Balsan Station Korean BBQ: 300g pork galbi for two, pear sherbet

I was wandering the streets near Balsan Station when I spotted a brand-new, super clean galbi restaurant. I told myself I had to come here, and finally made it with my husband. Perfect for when your appetite's a little low — this is Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga (이화정갈비명가), a galbi specialist near Balsan Station!

Why the name Ihwajeong has a pear in it

Turns out the name uses the Chinese character for pear — Ihwajeong. Knowing they use organic pear made me trust the place more. Pear is used to tenderize the meat, and instead of artificial sugar they use an organic ingredient, so the meat had even more depth and flavor.

Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga hours and parking near Balsan Station

• ⏰ Mon-Sun 11:00-22:00, last order 20:30
• 📍 42 Gangseo-ro 54-gil, 1st floor, Unit 1, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (261m from Balsan Station Exit 4)
• 🅿️ Free parking support for 2 hours
• ✔️ Private rooms available, open daily, no break time

You can park at the lot right next door. It's directly connected to Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga, and they give you 2 hours free.

Inside Ihwajeong: a wide hall and private rooms

It really was a huge, clean space. The kind of wide-open space that clears your mind too, haha 😎

The private rooms were set up for various group sizes, and the hall was so spacious that the tables had plenty of room between them 👍 A great layout for gatherings with older family members too! I felt it'd be great for company dinners as well as family get-togethers. I think I'll have to come back with my parents next time 🧑🧑🧒🧒

Each table had its own grill plate, and the staff swapped them out right before the sauce could burn. Usually you have to ask them to change it, but here they did it on their own — so clean and considerate, I really liked that.

And if you do the review event, you get to have a Mungyeong omija (schisandra berry) ade. Mungyeong omija is the best, so that's a win 👍

What we ordered: pork galbi 300g x2, doenjang jjigae, naengmyeon

A menu lineup befitting a galbi specialist. They have Korean beef raw galbi, beef skirt steak, marinated pork galbi, marinated beef galbi, and beef tartare. Side dishes include water naengmyeon, spicy naengmyeon, and doenjang jjigae.

Chamnamul and green onion salad: the side dishes at Ihwajeong

The vegetables were really fresh. The chamnamul (water dropwort greens) salad and green onion salad were so fresh their fragrance rose right up. A clean, tidy side dish spread.

Well-mannered side dishes. Not overly seasoned, just mildly salted, letting the meat shine even more.

Two servings of pork galbi, basted with pear juice at the table

We ordered two servings of pork galbi. On top of that, they added another splash of pear juice right at the table.

The pork galbi was really tender. Marinated with pear, it had a mild, never-cloying sweetness, and the meat chewed very smoothly.

The staff grill the meat for you, so you can just relax and focus entirely on eating.

Why doenjang jjigae and naengmyeon are worth adding

You can't skip doenjang jjigae with marinated pork galbi! A properly rich, classic Korean BBQ-restaurant doenjang jjigae. It tasted like home cooking, so you definitely have to order it.

And naengmyeon (cold noodles) is essential too! Not the sharp, store-bought kind — this naengmyeon actually brought out the flavor of the galbi even more.

Even in the photos you can tell how tender it is — this is the pork galbi spot to know near Balsan Station, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga! Total rice thief. Truly!

Wasabi and salt come as a separate order

Wasabi and salt need to be ordered separately.

We wrapped it up with the fresh chamnamul and green onion salad, and dipped it in the wasabi and salt too. However you ate it, the meat at Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga was delicious.

Look at how thick the meat cuts are! Even this thick, it was so tender. And the seasoning was really soaked in too.

Pear sherbet to finish, and galbitang at lunch

The final dessert is a pear sherbet. Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga near Magok-Balsan Station really means it when it comes to pear. Ending with a cool, digestion-friendly pear was just perfect. From start to finish, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga was flawless. The meat quality was genuinely perfect. They also sell galbitang at lunchtime — given how good the meat quality is, I bet the galbitang is delicious too, so I think I'll have to visit for lunch as well 🫢 If you're craving a warm home-style meal, or planning a family gathering, I'd recommend Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga, the meat restaurant near Balsan Station! 👍😆