Korean BBQ in Jongno, Daegu for an early dinner with parents: Jangjak

What is Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch in Daegu?

Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch (장작생갈비 종로본점) is a galbi restaurant at 38-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu. It uses the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors and is open every day from 17:00 to 01:00 the next day (last order 00:00). There is no dedicated parking, and because everything around Jongno is an enforcement zone until late, it's recommended to use a public or private car park or take public transport.

Is Jangjak Saenggalbi a good galbi restaurant to bring parents?

The lighting isn't too bright and every table gets grilling service, so it was a lovely place to eat and chat with my parents.

A new galbi place has opened in Jongno, where all the great meat restaurants are packed together. Whenever I crave meat in Daegu, with friends or with my parents, I usually look for a place in Jongno. My mom used to go to a café here a lot for her gatherings, and I heard the whole building had become the new Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch, so I went with my parents for an early dinner.

The weather was cool, so they had the folding doors across the front of the 1st floor wide open. It was right before a holiday weekend and lots of people were walking by, so we could people-watch and enjoy charcoal-grilled meat without feeling stuffy. The lighting isn't too bright either, which makes it nice for talking.

Seating on floors 1 to 3 and where the restroom is

Floors 1 to 3 are connected by stairs, and for guests on the 1st floor the restroom is half a floor up. The 2nd and 3rd floors have tables good for private gatherings, and when I visited they were filled with groups.

The 1st floor as seen from the stairs. It seemed to draw all kinds of people evenly: couples, families, small groups of different ages.

Every table gets grilling service, so even with my parents I didn't have to worry about cooking the meat, and nothing interrupted our conversation or the meal.

Jangjak Saenggalbi menu and prices

Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch has five main kinds of meat: fresh galbi, marinated galbi, bakpo fresh pork galbi and its marinated version, plus the Uiseong garlic fresh galbi, which is limited in quantity each day. This day we ordered the firewood fresh galbi for ₩29,000 and 3 servings of bakpo marinated pork galbi at ₩11,000.

• Firewood fresh galbi ₩29,000
• Bakpo marinated pork galbi ₩11,000 x3

For meals they have crab-shrimp soup (gesaebitang), ttagwijjim (braised dish), mul and bibim naengmyeon (cold noodles), and doenjang jjigae (soybean stew). I'd had a late lunch and couldn't try the side meals, which was a shame. (I'll definitely try them next time!)

Side dishes and asking for extra garlic

The sides were napa cabbage kimchi, water kimchi, jangajji (pickles), peppers and ssamjang, chili soy sauce and salt for dipping the galbi, plus geotjeori (fresh kimchi salad) and pesto. My dad loves garlic and asked for some to grill, and they brought out a huge amount of garlic along with oil sauce to dip it in.

The bakpo marinated pork galbi and the firewood fresh galbi we ordered.

How to enjoy the Jangjak fresh galbi

The best way to eat the firewood fresh galbi was plain or dipped in the brown salt. Fresh galbi is the signature dish, it's even in the restaurant's name, and nothing fancy was needed: you could tell at a glance it was good-quality meat.

The bones were long, and a seasoned staff member trimmed and grilled it perfectly, with no meat left clinging to the bone. At some places with grilling service, when the staff is inexperienced I think I'd be better off doing it myself, but this person was genuinely skilled, which made me even happier.

My first bite was plain, and the second was dipped in salt. It was brown, maybe roasted salt, with a bit more flavor, and a satisfying combo. It was also clean and nice with the jangajji, but fresh galbi is best eaten plain or with salt!

Is the bakpo marinated pork galbi good value?

The bakpo marinated pork galbi at Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch is ₩11,000, and considering the weight it felt much cheaper than other meat restaurants. For the price, the knife cuts were even and the rib bones thick, so I was excited even before it hit the grill.

They seem to take grilling service seriously, since even tables that ordered only galbi got their meat grilled for them. Marinated galbi burns easily and takes more skill, but it was grilled diligently without burning.

I couldn't try the other sides, but I always order white rice with galbi. As expected, the marinated galbi went best with it.

The golden rule: leave the pork galbi bone until the very end, let it cool a little, then pick it up with tongs and gnaw it clean.

Is Jangjak Saenggalbi in Jongno, Daegu worth a return visit?

It feels like Jongno, Daegu's biggest food alley loved by all generations, now has a galbi restaurant with an atmosphere you can comfortably bring your parents to. I'll probably keep coming back whenever I want fresh galbi or pork galbi.