Pork barbecue, Suyeong, Busan, omakase: Donbegi Gwang-an Branch

Can you walk there from Gwangalli Beach?

During my trip to Busan, I went to Donbegi Gwang-an Branch (돈베기 광안점) for a pork dinner. It is close to Gwangalli Beach, so I walked along the shore before heading into the restaurant area. I could look around the neighborhood on the way.

When I arrived, it was a two-story building that looked sizable even from outside. The address is 34 Millakbon-dong-ro 11beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, and the original post lists its hours as daily from 12:00 to 23:30.

Are there group-friendly seats and useful amenities?

The restaurant was divided between the first and second floors, and I sat on the first floor. The first floor also had roomy seating, so it looked suitable for a meal with a group or a company dinner.

There were separate baskets for storing bags, which was convenient.

The utensils were beside the table and kept in a utensil holder, which felt neat.

A staff member set the table. The grill was slightly raised, and the sauces and individual plates were set out separately, making the meal easy to eat.

What side dishes come with the pork?

There were six side dishes, and I was glad to see myeongran (seasoned pollock roe) and aged kimchi. The myeongran is added separately, while the other side dishes are available at the self-service bar.

What comes with the pork omakase, and do you grill it yourself?

We started with the pork omakase. It included several cuts, such as hangjeongsal (pork jowl), almoksim, and salchisal, so it was fun to compare their textures. It felt like a reasonable amount for four of us to share, and we later added ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and sides.

The meat arrived par-grilled, and a staff member grilled it at the beginning. It was convenient because it reduced the work of grilling it ourselves from the start.

I had beer with the meal, while the people I was with ordered Daeseon. I tried a little of the Daeseon and found it sweet.

Once the meat was cooked, the staff member placed it on both sides of the grill. I liked being able to pick up the grilled meat and eat it right away.

During the meal, the smoke rose straight upward, which made eating more comfortable.

After finishing the omakase, we added ogyeopsal. It was thick and juicy.

I tried dipping the pork in myeongran, and it paired better than I expected. It was also good to alternate the accompanying side dishes with the meat.

How were the doenjang sulbap and cold kimchi kalguksu after the pork?

For sides, we ordered doenjang sulbap (rice cooked with soybean-paste stew) and cold kimchi kalguksu (knife-cut noodles in chilled kimchi broth).

The doenjang sulbap came with soybean-paste stew and rice simmered together. It came with a ladle, making it easy for four of us to share, and the portion felt generous.

The dish I especially remembered was the cold kimchi kalguksu. It felt like a combination of kimchi mari guksu and acorn-jelly soup, and the kalguksu noodles were chewy. Its chilled broth worked well as a finish after the pork.

Can you bring a dog?

I heard that dogs are allowed. This was an evening visit with four people.