Icheon set-meal restaurant: weekend lunch cold noodles, Neul Gogi Jip

Last weekend, under a crisp autumn sky, we took a drive out to Icheon with the family. For weekend lunch we visited Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch, a well-loved Icheon spot where you can enjoy pork galbi alongside a full Korean-restaurant style spread. We ate ourselves full on delicious ribs and a hearty set of side dishes, so today I want to introduce Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch, which turned out to be a great spot for a family meal 😊

Why we chose Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch for a Korean set-meal lunch in Icheon

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch is a restaurant on Gyeongchung-daero in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi, serving nuruk-marinated galbi alongside Korean-restaurant style side dishes. Whenever we visit Icheon with family we often go for a full Korean meal — we usually go to Icheon Naranim Ssalbapjip, but this time we wanted to try somewhere new, so we ended up at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch.

The variety and neatness of the side dishes were great, and having staff grill the pork galbi for us made the meal even more relaxing. We got to chat with family and eat at a leisurely pace, which made for a satisfying weekend lunch. 😊

Selected in the 2026 Blue Ribbon Korean food category

Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch was proudly selected in the Korean restaurant category of the 2026 Blue Ribbon Survey, so I was already a bit excited before we'd even eaten.

Weekend lunch wait and what we ordered at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch

We visited around 12:30pm on a weekend and were lucky to be seated with no wait at all. As soon as we sat down, water was brought out quickly — served in an alkaline water bottle, a nice touch matching the care put into the food. They also brought out a child-sized spoon and fork so our kid could eat comfortably, a thoughtful detail for a family outing 😊

Neul Gogi Jip in Icheon is also known for its ssambap (lettuce-wrap rice) set and soy crab set, but this time, since our kid loves meat, we went with pork galbi for lunch 😊 Here's what our family ordered:

• Nuruk-marinated pork galbi + pork neck 250g x 2 servings
• Hwangmi pot rice x 2
• Golden cheese-bomb egg custard x 1
• Not listed on the order slip, but we also added cold noodles mid-meal

From the pork galbi to the warm pot rice, the cheese-bomb egg custard, and the cold, refreshing noodles — it was a lunch we enjoyed happily with family until we were completely full. 😋

We didn't wait long after ordering before the two servings of pork galbi came out — the meat was plump, and even the meat still clinging to the bone was sweet and richly seasoned without being too salty. It was a deep, aged galbi flavor you don't easily find elsewhere.

Unlimited wrap vegetables: the self-serve bar at Neul Gogi Jip

At the self-serve bar at Neul Gogi Jip in Icheon, you could enjoy fresh, vividly green lettuce wraps with unlimited refills. There was a wide range of sides that pair well with pork galbi — garlic, fresh kimchi, ssamjang, and spicy peppers. It was convenient to grab as much as we needed ourselves, and not having to call staff over for more sides made the meal feel even more relaxed. 😊

What comes with the set meal: side dishes at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch

The basic side dishes at this Icheon restaurant were genuinely in a different class. We got tofu tangsuyuk, lotus root and broccoli sesame salad, yeolmu kimchi, sweet pumpkin salad, mustard-dressed vegetables, japchae, soy-marinated crab, eggplant namul, gungchae namul, and fresh kimchi. Everything except the soy-marinated crab was refillable, and the portions were generous enough that we didn't need to ask for more.

We only ordered two servings of marinated pork galbi, but the basic side dishes alone were incredibly high quality! It felt like the neat, varied spread you'd find at a proper Korean restaurant — a feast for the eyes first, and then for the mouth. 😊 Between the pork galbi and the side dishes, it was a genuinely satisfying meal at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch.

Staff grilled the pork galbi so it never burned, so all we had to do was eat, which was honestly so easy. My husband is usually the designated meat-griller at restaurants, so thanks to this we both got to relax.

In the meantime, I went to the vegetable self-serve bar and brought back lettuce, napa cabbage, and perilla leaves — just as much as we'd eat.

As the pork galbi turned a golden brown and started looking irresistibly good, I couldn't help but start salivating 😋 We picked pieces up one by one with the meat tongs they provided, which was much easier than using chopsticks, and let us enjoy the pork galbi hot off the grill right away.

The golden cheese-bomb egg custard was also brought out right around the time the pork galbi finished grilling, so the timing was perfect — we got to eat it soft and warm right away.

How the nuruk pork galbi, hwangmi pot rice and marinated crab tasted

The nuruk pork galbi at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch wasn't tough at all, and had a rich, savory flavor — sweet without being salty, the kind of pork galbi that people of any age would love.

We took a spoonful of freshly cooked, warm hwangmi pot rice and topped it with a well-grilled piece of pork galbi, and ate it right away while it was hot. The bouncy texture of the pork galbi combined with the nutty flavor of the hwangmi rice, and the flavor spread through my whole mouth — it was really delicious. The chewy texture of the meat and the nutty rice worked together beautifully, a treat for both the eyes and the mouth. 😊 After enjoying an autumn drive and then delicious pork galbi with pot rice, it made for an even more pleasant weekend lunch.

The soy-marinated crab at Neul Gogi Jip in Icheon was also different from other places I've tried — the shell wasn't hard, but soft, so even people with weaker teeth could eat it comfortably. The sauce was well mixed in, making it a spicy-sweet, rice-stealing side dish.

Adding cold buckwheat noodles at the end of the meal

There's nothing like a cool bowl of mul naengmyeon (cold noodle soup) to finish a meal! 😋 Right as we were finishing off the pork galbi, we ordered cold noodles to add on, to refresh our mouths from the lingering flavor of the meat.

The cold broth full of slushy ice, topped with pale green noodles, was so appetizing just to look at. The neatly placed yellow egg garnish on top made it feel like a naengmyeon fit for a special guest. Filling up on pork galbi and finishing with refreshing cold noodles made for a satisfying meal all the way to the end. 😊

Don't forget to try the nutty, savory hwangmi rice-crust scorched rice too — I'd definitely recommend it.

Free coffee and ice cream in the dessert lounge after lunch

After finishing our meal at this Icheon restaurant, we found a separate lounge and went over to check it out. It's connected to the main building, so it was easy to get to, and there we could enjoy free coffee and ice cream for dessert. The thoughtfulness of letting guests relax through both the meal and the final dessert made Neul Gogi Jip's warmth really come through, which I appreciated. 😊 It was a happy family outing that let us enjoy delicious pork galbi, a full Korean-restaurant style spread, and dessert all in one visit.

Final verdict on the galbi set at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch

• Whenever we visit Icheon with family we often go for a full Korean meal — we usually go to Icheon Naranim Ssalbapjip, but this time we wanted to try somewhere new, so we ended up at Neul Gogi Jip Icheon Main Branch.
• At the self-serve bar at Neul Gogi Jip in Icheon, you could enjoy fresh, vividly green lettuce wraps with unlimited refills.
• We only ordered two servings of marinated pork galbi, but the basic side dishes alone were incredibly high quality.
• Staff grilled the pork galbi so it never burned, so all we had to do was eat, which was honestly so easy. My husband is usually the designated meat-griller at restaurants, so thanks to this we both got to relax.