Suyeong Korean barbecue weekend couple set: Geobugi Dongne

Delicious meat and a fresh self-service bar

While looking for somewhere to eat meat in Namcheon-dong, Busan, I found a large, stylish barbecue restaurant and decided to check it out. It was Geobugi Dongne (거북이동네) Busan Namcheon Branch. I visited on a weekend, and there were honestly far more people than I expected. There was a wait, so we registered on Tableing and waited.

Geobugi Dongne Busan Namcheon Branch: location and weekend wait

It is at 414 Suyeong-ro in Suyeong-gu, Busan, and is open daily from 11:30 to 22:30.

Exterior and location

Once you come out of the subway station, the large, stylish building is right there, so it was easy to find.

The building was quite substantial in size. Since it was busy on the weekend, I was already feeling good before even entering the restaurant. It felt like a place that would suit either a meal with parents or a date.

A spacious restaurant and self-service bar

Inside the restaurant

The restaurant is really spacious. There were plenty of tables, so it looked like a good option for groups too.

They also had rooms with a private feel.

What is at the self-service bar?

It was convenient because you can help yourself to anything you need at the self-service bar. There is a huge variety. From ssam vegetables (wrap greens) to many side dishes, everything is laid out for you to take yourself, and it somehow makes you want to try a little of everything.

The wrap greens were fresh, and the side dishes were neatly prepared too. Being able to pair the meat with so many different sides made it tasty and fun. Even if you only order meat, you do not need to worry about side dishes.

The 500g Couple Set and meal dishes

You can order using the T-Order pad at the table.

After looking over the menu and debating, I ordered the 500g Couple Set because I wanted to try several cuts. I chose it because it lets you have pork belly, pork neck, pork jowl, and gabrisal all at once.

The 500 grams filled the two of us up. It was a generous amount. Geobugi Dongne, known for pork belly in Namcheon-dong, says it ages its meat for 14 days. Maybe that is why the meat already looked so good before it even hit the grill.

Perhaps because it was aged meat, it was tender and easy to enjoy overall. We grilled the pork belly, pork neck, pork jowl, and gabrisal one by one, and each cut had a slightly different texture, which made choosing what to eat fun.

You can take unlimited gosari (bracken fern), garlic, and mushrooms from the self-service bar. Garlic is almost essential when grilling meat, and grilling gosari or mushrooms alongside it gives the meat a different flavor, you know?

I put gosari, garlic, and mushrooms on one side of the grill and grilled them with the meat, and I was very satisfied. We also ordered doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). There was a small burner for it, so we set it there as we ate, and it was delicious.

Personally, I love rice, so when I go to a barbecue restaurant, I need to have rice at the end to feel like I have had a proper meal.

The pot rice was cooked so the grains were nicely fluffy, and it was delicious even on its own. With a spoonful of rice over a piece of meat and the soybean paste stew on the side, we could finish the meal feeling comfortably full.

A restaurant with a children's play area

There was also an area where children could play for a while.

What I liked about Geobugi Dongne (거북이동네) Busan Namcheon Branch, a Korean barbecue restaurant in Namcheon-dong, was first of all its large space and plentiful tables. It was busy enough to have a weekend wait, but tables turned over fairly quickly, and being able to wait through Tableing made it easy to use. Above all, the biggest advantage I felt was the value for money. It is not only that the meat is affordable: the self-service bar is well stocked, there are lots of wrap greens and side dishes, and you can have unlimited gosari, garlic, and mushrooms. I recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a generous spread of this and that with their barbecue~