Kid-friendly Korean BBQ in Gojan, Ansan: pork galbi wraps at Yangsimso

Most weekend dinners end up being eating out, and if I had to name one dish that kids and adults both enjoy with no fuss, it would be sweet-salty marinated pork galbi (ribs). So we went to Yangsimso (양심소) in Gojan-dong, Ansan. The meat quality is a given, and the service is great too, so we ate well and left full! I think this will be useful if you're looking for a family dinner spot or a company dinner place in Gojan-dong!

Where is Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch, and what's the parking and atmosphere like?

Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch is at 33 Danggok-ro, 1st floor, Unit 119, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, and it's open daily 11:30–22:30. You can park for 2 hours free in basement level 1 of Praum City.

It sits in the center of Gojan-dong, so it's easy to reach by public transport, and you can park in the building too, which makes access great. Inside, it's fresh and clean without that typical BBQ-place greasy smell(?), and the seats are divided into sections, which seemed the most comfortable for visiting with kids.

If you've picked good meat for a family meal or a get-together, Yangsimso, which can also be used as private rooms, suits that mood perfectly.

How much is the 750g handmade marinated pork galbi platter, and how does it taste?

What we ordered at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch was its signature popular dish, the handmade marinated pork galbi platter (750g) for ₩49,000. A generous 750g, and in the ₩40,000 range? Really??

On the way there I checked the menu on the website and decided in advance. My husband and I love beef, so naturally we meant to eat beef, but our elementary-school daughter doesn't like beef. 😭😭

Maybe because it's domestic pork soaked and aged in their own handmade marinade, the meat quality was amazing even before it went on the grill 👍 It cooks up golden on the charcoal grill, and let's be honest, nothing beats charcoal aroma. With the sweetness of the marinade wafting up too, I couldn't wait to eat. 🤤

What side dishes come at Yangsimso?

The side dishes at Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch were sarada (사라다, a Korean-style salad), seasoned greens, three kinds of kimchi, onions and pa-jeol-im (scallion salad), and yukhoe came as a free extra. I kept refilling the sarada.

With BBQ I usually only eat the sides I like, but at this Gojan-dong BBQ place, Yangsimso, I ate every single one! The sarada has Korean melon, apple, cherry tomatoes and cucumber, and I kept getting refills. 🥹 Besides the greens, three kinds of kimchi, onions and scallion salad, the yukhoe was free!!! Love me some yukhoe 🩷

Is the doenjang jjigae at Yangsimso really free?

At Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes free when you order meat. It wasn't a small earthenware pot but a regular large one.

The real jackpot at Yangsimso was the doenjang jjigae that comes free with a meat order, okay? When I first ordered meat + rice + doenjang jjigae, a staff member came over and said the jjigae is free, so they'd cancel it 😳 I figured the portion would be small~, but it wasn't the tiny pot you usually get at BBQ places, it was a regular large pot. Packed with tofu, vegetables and meat, the broth was deeply savory and rich. It wasn't too salty or spicy either, so the kids added a little water, mixed it into rice and ate it happily.

Pork galbi lettuce wraps even a kid will eat

It's no exaggeration to say Yangsimso's handmade marinated pork galbi really shines wrapped in fresh lettuce. The marinade soaks in well and it was grilled well, so we ate it almost with no burnt bits, and the balance with the fresh lettuce is amazing.

The meat isn't dry or tough, which is why the kids ate even better. The tender bite totally won over our picky daughter. On her own, she put ssamjang (dipping paste) on lettuce, added meat and rice, and made 10 wraps.

The ssamjang has a secret too: there seemed to be barley(?) in it. I'm not wrong, am I?? Did they make it themselves.. It wasn't salty, so I let my daughter have as much as she wanted haha. It's addictive for adults and kids alike, you keep reaching for more. Watching her wrap everything so neatly on her own made me proud.

Verdict: how is it for a family meal with kids?

Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch was a Gojan-dong, Ansan BBQ restaurant where everything satisfied us: the savory flavor and value of the generous 750g marinated pork galbi, plus the hearty free doenjang jjigae. The meat is really tender and the marinade tasty, so I'd definitely recommend it as a family dinner spot with young children. If you're craving delicious handmade pork galbi, I'd recommend Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch without hesitation~