Haeundae pork ribs and kelp wraps at Seokok Galbi, Busan

Did you know there is a pork rib restaurant in Haeundae with a Blue Ribbon? It is, it is Seokok Galbi (석옥갈비).

Apparently, this is a newly opened Haeundae brand from Seokjeong Galbi, which received a Blue Ribbon. It has lots of repeat customers, and after visiting, I could see why: the side dishes, meat quality, and service were all so satisfying that people would have to come back.

Seokok Galbi location and visiting hours

• Mon–Fri 16:00–23:00
• Sat–Sun 11:30–23:00
• Open year-round
• No parking at the restaurant; E-Mart Jung-dong branch parking is recommended

Exterior

It is behind E-Mart by Jung-dong Station. It fills up at dinner, so I recommend making a reservation before you go.

Interior

Even though I arrived around 5 p.m., it was full. For a barbecue restaurant, the interior is wonderfully clean and modern. They have been going since 1999, so their experience must be enormous.

Since I had reserved, my table was prepared very neatly.

Ordering Jangin Galbi and MinSaeng kimchi jjigae

The kimchi jjigae is only ₩3,000, such a great value that you absolutely have to order it. I ordered four portions of Jangin Galbi (₩13,000 per portion) and MinSaeng kimchi jjigae (₩3,000). The stew comes with one serving of ramen noodles as standard, and you can add more later.

They gave us vitamins right at the start. I was happy from the very beginning.

The side-dish spread was faultless. I loved that there were so many sauces ready to go. Unusually, the seasoned scallions were cut crosswise, which made them easy to eat. This was my first time having scallions prepared this way, and I liked it.

My number-one pick was wrapping the meat in kelp with seed jeotgal (salted fermented seafood). They say Seokok roasts its own sun-dried salt from Sinan that has been aged to drain for three years.

There is also a neat self-service bar, so you can comfortably help yourself to anything you need. I personally eat lots of side dishes and ssam vegetables, so I really loved that.

Closely scored pork ribs

Here are four portions of pork ribs. That includes the bone weight. They also come with eggplant, potatoes, and sliced rice cakes—friends that are delicious when grilled.

Compared with other places, the scoring is incredibly close together. I think that is why Seokok's ribs are more tender. The MinSaeng kimchi jjigae has minced pork and big chunks of tofu in it.

I got to work grilling away.

Just looking at the photo, they seem so tender and soft, without a chewy bit in sight.

Golden brown and so delicious-looking, right? The garlic coated in sesame oil was good, good too ദ്ദി・ᴗ・)✧

For the first bite, salt and wasabi are the standard rule. It was tender as the juices came out. An “oh, this place is good” just slipped out. The meat had no off smell, and the balance of lean meat and fat was perfect.

Ribs seem especially delicious wrapped in ssam (leaf wraps). Whenever I see ribs, I simply cannot resist making a wrap. Seokok Galbi is great because you can enjoy so many ssam combinations. The kelp was especially good.

Ahh, this place is seriously delicious.... The close scoring seems to be a huge secret. It is even better with grilled eggplant.

And when it comes to wraps, you cannot leave out a potato wrap either.

When you crisp the potatoes right up, they become like potato chips? So fascinating and delicious.

I ordered a bowl of fluffy steamed rice.

Put a piece of meat on top of rice and wow, is that not truly beautiful? It tastes even more beautiful.

Here comes a pro tip. Take a big heaping spoonful of seed jeotgal and put it on top of your rice—give it a try.

Finishing with ₩3,000 kimchi jjigae

For dessert, kimchi jjigae, of course. The fact that this is ₩3,000 is honestly unbelievable..

The very tangy kimchi made the broth tangy too. It is packed, packed with ingredients. Once the broth starts boiling, add the noodles too. But really, this is such a big portion. One order is enough for two people.

And with ribs, you cannot resist the meat stuck to the bone either, can you? Hehe.

They also have assorted vitamin candies and dental floss available, plus meat-odor spray. It feels like it has been a million years since I last had yogurt, but they even gave us yogurt to finish. The service really is the best.

Seokok Galbi did not fall short in any way: meat quality, flavor, hygiene, or service. I recommend it to anyone looking for a local Haeundae favorite, a Haeundae barbecue restaurant, great ribs in Haeundae, or a Jung-dong Station venue for a group dinner.