5pm opening run at a Jeonju beef rib restaurant: Ubookgeum Saenggalbi

• 🚘 Parking: K Parking Lot
• 🕰️ Hours: 11:00-23:00 / Break 14:00-17:00, Last order 22:30 / Open daily

Ubookgeum Saenggalbi: a beef restaurant near Lotte Department Store in Seosin-dong, Jeonju

Since we were already at Lotte Department Store, we wanted to grab a meal at a nearby spot. We decided on beef for my pregnant partner!! And the name was right there — Ubookgeum Saenggalbi (우복금생갈비)!!

Felt like it'd been ages since I had beef galbi haha. Beef is beef though. So let's check out this Ubookgeum Saenggalbi, a Seosin-dong restaurant in Jeonju.

Parking at Ubookgeum Saenggalbi — 2 hours covered at K Parking Lot

If you park at K Parking Lot, you get 2 hours supported!! Parking around Lotte Department Store in Seosin-dong is genuinely rough, so this parking support is a real perk~

Inside the restaurant and the 2nd-floor group seating

Overall it felt clean and tidy!! Not overly decorated — more of a clean vibe that lets you eat your meat comfortably!

A comfortable atmosphere for eating with family or coming with friends for meat.

There's a 2nd floor too!! Since I went right when it opened at 5, the 2nd floor wasn't in use yet — looks like it'd be perfect for group guests!

They had certification showing they use premium-grade beef and only Korean pork (handon). Builds trust before you even take a bite.

Side dishes: bean sprouts, stew and steamed egg

Once you order your meat, the side dishes come out one by one. It didn't feel like the usual generic banchan you get at any BBQ place. Since the saenggalbi (unseasoned short ribs) is on the milder side, they'd prepared sides that go well alongside the meat.

The bean sprouts especially!! Not just plain bean sprouts. The seasoning tasted handmade... really delicious. Spicy, sweet... I ended up finishing the whole bowl haha.

Of course a BBQ place needs a stew~ Savory and warming, it soothes your stomach.

And steamed egg too, bam!!!!!!!! The side dishes were generous and seemed thoughtfully paired with the saenggalbi.

Beef saenggalbi at 58,000 won, grilled at your table

'Beef Saenggalbi' (58.0)

The saenggalbi we ordered arrived!! The color of the meat caught my eye first. Bright red meat with just the right amount of white fat scattered through it — the moment I saw it I thought 'this is going to be tender' and immediately felt 'ah, this is premium.'

Ah... when will it be done... The owner and staff grilled it for us, which made things so easy. Beef isn't cooked too long, so grilling it well seems to take extra skill...

Cook faster... the visual of it cooking is genuinely lovely...

Especially the way the fat slightly melted and sizzled on the charcoal — quite mouthwatering... I already miss it haha. With the bone still attached, galbi has a completely different look from regular grilling beef!!!!

You know you have to gnaw the meat right off the bone with galbi, right?? They deboned it neatly for us haha. It had that slightly chewy kkoduelsal (cartilage-adjacent) texture!!!!

Unlike seasoned galbi, it wasn't overly sweet or salty, so you never get tired of it and keep reaching for more.

Because it's unseasoned, you end up focusing on the flavor of the meat itself rather than a sauce, which I liked.

Why the shiitake wasabi sauce steals the meal

For the first few bites I just dipped in salt to taste the meat, then moved on to the side dips and sauces — and this shiitake wasabi sauce was the best. Good enough that I asked, 'Excuse me, what is this?'

Wow... the whole meal ended with a real sense of being pampered. For saenggalbi, it's Ubookgeum Saenggalbi!!!! Confirmed, confirmed.

Finally, we wrapped up with a glass each of maesil (plum) drink and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch)~ That's it for Ubookgeum Saenggalbi, a Seosin-dong restaurant in Jeonju~