Busan Korean BBQ in Daeyeon-dong: ₩48,200 dinner for two, Gim Geumja

Where is Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch and when is it open?

Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch (김금자숯불갈비 대연점) is at 1F, 185-5 Suyeong-ro, Nam-gu, Busan (lot-number address Daeyeon-dong 1763-2), near Motgol Station. It is open 16:00–01:00, opening at 11:30 on weekends, with no break time and no regular closing day. There is no private parking lot, so use the Nam-gu Office parking lot.

How much does Korean BBQ for two cost at Gim Geumja in Daeyeon-dong?

Two of us had the bone-in/boneless set, bone soup and beef belly doenjang rice, and with the table setting fee the total came to ₩48,200.

• Bone-in/boneless set - ₩37,400
• Bone soup - ₩1,000
• Beef belly doenjang rice - ₩6,800
• Table setting fee - ₩1,500 × 2
• Total ₩48,200

Looking for ₩3,800 marinated galbi in Busan

I was looking for a good-value BBQ place in Daeyeon-dong and found one selling marinated galbi for a whopping ₩3,800, so I went straight over. The restaurant, Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi, is near Motgol Station, and its flashy sign made it easy to spot.

Inside Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch: rooms and seating

The inside ranges from private rooms to regular seats and fits about 15 tables. We went fairly late in the evening and it was still packed, which says a lot about the taste and value.

At the entrance there are celebrity autographs and notes that seem to be addressed to the staff. I think whether a restaurant is a great one depends on the mindset behind it, so if they keep to what's written there, wouldn't they succeed?

Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi menu and tablet ordering

You order on the tablet at each table, and retro-style menu boards are plastered all over the walls. A lot of them show one celebrity's face, probably the restaurant's promotional model.

The meats range from marinated galbi to spicy galbi and pork neck galbi, and there are tons of sides too. There are also set menus that aren't on the wall boards. Today I ordered the bone-in/boneless set, which comes with both marinated galbi and pork neck galbi, plus beef belly doenjang rice and bone soup.

What side dishes come with the galbi?

The side dishes were wraps vegetables, pickled scallion salad, pickled onions, kimchi, pickled radish for wrapping (ssambu) and acorn jelly in cold broth (mukbap-style muk sabal), and you can refill them yourself. Overall they were clean and good.

How did the bone-in and boneless galbi set taste?

The set (₩37,400) mixes real bone-in galbi with easy-to-eat boneless cuts, so you get the fun of gnawing on the bone and the convenience too. Cheap prices can mean worse taste or portions, but that wasn't the case here at all.

The charcoal fire was strong, so the meat cooked quickly, which I liked. Galbi, of course, has to be flipped and stirred constantly so it doesn't burn.

The marinated galbi wasn't overly sweet and had a nicely balanced savoriness that got my appetite going. The charcoal aroma had clearly soaked in, so it was great with rice, and I bet it's popular with beer or soju too.

Wrapping this tasty marinated galbi in perilla leaf with pickled radish, scallion salad and garlic was so harmonious and delicious.

What does the ₩1,000 bone soup taste like?

The bone soup (ppyeokguk) is sold for an absurd ₩1,000. Admittedly the price goes up ₩1,000 each time you reorder, but it's still crazy cheap.

It was clear and refreshing, similar in style to beef radish soup. It cleans up the greasy feeling in your mouth while eating meat, and even at ₩1,000 there were quite a few pieces of radish and meat in the broth, so I was very satisfied.

Is the beef belly doenjang sulbap enough for two to share?

The beef belly doenjang rice (usambyeop doenjang sulbap, ₩6,800) is a meal of doenjang (soybean paste) stew served with rice mixed in, and the beef belly made the broth much richer and nuttier. Starch from the rice grains thickens the broth, and it seems good for slowly spooning up as a drinking snack after finishing the meat.

Compared with other BBQ places, it has a generous amount of beef belly, and the portion is big enough for two people to share as a meal after the meat.

Verdict: is Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi worth it?

With prices so high these days, I think it's hard to find a restaurant that is both good value and tasty like Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi. Since it's a chain, I'd recommend visiting at least once even if you're in another area.