Nampo-dong beef restaurant in Busan, tongue à la carte: Yakiniku Gaek

What kind of restaurant is Yakiniku Gaek?

Yakiniku Gaek is a Japanese-style yakiniku beef restaurant on the 1st floor at 17 Gwangbok-ro, Jung-gu, Busan, near the Nampo-dong Kkangtong Market. It's open Mon–Sat 14:00–01:00 (last order 00:20) and Sundays 13:00–24:00 (last order 23:20).

Hi everyone, I'm a heavily pregnant mom-to-be enjoying every meal like it's my last supper haha. Today I visited Yakiniku Gaek, a famous yakiniku spot in Nampo-dong, Busan. It's well known as a Kkangtong Market restaurant, and my husband had been wanting to go because it's run by a YouTuber, so we finally made it happen.

Where to park near Yakiniku Gaek in Nampo-dong

You can park at the Gukje Market public parking lot, the roadside public parking in front of the restaurant, or Geukdong Parking within 50m of the store. We figured the public lots would be full, so we just parked at the nearby Geukdong Parking. We parked around 3pm and left before 5, maybe around 4:30, and it came out to about ₩8,000.

The weather was nice ☺️ and Nampo-dong has so many good restaurants that it's hard to choose, so this time we went with a place where we could enjoy yakiniku in a nice atmosphere. It's pretty close to Kkangtong Market too, so it's great for pairing a meal with market browsing.

Inside Yakiniku Gaek: atmosphere and seating

The Yakiniku Gaek space is small but nicely decorated. Walking in, you immediately get that Japanese-style yakiniku feel, which had us excited before the meat even arrived. I especially liked that you can choose from a variety of beef cuts and grill them however you like.

There are counter seats for solo dining, and a room in the back that seats about 6–7 for groups. They even had a Silver Play Button on display. Surprising, haha 🤩

What comes with the table setting

There was so much delicious-looking liquor 🥲 we both swore we'd come back just to drink next time haha.

I liked that the side dishes were just the right amount to finish without needing a refill haha. At other places they give you a bean-sized portion and you have to keep ordering more, but Yakiniku Gaek doesn't do that 👍🏻👍🏻

Galbisal, kkotsal and beef tongue à la carte instead of the two-person combo

I was about to order the two-person combo at Yakiniku Gaek, but I heard it's known as a beef tongue spot in Busan, so I ordered what I actually wanted à la carte! In the order galbisal, kkotsal, and beef tongue — they brought out the galbisal and kkotsal first, then timed the beef tongue perfectly to arrive right as we were finishing the other cuts!

A place that uses real charcoal is precious 🥰 grilling over charcoal is really where the fun of yakiniku is. Grilling each piece of meat to a nice golden brown really brought out the juiciness and that savory flavor.

The meat looked great even before cooking, and then, wow...😦

I think I found my go-to beef restaurant. Galbisal can be super chewy if it's not done right, but this one basically disappeared the second it hit my mouth?😮

Maldon salt, house sauce and wasabi

Yakiniku Gaek uses Maldon salt, and their own special sauce had that authentic Japanese flavor down perfectly. The wasabi was surprisingly good too — even piled on, it wasn't spicy at all.

How were the kkotsal and beef tongue?

We ate the galbisal first, then the kkotsal! I liked that the owner recommended the eating order too. I really want to recommend the kkotsal — it had just the right amount of fat, and honestly it was my favorite of the three.

This was my first time trying beef tongue. A friend who'd had it in Japan said it can be gritty and just okay, but maybe because it was sliced so thin, it wasn't chewy at all and was really delicious. If you like beef tongue, this is worth a visit at least once. The chewy texture unique to thinly sliced beef tongue has a different kind of charm compared to regular beef. Next time I want to try the premium beef tongue!

Cleaned every plate today too 🤭 as always haha.

Why Yakiniku Gaek is worth it for beef in Nampo-dong

Yakiniku Gaek even has mouthwash and deodorizer in the restroom, so you don't have to worry about lingering smells. And beyond the beef menu, it's also a good spot for people who love mungtigi (fresh raw beef).

You can enjoy a wide variety of fresh cuts, so it's great to visit with a group and order according to everyone's taste. If you're looking for a beef restaurant in Nampo-dong, this is one worth knowing as a top Nampo-dong beef spot. Especially if you're trying to decide on dinner near Kkangtong Market, it's a solid option — fill up on yakiniku, then head out to explore the area.