Dongdaemun Korean restaurant for galbitang: Hoegi Wang Galbitang

This is a place I recommend when you want a hearty, restorative Korean meal near Kyung Hee University, the University of Seoul, or Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. This is just my personal opinion, but I was so satisfied that I added it straight to my personal food map on the way out. This place... is seriously something else. I still have lots of friends living around Hoegi Station and Cheongnyangni Station, so I visit from time to time, and honestly, I feel like I’ll be back the very next day every time.

Exterior near Hoegi Station Exit 1

Here’s the exterior. Hoegi Wang Galbitang (회기왕갈비탕) is near Exit 1 of Hoegi Station, in the direction of Oedaeap Station. Being right by the station makes it easy to get to, and its spot on the main road makes it easy to find too.

An interior shared by lunch crowds and solo diners

This is what the interior looks like. It is clean and neatly decorated overall, and even though I visited around opening time, there were already so many people. What was interesting was the range of diners, from young students to people around professor age(?). But that wasn’t all.

There were also all kinds of people dining alone. Between the reasonable prices and unlimited rice, it seemed like a lot of people come here for a great-value lunch.

From galbitang to braised ribs, with takeout too

Here’s the menu. Along with its restorative signature galbitang (beef short-rib soup), the restaurant sells a range of dishes. There are options good for sharing too, such as spicy-sweet half-rack beef galbi-jjim (braised short ribs). The variety of galbitang is great, and you can eat in or get it to go. They say takeout comes with double the broth, so plenty of people were getting it packed up.

Self-service bar with side dishes and unlimited rice

These are the side dishes: chili peppers, onion, and seokbakji (cubed radish kimchi).

You can get more of these things, including napa cabbage kimchi, at the self-service bar. But it doesn’t stop there.

You can freely get more rice too. It really has to be one of those incredible-value Korean restaurants in Hwigyeong-dong. So many places charge ₩2,000 for an extra bowl of rice these days, so this was just so good.

Spicy galbitang that calls your name in cold weather

This is the eolkeun galbitang, spicy beef short-rib soup, that my older sister ordered. The spicy aroma hit my nose the moment it came out, getting my appetite going before I had even taken a bite.

Each bone inside was impressively large, which was satisfying just to look at. But it was even better because the meat had been simmered so well that it slid right off as soon as I brought my tongs to it. Look at how generously the meat clung to the bones.

Once you pull the meat off the bones and cut it into bite-size pieces, it looks like this. I loved both the amount of meat and the broth, and even the chili oil floating on top worked for me. This spicy galbitang was good in every way.

Just how generous is the arongsatae galbitang loaded with meat?

This is the meat-loaded arongsatae galbitang I ordered. It was proper comfort food: the standard galbitang with a generous amount of arongsatae, a lean beef shank cut, added in. The broth was clear and mild, warming me right through and feeling perfect for a restorative meal.

This one also had heaps of bones, plus plenty of meat attached to them, so I was very happy. The meat was mild and nutty, and delicious even on its own after pulling it from the bone, but...

It tasted even better with the sauce set out at each table, adjusted to your own preference.

The arongsatae inside was in great condition and clearly fresh, so it was delicious. There was truly so much of it that even a grown man with a good appetite could get full on the meat alone.

There was so much meat firmly attached to the bones that I had fun picking at them while eating some rice. But since it is soup with rice after all, I set the meat aside and cut it into easy-to-eat pieces before mixing in the rice.

Since it is a restaurant with unlimited rice, I brought over another bowl from the self-service bar and mixed it into the soup for a meal finished in no time. It was unbelievably delicious for the price, with nutty, mild meat and no off smell. The kimchi was so good that I just kept reaching for my spoon.

Finishing with misutgaru and snacks

But that wasn’t the end,, The self-service bar had misutgaru (roasted grain powder drink), snacks, and more, so I could freshen up my palate before leaving. I am not even joking: it was the best misutgaru I have ever had in my life. I’m seriously serious.

A Hoegi Station galbitang restaurant I want to revisit

This was a truly great Hoegi Station restaurant in Hwigyeong-dong with nothing to disappoint me. It is popular not only with people looking for good food near Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Kyung Hee University, and the University of Seoul, but also with locals from opening time onward, so I don’t think I was the only one who felt this way. Every time I’m nearby, I will genuinely want to come back. Truly.