang sells easy-cook meal kits too! I'd brought my parents here before and they loved the food, so I bought them the kit. The portion is huge and you just boil it, so they said it was super convenient :) It tastes 200% like the restaurant!

Inside Gang Galbitang: okay for eating alone?

The inside is spotless! I've been many times and it has never once been messy. They seem to care a lot about cleanliness. The place isn't huge, but the tables have some breathing room. As a proper solo-dining spot in Seomyeon, it has counter and bar seats for solo eaters, so you can enjoy lunch alone without any pressure :)

Gang Galbitang menu and prices

• Galbitang ₩14,000
• Spicy galbitang ₩15,000
• Spicy galbi gukbap ₩10,500
• Galbi noodle soup ₩13,500

As a galbitang specialist, they have galbitang, spicy galbitang, galbi gukbap and galbi noodle soup. For the spicy galbitang and gukbap you can pick spice level 1, 2 or 3, which is great for spicy-food fans :)

You order and pay in one go at the kiosk by the entrance! It's prepaid, so it's super convenient :)

Seomyeon is one of those areas where parking is a pain, but the roomy blue parking lot right next to the restaurant gives you 30 minutes, so bringing a car is no worry :)

Galbitang (₩14,000) with a Jeju medium-noodle add-on

My family always orders the galbitang! And we always add the Jeju medium noodles :) They're medium rather than thin somyeon noodles, so they're nicely thick, and I highly recommend them to noodle lovers! Adding them definitely makes the meal more filling.

Side dishes and the self-bar: kimchi twice

The neat side dishes go perfectly with galbitang!

If you run low on sides, you can refill freely at the self-bar. There's gat-kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi) there too, so take whatever you like. The kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) at this Seomyeon gukbap spot is especially good, so I end up having it twice every time haha,,

Good for a family meal with kids?

They have baby chairs and even bring baby tableware, which is such a thoughtful touch! I think nothing is as perfect for a family meal as galbitang. Kids can eat it too, and you can just stir in rice and finish it in a flash!

The ribs and meat at Gang Galbitang

The galbitang comes with a whopping three big ribs! There's plenty of meat on them, so it's seriously generous :)

It's simmered so long that the meat isn't tough at all, it's super soft and tender, and there's no gamey smell whatsoever! Kids and adults alike will love it, no hit-or-miss.

It's great as is, but dipping it in the special soy sauce gives you that pull-the-meat-off-and-eat-it-separately kind of taste too.

Medium noodles, glass noodles, and rice

Definitely add the medium noodles! You get galbi noodle soup and galbitang at the same time.

The broth is so good that just sipping the hot galbitang soup one spoonful after another feels restorative :) And there's a generous heap of crunchy green onion. As you eat, you realize this place really doesn't skimp on ingredients.

Partway through, you find glass noodles too! Those aren't an add-on, they come standard :) Their chewy texture is different from the medium noodles, and it's fun to fish out just the glass noodles.

Once you've eaten a good amount of noodles, stir in a full bowl of rice and enjoy it as hot gukbap, yum! It never gets old :) When the cold wind starts to blow like lately, a hot, hearty bowl of galbitang warms you right up and is just a wonderful dish.

When you're craving galbitang in Seomyeon

Among Seomyeon's gukbap spots in Busan, if you feel like galbitang today, don't hesitate, just go to Gang Galbitang :) It's also great for solo dining in Seomyeon, and I'll be going back for another Seomyeon lunch next time!