Level-3 spicy rib soup on a rhinitis day in Seomyeon: Gang Galbitang

Why I went to Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon on a rhinitis-down day

I was searching for a good gukbap (Korean rice soup) place in Seomyeon, Busan, and wanted something hot and brothy, so I went to Gang Galbitang (강갈비탕) haha. My rhinitis was acting up and I felt run down, so a warm soup was exactly what I craved~

I just wanted a hearty meal, but it turned out way tastier than I expected, so I want to share it with you!

What's the inside of Gang Galbitang Seomyeon like, and how do you order?

The inside of Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is clean, and you order at a kiosk. When I walked in, the place looked tidy and comfortable for a meal~

Ordering at the kiosk was easy. I looked over the menu and picked what I wanted.

Looking around, there's a self-serve bar on one side and even a small self-serve café haha. It's nice that you can have coffee too instead of just eating and leaving~

My husband ordered the regular galbitang, and I got the spicy galbitang at level 3 and added Jeju medium-noodle (jeju jungmyeon guksu). I usually like spicy food, and that day I really wanted something fiery lol

The food started coming out one dish at a time, and it looked so generous that I was excited before even taking a bite~

How does the regular galbitang taste? My husband's number one

The regular galbitang my husband ordered had a cool, clean broth with the deep flavor galbitang is known for. He said it was the best rib soup he's had lately, and he really enjoyed it haha.

I tried a spoonful of the broth too, and wow, it was really refreshing and delicious!

The broth was warm yet clean, with that deep galbitang flavor, so I understood why my husband raved about it~ If you like galbitang, this seems like a great hearty meal.

How spicy was the level-3 spicy galbitang, and what's in it?

The level-3 spicy galbitang I ordered came in a spicy broth packed with ribs, jujubes and ginseng. This one is mine!

I went with level 3, and the spicy broth was really appealing~ The broth was tasty, but above all I liked how full the bowl was.

It had jujubes and ginseng inside, which made the bowl feel even richer~

The amount of meat was generous too haha. With plenty of ribs and the spicy broth, it warmed me right through!

I came for something warm because I wasn't feeling well, and with the spicy broth on top, it felt like I was properly taking care of myself~

What's it like adding Jeju medium-noodle?

If you add Jeju medium-noodle (jeju jungmyeon guksu) to the galbitang, it comes with both thin wheat noodles (somyeon) and glass noodles (dangmyeon), so you can eat it like galbi noodle soup. Adding noodles gave it a different charm from regular galbitang~ With both noodle types you get different textures, and they went well with the broth haha.

It felt like eating galbitang and galbi noodles at once, so if you love noodles, I think adding them is worth it!

My sweet husband even picked the meat off the rib bones for me lol That let me eat comfortably~ He kept raving about how good it was, which put me in a good mood too haha.

How big was the portion?

With the Jeju medium-noodle added to the spicy galbitang, the portion was too big for me to finish alone. Probably because of the noodles, it was seriously enormous lol At first I was excited to dig in, but halfway through I was so full that I just couldn't finish it~

Meanwhile, my husband wiped out his entire bowl of galbitang lol

Is there a lunch wait at Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon?

I visited Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon around 1:30 pm. There were quite a lot of customers, but no wait. Luckily we were seated right away!

Even a bit after lunchtime the place was still busy, so I figure plenty of people looking for lunch in Seomyeon come here haha.

Finishing with a self-serve café Americano

After the meal, I had an Americano from the Gang Galbitang self-serve café before leaving~ Ending a full meal with coffee left my mouth feeling fresh haha.

Is Gang Galbitang worth going back to?

If you're looking for a good gukbap place in Seomyeon, Busan, or a hearty lunch, Gang Galbitang is worth a visit~

We both enjoyed it, so it's now on our list of places to return to whenever we crave galbitang!