Jangan-dong BBQ, free cold noodles with every serving: Anhung Galbi

Anhung Galbi, a Jangan-dong veteran meat spot

Jangan-dong in Dongdaemun has a lot of great restaurants. I recently visited Anhung Galbi Main Branch (안흥갈비 본점), a genuine old-school place that has been run by three generations of the same family.

What kind of place is Anhung Galbi Main Branch?

Anhung Galbi Main Branch is a long-established pork rib restaurant in Jangan-dong, a neighborhood favorite for longtime Dongdaemun residents like me. First, just look at the meat. Juicy, moist, really good. The side dishes that come as standard are neat and made with quality ingredients, which I loved. The vegetables are fresh, the bossam cabbage (cabbage for wrapping) is really good, and the doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) that comes by default is good too.

Anhung Galbi Main Branch location and hours

Anhung Galbi Main Branch is at 153 Janghan-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Head from Jangan intersection toward Jangan three-way junction. It is open daily 11:30–22:30.

I hear Anhung Galbi is a pork rib specialist that cuts domestic chilled ribs and pork neck the traditional way and ages them for 48 hours at low temperature in a special seasoning. Grilled over real charcoal, the fat drains off and the juices stay in, which is what this Jangan-dong spot is known for. I think Anhung Galbi is the most famous place for pork ribs in Jangan-dong.

At the entrance there is a plaque marking it as a Dongdaemun-gu old-school restaurant. Three generations running, so it earns that title. In Jangan-dong, lots of restaurants open and vanish quickly, so a third-generation place feels trustworthy and the taste is guaranteed.

Anhung Galbi Main Branch menu and prices

Apart from the LA galbi, most of the menu at Anhung Galbi Main Branch is domestic meat, and domestic pork ribs are ₩17,000 per serving.

• Pork ribs (domestic) ₩17,000
• Seasoned pork neck (domestic) ₩18,000
• Pork belly (domestic) ₩17,000
• LA galbi (US beef) ₩23,000
• Unmarinated pork ribs (domestic) ₩19,000

As you can see from the menu, most of it is domestic meat. One serving is in the ₩10,000 range, and since free naengmyeon (cold noodles) as a dessert and doenjang stew come with it, you get domestic pork ribs and cold noodles for ₩17,000 per person. It is a total value spot.

The owner is proud of running a third-generation restaurant and even hung family photos at the counter. The side dish quality for the price, the taste of the meat, the free cold noodles, all great. Honestly, places where you can eat this much, with side dishes, stew, domestic ribs and noodles, for around ₩10,000 are rare now.

Anhung Galbi Main Branch: 3 servings of marinated pork ribs and side dishes

At Anhung Galbi Main Branch I ordered 3 servings of domestic marinated pork ribs. Pork ribs aged 48 hours at low temperature in a special sauce? I was so excited.

The meat looked fresh at a glance, with more lean meat than fat.

The standard sides, scallion salad, pickled onions, bossam cabbage and ganjang gejang (soy-sauce marinated crab), lacked nothing. Real care went into them and the ingredients were fresh through and through.

The doenjang stew also comes as standard at Anhung Galbi Main Branch, and it is rich and tasty. In my experience, restaurants that last are careful about everything: of course the main dish, but also side dishes, hygiene and service. There is a reason they have been open so long.

Even though the stew came out, I did not order extra rice because the cold noodles are free. But I bet this stew would have been amazing with white rice.

Charcoal-grilled Anhung Galbi, and they swap the grill for you

At Anhung Galbi Main Branch the pork ribs are grilled over real charcoal. Here is the thoughtful part: since the ribs are marinated, the grill burns fast from the seasoning. Without being called, the server came over and swapped the grill. That is a touching moment.

Domestic pork ribs, what is there to say... they are just good. Sweet, but not artificially so, just the right sweetness with the juices alive and a great chew. They are the most popular item at Anhung Galbi Main Branch.

I wrapped them in lettuce with scallion salad and ate until I was really full. The ribs have almost no bone and the weight is mostly meat, so it was truly filling.

Charcoal makes them tastier, and maybe because the low-temperature aging lets the seasoning soak in, these marinated pork ribs were on another level from artificial-tasting marinades.

A bite of rib, a bite of mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth). Noodles included for ₩17,000, and a decent portion too. I was surprised that this quality is possible at this price.

With prices so high these days, I think it is great that you can eat pork ribs and cold noodles for around ₩10,000. Even pasta is ₩15,000 these days, and I prefer pork ribs to pasta anyway, so getting a generous meal plus ice cream and coffee for dessert at that price is amazing, right?

Is the dessert naengmyeon at Anhung Galbi Main Branch really free?

At Anhung Galbi Main Branch, the cold noodles are free for each serving of meat you order. Order 3 servings of meat and you get 3 bowls of noodles.

You can choose mul naengmyeon (in cold broth) or bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed), and the portion is generous, like a regular full bowl.

It was chik naengmyeon (arrowroot cold noodles) with ice floating on top, a real summer treat. And that is not all. Even though I was full from the noodles, the americano and ice cream are free too... I honestly wonder how ₩17,000 per person is possible when they even give you dessert.