Galbitang with generous beef at Morakmorak Seolleongtang, Ansan

On my way home from work today, I was craving a warm bowl of gukbap (rice soup), so I visited Morakmorak Seolleongtang.

Why I chose galbitang at a seolleongtang restaurant

It specializes in seolleongtang, but there was a wide variety of other dishes, too. There were Hamburg steak and yukhoe bibimbap (beef tartare mixed rice), so I thought a group would have nothing to argue about when choosing what to eat, haha. I came for galbitang today because I was craving a hot bowl of it!

What about parking?

The restaurant is in the basement of the Star Plaza building. You can park in the Star Plaza lot and register for up to four hours free. The parking lot is spacious, so I do not think you need to worry! Even on a weekday evening there were this many customers, which made me see why it is known as a good restaurant in Seongpo-dong.

Looking around the restaurant, I spotted a wide-open kitchen along one wall. Being able to see the cooking process so clearly made it feel trustworthy from a hygiene perspective. Above all, it looked very neat.

Photos introducing the menu were displayed on the wall, so I chose while looking through them. That day, I wanted galbitang loaded with meat, so that is what I ordered.

Sauces and tableware were neatly arranged at every table. They also sell meat, so I thought it might be nice to come back for meat sometime.

There were vegetables to grill as well, and they made me want to try the meat next time.

The vegetables and side dishes at the self-service bar all looked very fresh.

Even at dinnertime, the ssam vegetables for wrapping looked fresh.

Neat, classic side dishes

The basic side dishes were kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), gosari namul (seasoned bracken fern), onion, and chili peppers. They all paired well with the galbitang, so I enjoyed them. The kimchi and kkakdugi went especially well with seolleongtang, while the onion and peppers kept it from becoming repetitive.

Personally, I really liked the aroma of the bracken fern. It was delicious.

14,000 won galbitang

After waiting about five minutes, the galbitang arrived. Considering that a bowl of galbitang costs around 17,000 to 18,000 won these days,

I was almost taken aback by how much meat came in it for 14,000 won, haha!

A deeply rich broth

Rather than being clear and clean in style, the broth was closer to deep and rich, with the flavor of the meat drawn out. It made me curious about the seolleongtang broth, too. I will have to try the seolleongtang next time.

It was already seasoned, so it tasted just right without adding salt. Salt and pepper are available at every table, so you can add them to suit your taste!

Every rib was huge and tender!

There was also a generous amount of meat in the galbitang, so it was fun to keep fishing out meat with my chopsticks.

There really was a lot of meat

It also came with glass noodles, and eating the meat and noodles together made one bowl of galbitang quite filling. No matter how much I ate, more meat kept appearing. And I really do love the glass noodles in galbitang, haha.

If you are visiting with children, tteokgalbi (grilled minced beef patties) could be a good choice. With dishes such as yukhoe bibimbap and Hamburg steak as well, it also seemed like a decent gathering spot when several people each want something different.

When you want a hearty soup dish in Seongpo-dong

When I am craving a hearty soup dish for dinner in Seongpo-dong, this is somewhere I would want to return for a deeply satisfying bowl of galbitang. After trying it this time, I was quite pleased with the amount of meat for the price. Next time, I would like to order the seolleongtang, which is said to have a rich beef-bone broth, and the yukhoe bibimbap as well. It is comfortable for dining alone and has a varied menu, so I would recommend it as a Seongpo-dong restaurant for anyone considering options beyond gukbap.