Yeonsinnae Station beef rib BBQ: half-and-half platter at Golmokjip

Pork or beef? Pork belly or galbi (ribs) or neck? It's always the biggest dilemma of my life.. Why are there so many delicious kinds of meat in this world? Usually I go for budget-friendly pork, but some days I suddenly miss beef that melts in your mouth. So today I visited Golmokjip Galbisal Yeonsinnae Main Branch (골목집갈비살), a beef rib place in Yeonsinnae that's famous by word of mouth near Yeonsinnae Station! Here's the story of tender galbisal (rib meat) and a Korean BBQ spot full of retro charm!

Golmokjip Galbisal Yeonsinnae Main Branch: hours and location

Golmokjip Galbisal Yeonsinnae Main Branch is open daily from 16:00 to 23:00, at 12-9 Yeonseo-ro 27-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, near Exit 6 of Yeonsinnae Station. Both reservations and groups are possible.

At the time of my visit, a June customer appreciation event had soju and bottled beer at a whopping 50% off on weekdays. These days, when one look at the price of a bottle of soju gives my bank account a hangover too, an event like this is so welcome T_T It was weekend evening peak time, so we waited about 5-10 minutes before getting in! True to its reputation as a Yeonsinnae favorite, customers kept streaming in.

Golmokjip atmosphere: good for group gatherings?

The inside is a retro concept decorated with nostalgic posters and props, so it suits group gatherings and company dinners. The first thing I thought walking in was, wow, the owner is seriously into retro! Gather all your friends and have a team dinner here and the mood would be unbeatable. Groups seemed to make up quite a large share of customers among Yeonsinnae BBQ places, and there were lots of families with adorable kids too! When I have a kid someday, I want to be a cool adult who treats them to lots of beef ribs..

Nostalgic ad posters are stuck all over the walls, and you naturally end up chatting: Remember this one? Do you know that one?! I like this kind of small fun more than just snapping photos at a café..!

Now THIS is the real retro, isn't it! I really like how committed they are to the concept. There are several TVs too, so coming during a soccer match or World Cup season, cheering while eating meat, would be perfect~

And in one corner there's an alley restaurant signboard and even a nostalgic stationery shop! Boss, do you happen to sell Apollo and Kkoedori too? (old-school Korean candy)

Heung-min must be busy kicking balls these days, yet he graciously visited this Yeonsinnae beef rib place too.. Anyway, I'm hungry, so I'll start by ordering on the table order screen

The finishing touch of the retro concept: a Delmonte water bottle. It only tastes authentic if it holds barley tea instead of plain water

First time at Golmokjip? Order the hanpan platter

If it's your first visit to Golmokjip Galbisal Yeonsinnae Main Branch, I recommend the hanpan (platter) menu! You can enjoy a variety of galbisal and LA kkotgalbi (LA-style cross-cut short ribs), and you can even order it half raw and half marinated. For people who can't decide on meat, isn't this basically a lifesaver?!

Side dishes and dipping sauces

The side dishes come in a neat lineup too: potato salad, ssam vegetables (leafy wraps), and jangajji (pickled vegetables), all great with meat! It's all stuff I like, isn't it?

Whole-grain mustard / wasabi / ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) / salt / sesame oil dip come as dipping sauces. You all know the first bite goes in salt, right? It's the golden rule.

Personally, the potato salad was so good I kept reaching for it.. My partner especially loved it, so I just pushed it over to their side.. haha

How was the raw galbisal at Golmokjip?

The best part of the hanpan menu was being able to eat raw and marinated galbi in one go! First, let's soothe the mouth with the raw meat.

They grill mushrooms and shishito-style peppers (kkwari gochu) alongside, so it looks great too, right? The upside of beef ribs? They cook fast! The upside of cooking fast? They get into my mouth fast!

I asked my partner for medium rare, and the doneness was perfect. The moment I ate a piece of galbisal with a faint red blush left, I thought, so this is why people go on and on about beef. It chews tender, not tough, and savory juices fill your mouth. It deserves to be called a Yeonsinnae beef rib favorite!

It's good dipped in salt, good with whole-grain mustard, and with wasabi it has yet another charm. The melt-in-your-mouth taste had me losing my mind. The beef rib quality is so good, though..? There's also sesame oil dip, wasabi and ssamjang, so enjoy it in different ways!

Golmokjip marinated galbi: is it too sweet?

The real signature of Golmokjip is the marinated galbi! The moment the sweet marinade aroma rises, memories of eating out with my family as a kid start auto-playing T_T The flavor made me suddenly respect the adults who bought me beef ribs when I was in elementary school..

The marinade is rich but not overly sweet or harsh, so you don't get tired of it! Personally, comparing raw and marinated galbi, I can hardly pick just one.. Ordering half and half is the right answer.

Golmokjip's free doenjang stew and bibim noodles

The free doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) was quite impressive too. When it first came out, I wondered if it was really free, the portion is so generous. The earthenware pot was almost the size of my washbasin.

It's packed with tofu and mushrooms and the broth is rich, so an extra bowl of rice is practically a must T_T If a BBQ place's doenjang stew is good, I think the restaurant is already half a success. It's a stew I'd want to pay for with my own money.. Release the recipe, release it!

Meat stomach, rice stomach, noodle stomach are all separate, so bibim noodles (spicy mixed noodles) are the right way to finish! Topped with cucumber, seaweed flakes and egg, they look neat too.

Put a piece of meat on top and eat them together, and for that moment my happiness index hits its peak. Bibim noodles really taste different depending on who boils them, and the person in charge here... I'd like to headhunt you for my house.

Is Golmokjip a good beef rib spot near Yeonsinnae Station?

If you're looking for a good place near Yeonsinnae Station, Golmokjip Galbisal Yeonsinnae Main Branch was a very satisfying choice! The raw-and-marinated combo, the tender galbisal quality, and the retro-filled interior make it a Yeonsinnae BBQ place that handles family meals, dates and company dinners without a hitch~ The marinated galbi in particular wasn't overly sweet so I kept reaching for it, and even the free doenjang stew scored high! On days when you think "I want beef, not pork, today," my chance of returning is 100%

• 3 minutes on foot from Yeonsinnae Station
• Raw + marinated galbi half and half available
• Tender galbisal quality
• Interior full of retro charm
• Great space for group gatherings and company dinners
• Generous portion of free doenjang stew
• Fun of mixing and matching different sauces
• Also recommended as a date spot in Yeonsinnae