Gunpo Korean barbecue restaurant for shabu-shabu and pork belly

Dinner near Sanbon Station with my parents

I went out for dinner at Sanbon Station with my parents for the first time in a while. We were craving a hearty meat meal that day, so while looking around near the station, the clean exterior of what looked like a newly opened place caught my eye, and we stepped into Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch (거북이동네 군포산본점). The sign was easy to spot even from a distance, so it was not hard to find, and the restaurant was on the second floor.

After climbing the stairs and entering, I was struck by the warm, brown-toned interior. It felt like a place that had not been open for long: everything from the tables and floors to the self-serve corner was kept exceptionally clean.

What comes with the clear-broth shabu-shabu and pork belly set

The staff kindly explained both the menu and how everything worked, which made it comfortable to visit with my parents. The table setting fee was ₩5,000, and we ordered the clear-broth Shabu-shabu & Pork Belly Set. It came with shabu-shabu ingredients including minari, mushrooms, and kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), plus 200 g of thin-sliced Korean beef and 300 g of pork belly, for ₩41,500. When eating out as a family, the bill can shoot up quickly as you order one thing after another, but here we could enjoy both meat and shabu-shabu in one go, so it felt like really good value.

A self-serve corner full of side dishes

One of the things I liked most at Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch was the self-serve corner. I was surprised because it was not simply a spot with leafy wraps; there was such a wide variety of side dishes. There were lettuce, perilla leaves, pickled radish slices for wraps, ham, fish cake, rice cakes, onions, and shredded scallions. There was also separate broth and sauce for the shabu-shabu, so it was easy to take what suited our tastes. The side-dish counter was packed with meat-friendly accompaniments such as bracken fern, seasoned bean sprouts, corn, gat kimchi, and napa cabbage kimchi.

I especially like soy-sauce-marinated side dishes, and the marinated mung bean sprouts here were exactly my taste. The crisp sprouts had gently absorbed the soy sauce seasoning, and they cut through the richness perfectly with the meat. There were also pickled peppers, pickled onions, and pickled gungchae, so it was fun changing up the combinations when making ssam (leaf wraps).

Thin-sliced Korean beef shabu-shabu and kalguksu

The meat and shabu-shabu ingredients that arrived shortly after looked fresh at first glance. The thin-sliced Korean beef in particular had such a lovely color. I briefly swished the thin slices in the clear shabu-shabu broth, and they felt as though they melted softly; my parents enjoyed them too.

The shabu-shabu had plenty of mushrooms and mung bean sprouts, and we made it even more generous by adding fish cake and rice cakes from the self-serve corner. We added the kalguksu at the end, too, and the savory flavor released by the meat and vegetables made the broth incredibly tasty.

Pork belly in a perilla-leaf wrap

The pork belly was better than I expected, too. As soon as it hit the grill, its nutty aroma filled the air, and I could see why people looking for a great pork belly place in Sanbon would enjoy it. The nicely grilled pork belly was chewy and savory without being tough. I made a wrap with a perilla leaf, pork belly, shredded scallions, and marinated mung bean sprouts, and I really hope you try this combination.

Since the meat was good quality, it was delicious even on its own, and the many side dishes kept it from becoming tiring until the end. We also grilled the ham from the self-serve corner alongside it. For a family meal, I think adults can enjoy the meat and shabu-shabu while children have ham, fish cake, and rice cakes as well, making it even more satisfying. Coming with my parents, we could each eat in our favorite way, which made it much better.

Finishing with makguksu and soft-serve ice cream

After we had eaten a fair amount of meat, we also ordered bibim makguksu (spicy mixed buckwheat noodles) and mul makguksu (buckwheat noodles in chilled broth). Makguksu is something you really cannot leave out after meat, right? The sweet-and-tangy seasoning of the bibim makguksu instantly woke up my appetite, while the cool broth of the mul makguksu felt like it refreshed my mouth after the meat. Topping the makguksu with a piece of pork belly was such a perfect match.

We even had soft-serve ice cream to finish. It was nice that dessert ice cream was available. After a filling meal of meat, shabu-shabu, and makguksu, ending with sweet ice cream made for a very happy finish. From the clean atmosphere and fresh meat to the extensive self-serve bar and friendly staff, this was a place I was happy with overall. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a Sanbon Station restaurant for a work dinner or a comfortable pork restaurant in Sanbon to visit with their parents. I am planning to return and try other menu items next time.