700g aged galbi lunch set at a Dasan-dong Korean BBQ: Udontan

I went out on a date with my mom for the first time in a while and we had lunch at Udontan in Dasan-dong. Our dog came along too, so choosing a restaurant had one extra condition this time. I picked this place both because pets are welcome and because I wanted to try the aged galbi (marinated short rib). It made for a slightly special outing with my mom and my dog together, and that's why it stuck with me even more.

Where Udontan Dasan Main Branch is and when it opens

Udontan Dasan Main Branch is located at 7-26 Dasanjungang-ro 123beon-gil, Unit 109, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open Mon–Fri 16:00–24:00 and Sat–Sun 12:00–24:00, with both reservations and parking available.

They have high chairs and pets are welcome too. It's still a good idea to double-check hours and pet policy before visiting. We brought our dog along in a carrier bag that day and ate together.

What comes with the 700g Aged Galbi Set, and how we ordered

What we chose at Udontan Dasan Main Branch was the Aged Galbi Set. It comes with 700g of aged galbi plus your choice of beef rib doenjang jjigae or pork kimchi jjigae hot pot.

Looking at the menu, there were also sets where you try several things together — samgyeopsal (pork belly), mokssal (pork neck), and dontan galbi among them. We figured we'd crave a savory soup after the meat, so we went with the beef rib doenjang jjigae. Rice isn't included, so we added a bowl separately.

A little later, staff brought the meat out to show us first. Seeing the thick meat on those big rib bones, it looked delicious even before it hit the grill. My mom said it looked tasty the moment she saw it, and that got my expectations up too.

Charcoal-seared galbi, grilled at the table by Udontan staff

What I personally liked about Udontan Dasan Main Branch is that staff grill the meat for you. According to the restaurant, the aged galbi goes through a 120-hour aging process before being pre-seared over charcoal.

They laid the pre-seared galbi on the grill and flipped it skillfully, cooking it to just the right point for eating. Their hands moved so fast that I found myself watching without meaning to.

My mom, watching alongside me, said they grilled it well and it looked really tasty. I was thinking the exact same thing, haha.

When you go to a BBQ place with your parents, sometimes you're too busy grilling to really talk. Here, since staff grill it for you, we could chat and wait at a relaxed pace — much more comfortable.

How the 120-hour aged galbi tasted

The galbi, cooked just right, was browned nicely on the outside, and my chopsticks went straight for it. One bite in, it was tender rather than chewy, and had a nice nutty flavor too.

The more I ate, the more I could taste the rich, distinct flavor of the meat, blended subtly with the smoky aroma from the charcoal pre-sear. I enjoyed the first couple of pieces plain, then started pairing it with the sauces and side dishes that came out.

There was cod roe oil sauce, salt, ssamjang (dipping paste), and yangkkochi (lamb skewer) seasoning to choose from depending on your taste.

Corn salad, kimchi, pickles, seasoned bean sprouts with green onion, and spring greens salad were also served together. Switching up the combination for each bite let us enjoy the same galbi a little differently each time.

Partway through, they added chili peppers to the dipping sauce. A slight spicy kick on top of the nutty galbi felt refreshing! I quite liked that combination for resetting the palate midway through.

Best of all, my mom was enjoying it a lot too. I'm not the only one who feels prouder when their mom likes the food more than they enjoy it themselves, right? Haha.

Potatoes cooked in the beef fat: the side worth waiting for

Something that quietly stole the show on the grill at Udontan was the potatoes cooked alongside the galbi. As the ribs cooked, the fat that rendered out browned the potatoes sizzling away — less like grilling and more like frying in beef fat.

After a bit, the outside turned golden while the inside stayed fluffy — I liked the texture. Eating a piece of galbi, then a potato, this combo turned out to be surprisingly good.

The aged galbi was clearly supposed to be the star today. But at some point I noticed I was diligently working through the potatoes too, haha. They naturally soaked up the nutty flavor of the beef fat, so my hand kept reaching for them more than I expected. Personally, I found the potatoes tasted best if I waited a little longer for them to go golden brown.

Finishing with beef rib doenjang jjigae and a bowl of rice

After eating our fill of the aged galbi, the beef rib doenjang jjigae we'd chosen finally made its entrance. It arrived bubbling away in a hot pot, and just the sight of it steaming was welcome.

After the meat, a spoonful of the savory broth made a perfect ending, and pairing it with the rice we'd ordered separately made the meal properly filling.

The Aged Galbi Set includes the stew, but rice is separate, so order it on the side if you want it. Working through the galbi, then the potatoes, then the hot doenjang jjigae, I felt like I'd properly taken care of lunch.

Lunch with my mom and our dog at Udontan Dasan Main Branch: the verdict

This visit to Udontan stuck with me not just because the galbi was tasty, but because I got to eat comfortably with my mom. Having staff grill it made it easy to talk, and I got to enjoy the tender, nutty galbi, potatoes cooked in beef fat, and hot doenjang jjigae one after another.

Since our dog came along in a carrier bag, this could be useful for anyone looking for a place to eat out with their dog. If you're looking for somewhere to eat with your parents in Dasan-dong, or craving hearty BBQ after a date, and you like aged galbi grilled for you by staff, Udontan Dasan Main Branch is worth a look.

More than anything, seeing my mom enjoy the meal made me quietly proud. Eating good aged galbi, chatting away with my mom, and leaving with a full stomach — it was a genuinely good lunch!