Spring-outing galbitang near Achasan Station: Achasan Tong Galbitang

Why I came to Achasan Tong Galbitang, a galbitang spot near Achasan Station

Achasan Tong Galbitang (아차산통갈비탕) serves big king-size galbitang near Achasan Station, and I ended up here after hunting hard for a good place on a spring outing. It's spring, so lots of you are visiting Children's Grand Park and Achasan, right? Adults love king galbitang, kids love it too! I heard there was a great restaurant at Achasan, so here I am! Doesn't the sign alone, with its line "a hearty ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl) that's good for your body," already feel filling?

Break time and parking at Achasan Tong Galbitang

Achasan Tong Galbitang's break time is daily from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, so keep that in mind. There's a paid parking lot and a restroom across from the restaurant.

They've been in business for 17 years, which made me trust the place the moment I walked in. It's clearly been an Achasan Station favorite for a long time. I bet gnawing on king galbitang after a hike makes the whole day feel super satisfying.

What are the side dishes and self-serve bar like?

The basic side dishes at Achasan Tong Galbitang are kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), and onion with chili peppers.

One order per person is required, and rice is free to refill. There are also deodeok (bellflower root) and barley gangjeong (crunchy barley sweets) among the sides.

There's also misutgaru (roasted grain drink) made with 12 grains. It was super thick and sweet, and so good!

The self-serve bar even has seasoned deodeok, which made me think, "Okay, this really is an Achasan restaurant," haha. The kimchi and kkakdugi are said to be domestic, too. Kimchi matters a lot with king galbitang, right? Knowing it was domestic, I happily ate plenty.

Rice refills are free, and the barley gangjeong made a nice sweet little dessert.

Restorative special galbitang and spicy galbitang: what I ordered

At Achasan Tong Galbitang I ordered two bowls: the restorative special galbitang (3 ribs) and the spicy galbitang (2 ribs). They brought out a whole table of side dishes, and I hear the barley gangjeong got eaten as an appetizer, haha.

The owner's generosity: an extra rib in the spicy galbitang

The spicy galbitang normally comes with two ribs, but they told us the ribs were small, so they specially put in three..ㅎㅎ The owner is so generous. This Achasan Station spot has a wait, and no wonder it does.

It arrives boiling hot, topped with a generous heap of egg garnish (strips of fried egg).

Restorative special galbitang with 3 king ribs

The restorative special galbitang is king galbitang loaded with three huge king ribs. They're so big your energy has to come back! Each piece of meat is enormous, and it cuts up easily with scissors.

Big, hearty king galbitang, a must-stop restaurant when you come to Achasan.

Black rice and a spicy galbitang packed with glass noodles

The rice seemed to be black rice, and it was cooked beautifully, fluffy and separate.

The spicy galbitang is properly spicy and loaded with dangmyeon (glass noodles). I briefly thought about adding more noodles, but the portion is filling enough without them :)

The galbitang ttukbaegi are huge, and seeing the whole table set out looked really hearty.

After leaving Achasan Station and walking down the main road, there were lots of restaurants, but nothing really appealed to me. Achasan Tong Galbitang, though, had the great energy of Achasan and a sign that screamed good restaurant, so I couldn't not go in.

Next time I visit Achasan and need a hearty meal, I'll come back to Achasan Tong Galbitang.

What's the best way to eat the ribs at Achasan Tong Galbitang?

Each piece of rib at Achasan Tong Galbitang is huge, so you can snip it neatly with scissors and dip it in their signature soy-based sauce, which is delicious,

or just gnaw it off the bone like this, which is fun too.

Even just picking up noodles, there are heaps of them.. At places with small portions I always end up eating a second late-night meal, but the three plump ribs here were so filling that after eating every bit I stayed really, really full until bedtime.

Is it okay to go with kids?

There were plenty of kids at Achasan Tong Galbitang too. Seeing children say it was delicious and adults happily eating as well, I thought, "Ah, this is truly a must-stop on any Achasan trip." I recommend Achasan Tong Galbitang.

It's a very short walk from Exit 2 of Achasan Station, and Children's Grand Park Station is right behind Achasan, so I strongly recommend this filling galbitang spot to anyone visiting the Achasan Station area, weekday or weekend. In this changing-season weather, eating well makes a big difference.