Gwangju Korean BBQ: less-sweet pork ribs at Jeongwon Galbi

An honest first-visit review of Jeongwon Galbi, a great rib spot in Songjeong-dong, Gwangju

A rib restaurant I found in Songjeong-dong

My husband and I really love ribs. But even after living in Gwangju, Gyeonggi for six years, we still hadn’t found a truly great rib restaurant. Then one day, while driving along the main road in Songjeong-dong, I happened to spot the sign for Jeongwon Galbi Gyeonggi Gwangju Branch. And there were so many people waiting in front of the building. Could this be a great spot...? Full of curiosity, we chose it for dinner that day.

• Address: 110 Gyeongancheon-ro, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (경기도 광주시 경안천로 110 1~2층)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00
• Parking: Parking lot available in front of the restaurant

We arrived at Jeongwon Galbi around 7 p.m. on a Thursday. There was quite a generous amount of parking right in front, so we parked without much trouble and went inside.

The interior was quite neat, and I noticed these semi-private tables separated by partitions here and there.

Pork ribs and side dishes

Jeongwon Galbi’s menu. They sell both beef ribs and pork ribs, but personally, I think pork ribs are the classic choice for marinated ribs. So, we ordered two portions of pork ribs!

An assortment of banchan (Korean side dishes) and charcoal were set out.

They served cabbage salad and seasoned raw crab, seasoned chili peppers and pickled perilla leaves, plus macaroni salad and soft tofu. There were also scallion salad and kimchi, though I didn’t photograph them separately! Of these, my favorite was the seasoned chili peppers, whose pungent spiciness completely won over my taste buds.

You can freely refill any side dishes you run out of at the self-service bar.

Two portions of pork ribs, coming through~ My husband was on grilling duty again today. I have yet to meet anyone who grills meat as brilliantly as my husband does... haha.

He never lets even marinated ribs burn! His hands were faster and more seasoned than ever~ The pork ribs were cooking up with a gorgeous color.

At last, the ribs were fully cooked! They already looked mouthwatering... Okay, let’s dig in in earnest!

Pork ribs with a balanced sweetness

The ribs were delicious on their own and just as good wrapped in lettuce! Personally, I don’t like pork ribs with an overly strong artificial sweetness, so I was very pleased that Jeongwon Galbi’s pork-rib marinade was not too sweet. It had just the right, pleasant sweetness, so I could enjoy the tasty ribs without getting tired of them through the end of the meal.

Dessert soybean paste stew and spicy hangover ramen

We also ordered the dessert soybean paste stew. Amazingly, this dessert stew was only ₩3,000! What an incredible value. The stew had a lovely spicy, savory broth that seemed flavored with Cheongyang chili peppers, and as someone who really loves soybean paste stew generously sprinkled with red pepper powder, it suited my palate very well.

For something to cleanse the palate, we ordered spicy hangover ramen too. At ₩5,000, the spicy hangover ramen was also quite reasonably priced. It arrived bubbling away in a homey aluminum pot, which made it look even more appetizing.

The spicy hangover ramen was generously loaded with egg, enoki mushrooms, and scallions. It is quite spicy. My husband and I enjoy spicy food, but this might be a difficult dish for people with a low spice tolerance. If you don’t enjoy spicy food, I think the king steamed egg would be the mild standout among Jeongwon Galbi’s side dishes.

After the meal, we went to the counter to pay. A man who seemed to be the owner thoughtfully asked how our meal had been. When I told him the ribs were very delicious, he replied with a warm smile, thanking us so much for the compliment. I was already quite satisfied with the food, but the owner’s abundant kindness and service touched me once again. I think I’ll come back to Jeongwon Galbi whenever I’m craving pork ribs.

My take after the first visit

• The pork-rib marinade was not overly sweet, which suited my palate very well.
• For people who like spice, I recommend the spicy hangover ramen as a side; for those who prefer mild flavors, the king steamed egg.
• Convenient parking is a bonus!
• I would absolutely revisit.