Yangju galbi restaurant near Nari Park, doenjang sul-bap: Manpo Galbi

Today I went to my go-to place, Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch (만포갈비 양주본점), a galbi (marinated rib) restaurant near Nari Nongwon in Yangju! Let me show you around~

Where is Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch, and is there parking?

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is a 2-minute drive from Nari Nongwon in Yangju. It's right on the main road, so it's easy to find. There's a big parking lot in front of the restaurant, which is so convenient. Every time I've come there have been plenty of spaces, so even beginner drivers can park comfortably.

When you walk in, tell the staff how many people you have and they'll show you to a table.

• Hours: daily 11:00 to 10:00 (as written in the original)
• Address: 65 Songnang-ro, Yangju, Gyeonggi, South Korea (Mansong-dong 343)

Manpo Galbi waiting times: does a Naver reservation skip the line?

As a proper Yangju galbi hotspot, Manpo Galbi had a wait even on a weekday evening. If there's a wait, register on the tablet on the 1st floor and wait to be called! As a regular, here's my tip: book through Naver (Korea's main search and booking app) before you come and you can get in without waiting!!

The restaurant has two floors and we were sent to the 2nd. If stairs are hard for you, just tell the staff and they'll thoughtfully seat you on the 1st floor! You order on the tablet on the table.

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch menu and prices

The charcoal-grilled menu includes handmade marinated galbi, fresh Korean pork galbi (hanDon), handmade LA galbi, and fresh or marinated beef short ribs, along with various side dishes and meals. There's also a Naver receipt review event that takes ₩2,000 off your bill.

Side dishes with yukhoe and yukjeon, set like a Korean course meal

Right after we ordered, the staff brought out the side dishes.

The sides were garlic stems and pickled radish, seasoned radish strips, seasoned chili peppers, potato salad, samchae (a crunchy herb) salad, another seasoned side, lettuce salad, yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) and yukjeon (beef pan-fried in egg batter). Everything was neatly plated, like a Korean set meal restaurant.

Onions you can put on your own small plate also come out, and they go perfectly with sweet marinated pork galbi. They brought tongs and scissors for grilling too, and they actually gave us two pairs of tongs so we could flip the meat without burning it.

4 servings of handmade marinated galbi: how did it taste?

I ordered 4 servings of Manpo Galbi's handmade marinated galbi (₩19,000 per serving)! They use 100% pork ribs, so the bone and the meat were still attached, and the meat was really thick.

We grilled the marinated galbi, flipping it often so it wouldn't burn. The ventilation system was good too, so the smoke got sucked right up. They cut the thick pork galbi into bite-sized pieces for us!

A big mouthful of well-grilled handmade galbi with onion was sweet, nutty and really delicious. Yangju galbi restaurant, certified!!

Doenjang sul-bap (8,000 won) alongside the galbi

To go with the galbi, I ordered Manpo Galbi's doenjang sul-bap (soybean paste stew with rice, ₩8,000). The rice was already mixed into the stew. It was packed with meat, zucchini and tofu, which made it even better. It's slightly spicy, so I think it works even better after the meat. If you want more heat, add a bit more Cheongyang chili pepper.

Free Hamheung naengmyeon for every meat serving ordered

Manpo Galbi gives you house-made Hamheung naengmyeon (cold noodles) free, matching the number of meat servings you order, so there's no need to order extra. You can choose mul naengmyeon (in cold broth) or bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed) to your taste! It's free, but the portion isn't small, and it filled me up.

The mul naengmyeon comes with a cold broth, and I added mustard to taste, which was sharp and left my mouth feeling clean. The sweet-and-sour bibim naengmyeon with galbi was seriously good haha. A trusted, best-ever combo!

Baby chairs and self-serve puffed-rice ice cream dessert

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch also has baby chairs, so I recommend it for family meals!

After paying, there's a coffee machine, ice cups, an ice cream machine and puffed-rice crackers (ppeongtwigi) so you can make your own dessert. You can make "ppeongseukrim" with crunchy puffed rice and cold ice cream, so dessert is sorted too!

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is my recommendation for anyone looking for a galbi restaurant near Nari Nongwon in Yangju. The galbi was delicious and the staff were all kind, so it was a dining spot my parents were happy with too!!