Beef BBQ date in Singal, Yongin: fresh galbisal wins, Sowon.1

After running errands with my husband during the day, we thought, why not grill some good meat? So we visited Sowon.1 Main Branch (소원.1 본점), a Korean BBQ place in Giheung. Beef is the star here, but there's also pork, Korean beef intestines and more. The staff were kind, the food was great, and it seemed perfect for group gatherings, company dinners and family get-togethers too. It was a hot day, so this was a date and a bit of a stamina boost with good meat.

Where is Sowon.1 Main Branch, and is parking easy?

Sowon.1 Main Branch is in Singal Eating Town, close to Suwon CC in Giheung, Yongin, and it has a big lot in front with room for more than 100 cars. That's why lots of people in the area come here for group gatherings.

It holds up to 160 people and even has a kids' playroom, so you can feed the children and then let them play separately. Nice touch for Sowon.1 Main Branch.

Atmosphere and seating at Sowon.1 Main Branch

The hall is big and the tables are spaced generously. A friendly staff member guided us inside, where we saw coffee and sujeonggwa machines. A cold cup of sujeonggwa after the meal was just right.

Roomy and well spaced, that's what I like about Sowon.1 Main Branch. In one corner I also spotted brass cups reserved for regulars, and I thought they looked pretty cool. Haha. Come on... that's cool, right?! We got there a bit early after opening, and people started trickling in behind us.

Menu and how to order at Sowon.1 Main Branch

You order at Sowon.1 Main Branch with a kiosk. Besides meat like several cuts of wagyu, beef short ribs and pork belly, there are meal dishes such as Korean beef intestines, yukhoe (beef tartare), mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles) and doenjang stew. The menu is so varied that I agonized over what to order for a long time. Naengmyeon is discounted on weekdays, so it looks like a good dessert-style finisher.

After some debating, my husband and I ordered the fresh + marinated galbisal (beef short rib meat) 1kg, plus doenjang stew and steamed rice. Being 1kg, it was a really generous amount of meat for two.

Basic side dishes and the self bar

The basic side dishes at Sowon.1 Main Branch come out neat, and I enjoyed the yangnyeom-gejang (spicy marinated raw crab) among them. There's a self bar in one corner of the restaurant, so you can just fetch whatever you're short on. Convenient.

Fresh vs marinated galbisal: which was better?

The fresh and marinated galbisal at Sowon.1 Main Branch came out together, 1kg piled on a plate, and both my husband and I said the fresh one was better. After a short wait the hot charcoal arrived, then the meat, and a kind staff member told us to eat the fresh galbisal first and the marinated one after.

The fresh galbisal had a nice balance of fat and lean and looked delicious. The marinated one has a sweet, nutty marinade, but personally both of us said the fresh galbisal was tastier.

Charcoal heat at Sowon.1 Main Branch

The charcoal at Sowon.1 Main Branch is strong, so the beef cooks in no time. Fresh galbisal sizzling over hot charcoal! I always think the fire matters at a BBQ place, and here the meat came out moist and tender inside and crisp outside. Lovely.

While grilling, our doenjang stew and rice arrived. The stew was loaded with tofu, mushrooms, zucchini and more, and the portion was generous, just right to share as a meal alongside the meat.

How to enjoy the galbisal at Sowon.1 Main Branch

We dipped the well-grilled fresh galbisal in plain salt first. The fat bursts in your mouth and just melts away! This is why I eat galbisal.

Plain, then with the onion sauce, trying it every which way, the galbisal vanished in no time. Next time I want to try the wagyu too. The beef set menus cover many cuts too, so the value is great!

To keep up with how fast we ate, we had to grill diligently. It's beef, so you flip it now and then so it doesn't overcook! My husband did the grilling hard, which is why we could enjoy it so much.

Midway we grilled a few mushrooms too, then wrapped the meat in fresh lettuce and other greens for a bite. On a day when you crave galbisal, Sowon.1 Main Branch lets you eat good beef for about the price of pork. We said we'd love to come back the next time we want charcoal-grilled beef.

Who Sowon.1 Main Branch is recommended for

Easy parking makes Sowon.1 Main Branch a good venue for all kinds of gatherings, and the varied menu gives you plenty of choice. It's a Giheung BBQ place where you get a hearty meal with the aroma of beef and pork cooking over hot charcoal, so if you're curious, give it a visit.