Uijeongbu charcoal pork galbi lunch with 2 naengmyeon bowls: Manpo

My husband and I had an errand near Uijeongbu, so we looked for somewhere to have lunch nearby. We landed on Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch, a spot where you can eat handmade charcoal galbi and Hamhung-style naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles) together.

How to book and park at Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch

It was convenient that Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch let us book ahead through Naver. When we arrived, the basic side dishes were already neatly set out, so we sat down and started eating right away.

Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch, visited by reservation

There's a customer-only parking lot beside the restaurant, and inside, tables fitted with charcoal grills are spaced out generously.

What comes before the meat: basic sides and yukhoe

Our reserved table at Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch was already set with several basic side dishes. The japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and mushroom jeon were served warm, so we picked at them even before the meat came out.

Once we sat down, ssam vegetables came out along with a separate plate of yukhoe (Korean-style raw beef). I liked that we could taste the yukhoe before grilling any meat. The seasoning wasn't overdone, and paired with the tender texture, it felt light yet satisfying. I thought next time I might order yukhoe separately — the seasoning really won me over.

What we ordered that day was three servings of the handmade marinated galbi.

Grilling 3 servings of handmade marinated galbi over charcoal

Charcoal came out to the middle of the table. With the coals glowing red and generously piled in, we were ready to start grilling in earnest. On one side, kimchi and garlic went on first to slowly cook through.

We laid the wide-spread marinated galbi on the grill rack. After cooking it through on both sides over the charcoal, we cut it into bite-sized pieces and grilled it a bit more. Since it was already marinated, we kept flipping it so it wouldn't burn.

The well-cooked galbi turned glossy, with nicely browned edges here and there.

The marinated galbi wasn't seasoned too strongly, and the meat was on the tender side, so it was delicious even eaten on its own.

We also ate it wrapped ssam-style, piling meat, onion, garlic, and kimchi onto a perilla leaf all at once. Having ssam vegetables on the table made it easy to wrap bites like this in between.

The kimchi cooked on one side of the grill was not to be missed either. Warmed kimchi eaten together with a piece of galbi worked really well, and we kept it going until we finished all the meat.

The marinade wasn't overly sweet or salty, so it never felt heavy to keep eating. The bits where the marinade slightly caramelized on the charcoal had an extra nutty flavor that was especially good.

Finishing with one water naengmyeon and one bibim naengmyeon

When we'd almost finished the meat, we ordered one water naengmyeon and one bibim naengmyeon for dessert. I chose the water naengmyeon.

The water naengmyeon came with a chilled broth topped with cucumber, pear, and egg garnish, while the bibim naengmyeon had a generous amount of red seasoning.

We saved a few pieces of galbi to eat with the noodles. Placing a piece of charcoal galbi on top of the cool water naengmyeon worked just as well as expected. After the meat, finishing with cold noodles wrapped up the meal cleanly.

By the time we'd eaten everything from meat to noodles, it was a filling lunch. On our way out, there was even a coffee machine near the entrance, so we grabbed a cup before leaving.

Is Manpo Galbi worth it for charcoal galbi near Uijeongbu Station?

My husband and I were looking for lunch in Uijeongbu, and we ended up booking and visiting Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch.

Being able to reserve ahead, and getting to eat charcoal pork galbi plus both water and bibim naengmyeon in one lunch, made it a solid meal. If you're looking for a charcoal galbi place near the light rail Uijeongbu Station, I'd recommend giving it a search.