Seohyeon galbijjim spot with half-and-half fritters: Gimcheongja

Today I was craving a spicy sauce that melts all the stress away, so I headed to a spicy galbijjim (braised rib stew) legend near Seohyeon Station — Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch!!

From braised ribs simmered down in a garlic-loaded special sauce, to crispy fritters, to fried rice piled with cheese — here's my honest review of the full course haha.

Where is Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch?

Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch is on the 2nd floor of Cheonji Officetel, 16 Hwangsaeul-ro 330beon-gil, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Hours are Mon–Fri 11:00–22:00 and Sat 11:30–22:00, closed every Sunday, with a break time from 15:00–17:00 (last order 14:15, 21:15).

• Signature menu: beef galbijjim (small), pork galbijjim, rice cake/glass noodle add-ons, assorted fritters / lunch set menu (includes rice and steamed egg)
• Reservations and groups: by phone inquiry
• Notable: spice level adjustable, recommended for Seohyeon Station office workers' lunches and dinner gatherings
• Parking: free for 2 hours in the building's mechanical parking lot, paid lot recommended nearby if full

Parked in the back lot and headed up to the 2nd floor!!

Inside the second-floor dining room and the small private room

Located on the 2nd floor, Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Branch is also known as a lunch spot, so it's beloved by office workers!!! Just look at the waiting chairs by the entrance and you'll see how deep that love runs haha.

The place has a large hall plus a small room with about 2 tables, which seems perfect for a private small gathering!!

How spicy is the mild pork galbijjim at Gimcheongja?

As soon as we sat down, we ordered the main dish without hesitation: pork galbijjim for two! Here's a tip — you can choose your spice level when ordering!

• Mild: about as spicy as Shin Ramyun
• Medium: about as spicy as Buldak Bokkeum-myeon
• Hot: too spicy to even compare to anything haha

Both my companion and I are certified spice wimps, so we went straight for mild without a second thought, and it was truly the best choice!! Haha it was just the right amount of tangy spicy kick — no stomach ache, all enjoyment!

Side dishes and the right order to eat the galbijjim

The basic side dishes at Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch are seaweed, kimchi, bean sprouts, corn salad, and pickled perilla leaves! The owner picked ones that really go well with spicy galbijjim haha. If any run low, just ask and they'll refill them right away, so enjoy freely!!

Here comes the main event!! Pork galbijjim for two (mild) comes with rice cake and glass noodles included as standard, but a lot of people love these flat glass noodles these days!! I recommend adding them from the very first order haha.

Spicy galbijjim gets even tastier as it simmers down!!!

Once it's simmered down nicely, it's chow time haha. For spice wimps, bean sprouts are the closer!! Pile them on, mix with the spicy sauce, wrap the meat up and take a big bite — not too spicy, no stomach burn, just delicious haha.

My companion said they don't eat the glass noodles, so it was all mine!!! Ate it like that, and then piled a bowl so full it nearly overflowed! The combo of seaweed, pickled perilla leaves, and corn salad — can't resist it haha.

Ordering half gimmari, half sweet potato fritters

Honestly, watching the galbijjim broth bubble away, there was no way I wasn't going to order crispy fritters haha. Normally the gimmari or sweet potato fritters come as 4 pieces for ₩3,000, but I asked just in case, and the owner kindly split it into 2 gimmari + 2 sweet potato fritters for us!! (Owner's got great sense 👍)

Dip the freshly fried, hot and crispy fritters into the tangy spicy galbijjim broth... the savoriness and spiciness explode in your mouth haha. Adding a fritter order is a must!

Fire extinguishers for spice wimps' mouths, coming right up!!! Haha.

Cheese fried rice: save some galbijjim sauce for it

After happily fishing out all the meat and fritters, it's mandatory, no matter what, to have fried rice time!! A lot of people seem to add cheese directly into the galbijjim itself, but adding cheese to the fried rice like we did was truly a genius move haha. Absolutely delicious — a taste I still think about, ㅠㅠ!!

💡 Jangchaekim's fried rice tip! 💡 They fry the rice deliciously in whatever sauce is left, so you need to leave some sauce behind before ordering the fried rice!! Don't scrape it all up just because it's tasty haha.

They cover the golden, crispy fried rice with a blanket of savory cheese, and scooping up a big spoonful gives you spicy, sweet-salty, savory all at once — insane haha.

Yaki-mandu: order the dumplings at the start

While we were scraping up the last of the fried rice... the table next to us was enjoying yaki-mandu (pan-fried dumplings) so happily haha. Lured in by the sight, we ended up adding an order of yaki-mandu too! The crispy dumplings were a real treat, but one regret hit me: 'Ah! I should have ordered these together with the galbijjim from the start so I could dip them in the tangy broth!' Haha make sure you add them from the beginning so you can soak them in that juicy broth! (Definitely ordering them from the start next time haha.)

Big eater Jangchaekim's verdict on Gimcheongja

Even though I'm a spice wimp, sometimes I still crave something deliciously spicy, and now this is the place — Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch!!! They also run a lunch set menu, so if you're an office worker nearby and stress is about to explode?? This is the place haha.

Tender pork galbijjim, crispy fritters, and cheese fried rice — a perfect full course at Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch! Ate well again today!!