Braised beef short ribs for ₩10,900 in Changwon: Gohyang Sogalbijjim

The harmony of richly seasoned sogalbijjim and deep-flavored sogalbitang

With how expensive eating out has gotten these days, it's not easy to find a place where you can enjoy a bowl of braised beef short ribs without worrying about the bill. This time I visited a Masan restaurant I'd love to recommend as a solid go-to spot: Gohyang Sogalbijjim Masan Yangdeok Branch.

This is a place that serves sogalbijjim, sogalbitang, and tteokgalbi, among other dishes, and I visited because you can get a hearty, satisfying meal here without a heavy price tag.

How big is Gohyang Sogalbijjim Masan Yangdeok Branch, and what is the seating like?

Gohyang Sogalbijjim Masan Yangdeok Branch isn't a huge place. At the time of my visit there were about 6 tables for 4 and 3 tables for 2. So the total number of tables isn't large, but the gaps between tables were better than expected, so I didn't feel cramped while eating! The interior was also neatly kept, making it a good spot for a casual meal with friends or family (when I visited, every table was full, so I contacted the owner afterward and got photos of the restaurant..!)

What surprised me more than expected was that there was already a wait even though I visited in the morning! It wasn't well past lunchtime — I actually went at a fairly early hour — and there were still customers waiting, which told me this is a place people regularly seek out. Especially since the prices are so reasonable and the menu items are hearty enough for a full meal, I imagine it gets even busier during lunch hour.

Sogalbijjim price and what comes with it

Gohyang Sogalbijjim's signature dish is, of course, the sogalbijjim. At the Masan Yangdeok branch, a single serving is currently ₩10,900, and ordering it comes with doenjang jjigae and a bowl of rice included. Sogalbitang is also ₩10,900, hanwoo-handon tteokgalbi is ₩8,000, and extra potato noodles are ₩2,000 — being able to eat sogalbijjim at this price given today's cost of living was pretty appealing in itself!

What does the sogalbijjim sauce taste like?

This time I tried the sogalbijjim together with tteokgalbi, and honestly, the tteokgalbi was more delicious than I expected. Sogalbijjim alone is plenty filling, but if you want to add a side, I'd recommend ordering the tteokgalbi too. Overall, the sogalbijjim was well seasoned. Rather than being overly sharp or just salty, the sauce had soaked well into the meat, which made it great to eat with rice. The sweet-and-spicy sauce paired with the tender meat and rice was excellent for mixing together, and the doenjang jjigae served alongside was nice to spoon in between bites of the ribs!

Mixing bean sprouts and seaweed flakes into the leftover sauce

There's a method the restaurant recommends a lot: mixing the sauce left over from the ribs with bean sprouts, seaweed flakes, rib meat, and rice. The sauce itself pairs so well with rice that just topping rice with the braised ribs is already delicious, but adding bean sprouts and seaweed flakes brought in extra texture, making for a satisfying finish.

Why the 8,000 won tteokgalbi is worth adding as a side

Surprisingly, the dish that stuck with me most from this visit was the tteokgalbi. Since I went for the sogalbijjim, I assumed the braised ribs would be the star, but the tteokgalbi I ordered alongside turned out to be more delicious than expected! So personally, I'd recommend getting the tteokgalbi as a side dish..!

Is Gohyang Sogalbijjim good value for a meal in Masan?

Having visited in person, this turned out to be a great-value Masan restaurant. The place isn't very large, but the spacing between tables was decent enough that eating wasn't uncomfortable, and what impressed me most was that there was already a wait even at an early hour — clearly a place people actively seek out! At a time when eating out feels expensive, if you're looking for a hearty Masan restaurant meal, I think this is a place worth visiting at least once!