Gwangalli Korean BBQ with self-serve ssam bar and myeongran: Donbegi

Today I want to introduce a great meat restaurant in Gwangalli.

Where is Donbegi Gwang-an Branch, and what are the hours and booking rules?

Donbegi Gwang-an Branch is on the 1st and 2nd floors at 34 Minrakbondong-ro 11beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea. It's open daily from 12:00 to 23:30 with last order at 23:00, and parking is available.

• Hours: Daily 12:00–23:30 / Last order 23:00
• Parking available
• Naver Reservation available
• Group bookings possible (rooms for 2–6, group seating for 7–42)
• Pets allowed
• Corkage available (₩10,000 per table)

This is the pet-friendly usage guide. Worth a look if you're planning to bring your dog along.

The exterior looks really cool haha. It's a two-floor building, so the restaurant was bigger than I expected.

Hall and private rooms built for work dinners and group gatherings

Right as you walk into Donbegi Gwang-an Branch, there's a spacious hall, and it seemed like that's where you're seated if you haven't booked ahead. Go into the side room and there are two 4-person tables plus a private group seating area.

I couldn't photograph everything, but there are also rooms, group rooms, and even a birthday party room. Check the Naver Reservation tab for details.

It's great for work dinners and group gatherings alike, so I'd recommend booking ahead :)

The menu at Donbegi Gwang-an Branch: tablet ordering and wine

Donbegi Gwang-an Branch has set menus, à la carte items, meal dishes and even special menu options. You order via the tablet at each table.

Funny enough, a pork restaurant selling wine, haha. They run a Naver receipt-review event offering various menu items, so check that out too.

They say it's top-1% premium pork, cross-aged four times over 20 days.

Side dishes and the self-serve bar for ssam greens and garlic

The basic side dishes served are ssamjang (dipping paste), myeongran (salted pollack roe), white kimchi, mu-saengchae (radish salad), seaweed, pickled gochu-jangajji, and gat kimchi.

There's also seasoned shiitake mushroom, wasabi, pink salt bean sprout soup, and seasoned scallion salad.

You can grab any side dishes you're missing from the self-serve bar. At first I thought the self-serve bar just repeated the basic side dishes already on the table, so I didn't bother — but turns out the most basic things, the ssam greens and garlic, weren't included! They're at the self-serve bar, so make sure to grab them haha.

Couple's mixed platter: 400g shoulder rack + 200g pork neck

We ordered the couple's mixed platter (for 2–3 people), made up of 400g shoulder rack and 200g neck meat.

The lean-to-fat ratio looked just right, so it looked really delicious. The shoulder rack was so big it hung over the edge of the grill.

Staff grill the pork to the doneness you ask for

The staff grill it for you, and they left it slightly underdone at first. Eating it slightly underdone gives a softer texture, while grilling it golden brown brings out more flavor for a crisp-outside, juicy-inside bite. I personally like it well browned, so I let it cook a bit longer. Just tell the staff your preferred doneness and they'll grill it just right haha.

Scallion salad, wasabi, and white kimchi with myeongran

I tried it with scallion salad and wasabi — the scallion salad was so good. The scallions were fresh, the seasoning was tasty, and it went really well with the meat. Next was a combination the staff put together for us: white kimchi topped with myeongran on the meat, which gave a whole new flavor experience.

I also tried the vegetables served alongside. The mushrooms were moist and tender, and the grilled scallions and peppers eaten with the meat did a great job cutting the richness. I also grilled the bone part of the shoulder rack at the end — the meat still stuck to the bone was delicious too.

Is Donbegi Gwang-an Branch worth booking for a group dinner?

First off, the pork was well-aged, so the flavor when grilled was really excellent. The grill itself performed well so we could eat cleanly, and the restaurant itself was spotless, which I appreciated. I'd recommend it for dates, family gatherings, and work dinners alike — if you're in Gwangalli, give it a visit haha.