Yangju Korean BBQ, early lunch before Pocheon glamping: Manpo Galbi

Before heading to our glamping trip in Pocheon, I met up with my younger sibling for lunch at Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch (만포갈비 양주본점), a galbi restaurant in Yangju near Nari Park.

How to get to Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch, and parking

The restaurant is easy to reach by car, and the parking area in front is big. Public transport looks like it would be tough, though. The sign says "Manpo Galbi" in large letters, so it was easy to spot.

With so much space in front, there was no parking stress at all. The building looks big from the outside, too.

Turned away once because they ran out, so I came back

I'd tried to visit around Parents' Day in May, but they had run out of ingredients and I couldn't eat, so this was my second try. At busy times there can be a wait, so a reservation is a good idea. If you avoid peak hours, there's plenty of parking and the tables aren't packed, which was nice.

Iced coffee and ice cream are free, which makes them a great after-meal treat~

Atmosphere and seating at Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch

It's a large hall split over the 1st and 2nd floors, and you can book through Naver. If you reserve, they seat you on the 2nd floor, but if anyone has trouble with stairs, they'll seat you on the 1st floor instead.

There are baby chairs, so it's fine for little ones too. Inside is a spacious, clean hall with red brick walls and soft lighting, a comfortable mood that's neither flashy nor plain.

The tables are spaced generously, so it never felt cramped. Each table has a charcoal grill, which gives it a proper galbi restaurant feel. It's a good spot for group gatherings, family meals and company dinners.

What are the signature dishes at Manpo Galbi?

As a galbi specialist, the signature menu at Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch is fresh beef galbi, marinated beef galbi, handmade LA galbi, handmade pork galbi, fresh pork galbi, galbitang (short rib soup) and ppyeo-gaejang (spicy bone soup).

Places to visit nearby

• Yangju Nari Park
• Jangheung Tourist Resort
• Yangju Gwanajigi (old government office site)

Banchan include yukhoe and yukjeon

The side dishes (banchan) here are really generous. Banchan are quietly important at a BBQ place, right? We got crunchy cucumber salad, tangy radish salad, potato salad, scallion salad, young radish water kimchi, lettuce salad, pickled onion, yukjeon (beef pancake) and yukhoe (beef tartare), all well done.

None of them were harsh, and they all went well with the meat. The yukhoe had a faint sesame oil aroma and tasted fresh. The yukjeon came out warm, and with the chili on top you get a spicy kick instead of feeling weighed down.

How was the handmade pork galbi for 4?

I wondered what to pick and ended up ordering Manpo Galbi's signature handmade pork galbi (Hanwoo-style "handon" pork) for 4. It's said to be marinated galbi made only from galbi cuts, in Manpo Galbi's own handmade sauce that brings out the natural flavor of the meat.

The marinade had soaked into the meat, it wasn't too heavy or harsh, and the meat looked fresh.

Once the charcoal was ready, we put the galbi on one piece at a time. The faint charcoal smell made me hungry, and watching it cook made my mouth water. The meat wasn't tough but tender, and the marinade wasn't too sweet, which I liked.

Free Hamhung naengmyeon: mul and bibim

At Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch you can get Hamhung naengmyeon (cold noodles), with noodles and broth made in-house, for free. Naengmyeon is a must with meat~ The broth with ice floating in it cools you down even on a hot day.

The bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed noodles) wasn't harsh and had good savory depth. The sweet-and-sour sauce coated the noodles well, and it was even better eaten with the galbi.

Recommended for

• Anyone looking for a great galbi restaurant in Yangju
• Anyone looking for a family dining spot
• Charcoal galbi lovers
• Anyone who wants a restaurant with a big parking lot
• Anyone who wants a BBQ place with good naengmyeon too
• Anyone looking for a spot for a company dinner or group gathering

Dessert is ice cream on puffed rice, and the early lunch was quiet

To finish, I happily ate ice cream piled on a puffed-rice cracker. We went for an early lunch, and luckily it wasn't crowded. The banchan come out well and the galbi is tasty, so Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch worked great for a family gathering.