Siheung BBQ à la carte beef ribs and cold noodles: Daehwa Sutbul

Why order à la carte instead of a set at Daehwa Sutbul Garden Siheung Janggok Branch?

On a day when our family wanted meat, we went to Daehwa Sutbul Garden Siheung Janggok Branch, a well-known spot in Janggok-dong. This time, instead of ordering a set menu, we each picked what we wanted individually. We ordered two salt-grilled beef rib, two freshly marinated beef rib, and one diced flower-cut rib, then finished the meal with yeolmu guksu and bibimbap. Being able to switch between salt-grilled, marinated, and thick flower-cut meat, grilling it ourselves over charcoal, felt like a great choice for a family meal out.

Charcoal grill at every table and what is on the self-serve bar

Once inside, we saw every table had its own charcoal grill built in.

There was also a separate self-serve bar where we could take as much as we wanted of vegetables like lettuce and perilla leaves, along with garlic, chili, and kimchi to go with the meat.

With the basic table setting ready, it was time to start grilling.

Salt-grilled beef rib at Daehwa Sutbul Garden, served to the kids first

The first thing we ate was salt-grilled beef rib. We ordered two servings of the salt-grilled version, without seasoning, so the kids could eat it first.

Once the meat hit the hot charcoal, it started cooking quickly. Rather than putting it all on at once, we grilled only as much as we planned to eat, turning it front and back and eating it right away. Grilling it ourselves over charcoal really gave that feeling of having come out specifically for meat.

We tried the well-cooked beef rib plain first, then with the sauce provided. We also wrapped it in thin lettuce leaves with vegetables and other toppings. Switching up the combinations after eating the meat plain made it enjoyable in a different way.

Freshly marinated beef rib vs salt-grilled: how they compare

Next was the freshly marinated beef rib. We ordered two of the salt-grilled and two of the marinated version so we could compare the two.

We grilled the marinated meat well on both sides over the charcoal. Eating the salt-grilled version first and then moving on to the marinated one made it feel like an entirely different dish, even though it was the same cut of beef rib — much more varied than ordering just one kind. So if you're looking for beef ribs in Janggok-dong and want to try both salt-grilled and marinated, this could be worth keeping in mind when choosing.

Diced flower-cut beef rib and its thicker cut

We also ordered one serving of diced flower-cut beef rib. Even in photos, the shape and thickness were clearly different from the beef rib we'd eaten before.

We put it on the charcoal and turned it repeatedly to cook it through. I really liked that we got to try a bit of everything this time — salt-grilled beef rib, freshly marinated beef rib, and diced flower-cut rib. If we'd ordered just one kind of meat, it might have felt a little lacking, but switching between menus meant we kept things varied right to the end.

Finishing with bibimbap and yeolmu guksu (cold radish-green noodles)

After eating a good amount of meat, we started craving rice, so we ordered bibimbap. It came with vegetables, seaweed flakes, and seasoning on top of the rice, which we mixed together thoroughly. Saving a piece of meat to eat alongside the bibimbap worked really well too. Eating meat is one thing, but a meal doesn't feel complete without rice.

And we couldn't skip the yeolmu guksu. After eating charcoal-grilled meat, we found ourselves craving something cool and noodle-based, so we ordered it alongside everything else. We even tried adding a piece of leftover meat to the noodles. Moving from meat to rice to noodles made for a satisfying, well-rounded meal. This time we skipped the set menu entirely and ordered everything à la carte based on what we felt like eating. Looking at the menu, we noticed there are also set menus available that let you enjoy several dishes together.

Was the à la carte order worth it at Daehwa Sutbul Garden?

Since we didn't try a set menu this time, I think I'll try one on our next visit. At Daehwa Sutbul Garden Siheung Janggok Branch, a well-known spot in Janggok-dong, we grilled salt-grilled beef rib, freshly marinated beef rib, and diced flower-cut rib ourselves over charcoal, then finished with bibimbap and yeolmu guksu. What stood out most about this visit was not sticking to just one kind of meat but trying salt-grilled, marinated, and flower-cut rib all together. When our family eats out, since we all love meat, we tend to order a little of several dishes rather than just one — and ordering à la carte this way worked out well again. Next time, I want to try the set menu we missed this time.