Charcoal galbi for four in Yangju: Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch

Manpo Galbi's Yangju branch, their second location after Uijeongbu. I went with my family to this Yangju galbi restaurant known for using plenty of fruit in its marinade to cut down on artificial sweetness, plus free naengmyeon (cold noodles) for dessert.

• Address🔸65 Songnang-ro, 1F, Manpo Galbi, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours🔸Daily 11:00 - 22:00
• Room🔸Seats 8-16, Group🔸Up to 80 people
• Reservations🔸Naver Reservation
• Parking🔸Large lot in front of the restaurant

What does Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch look like, and where do you park?

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is a two-story building. One big plus is the spacious parking lot.

The parking lot is really huge, right? I can already imagine the weekend crowds.

The waiting seats lined up out of the sun seemed to prove this is indeed a popular spot. When I finished my meal and left, there were a lot of people waiting. Whew... guess you need to pick your timing wisely? I had a Sunday 12pm reservation!

First floor or second floor: where should you sit?

The 1st floor of Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch has the dining area, counter, kitchen, and restrooms. It seems good for elderly guests with mobility issues or families with babies who'd rather avoid the stairs to the 2nd floor.

A mix of partitioned booths and open tables means large families or groups can all sit together.

Second-floor partitioned seats and the private banquet room

The 2nd floor has the dining area, a large banquet section, and restrooms, with roomier, more generously sized partitions.

Each booth looked like it could fit 4 people plus 2 babies. Two tables are pushed together per booth, so it seemed great for groups of 8 or more dining together. No sitting apart here! The seats were spacious, which made for a comfortable meal.

This is the private room available for parties. It can be split down the middle with a partition, so one or two groups can use it separately. Seems like a great spot for a small celebration.

Menu and prices at Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch

Handmade Hanwoo pork galbi is 250g for ₩19,000, and raw Hanwoo pork galbi is 250g for ₩21,000.

That's ₩7,600 and ₩10,500 per 100g for the handmade and raw pork galbi respectively. Not easy to find this quality at these prices these days, right?

They said they blend in lots of fruit to make a marinade with natural sweetness that isn't too strong, so I ordered the handmade Hanwoo pork galbi along with a bubbling doenjang sulbap (rice soup). Order: handmade Hanwoo pork galbi x4, brisket doenjang sulbap x1.

Ordering was easy with the tableside kiosk.

Side dishes include yukhoe and yukjeon

Since I had a reservation, my seat was already set up. As soon as I sat down, they brought out the yukhoe (raw beef).

The side dish spread was really impressive. The yukjeon (pan-fried beef) and yukhoe grabbed my attention first. Radish salad, pickled vegetables, garlic-chili relish, potato salad, greens, and samchae (mountain herb) — such upscale dishes served as basic sides.

How do the handmade pork galbi and chadol doenjang sulbap taste?

Tender texture, good-quality pork ribs. The meat arrived, laid out neatly on the charcoal grill.

Can you see the glossy sheen? It cut through softly with scissors. First, I wrapped a piece in shredded radish.

I'm eating all the samchae served today, haha. Should I also put the not-too-salty brisket doenjang sulbap with pork galbi on top?

Who figured out that well-grilled sweet pork galbi and savory doenjang sulbap go so well together? Truly grateful. Whoever knows food, knows.

House-made Hamhung-style naengmyeon, and it's free

Order it at the right moment through the tableside kiosk, and it's ready quickly.

A word after the meal: the meat texture is really tender, with just the right sweetness. The combo of spicy bibim naengmyeon with pork galbi, and doenjang jjigae with pork galbi — I don't even have the words.

Dessert coffee and bbeong-scream puffed-rice ice cream

On the left of the entrance, two coffee machines were ready! Choose between mix coffee and americano.

Ta-da — another famous dessert at Manpo Galbi: bbeong-scream. Pick up a rice puff snack and top it with as much soft-serve ice cream as you like — a hugely popular dessert item. So clever 👍

What stood out at Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch

Yukhoe and yukjeon among the basic side dishes

Once guests are seated, they add fresh yukhoe to complete the side dish spread — meaning the yukhoe is freshly tossed when you arrive. Thank you for including such upscale dishes as basic sides 👍

Free naengmyeon after the meal

You can choose between water naengmyeon and spicy bibim naengmyeon. Dessert naengmyeon usually costs about ₩5,000 extra per person, right? I think this is such a great idea. And it's not like the meat prices are jacked up or the quality drops to compensate!

Bbeong-scream, a dessert you don't see often

It cleanses your mouth and stomach after all that spicy-sweet-savory flavor. The best!

One-line verdict on Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch

In this photo, the answer might just be 'give generously.'

Manpo Galbi says it focuses on the fundamentals, carefully making the noodles and broth fresh every day. Their motto is to make guests feel hospitality and warmth through abundant food — and I think I truly felt it.

The meat quality was great, the side dish spread was a perfect 100, and even the dessert was flawless. Of course I'd come back again!

Today's meal was truly delicious — thanks for reading!