Tuesday pork BBQ for two near Sanbon Station: doenjang stew, Geobugi

I went to Geobugi Dongne (거북이동네), a newly opened pork BBQ place in Sanbon! The couple set, the pot rice, the doenjang (soybean paste) stew, the ice cream... everything was great, and the whole package was so good that I wanted to introduce it to you >_<

Where is Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch, and is there parking?

Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Sanbon Station, and if you come by car you can use a nearby public parking lot. The access is really good 👍 You can visit without a car, so I thought it would be fine for a get-together with friends or a company dinner too~~

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor!!

Atmosphere and seating at Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch

Maybe because it just opened, it looked clean and tidy even from outside :-) We visited at 8 pm on a Tuesday and the place was almost full 😮 It has 140 seats in total, so even with a crowd it felt spacious, which I liked.

How ordering works and the basic rules

You order on a tablet, and the first order has to be at least 500g, no exceptions. We were shown to table 9! You can look at the menu on the tablet or on a printed menu board. The table fee is ₩5,000 (said to be for 4 people), and the first order starts at 500g~

There were just two of us, so we ordered the couple set, which is good for two 🙌

What side dishes are on the Geobugi Dongne self-bar?

✅ Side dishes are self-serve. Pay the ₩5,000 basic fee and you can use the self-bar freely, and the selection was honestly better than I expected. You can take as much of whatever you like, and since nothing gets wasted, I liked this system. (If you leave food, there's a ₩5,000 environmental charge.)

• Sauces and seasonings: wasabi, curry powder, special salt, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), meljeot (salted anchovy dip), sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, galbi sauce, peanut sauce, mushroom sauce
• Side dishes: dolgim (roasted seaweed), pickled onion, pickled chili, ssammu (pickled radish wraps), bean sprouts, kimchi, dried radish strips, bracken, corn kernels, and more

There was a real variety :-) The shabu-shabu ingredients are set up on one side, and the lettuce wraps, greens and scallion salad are there, so you need to grab them yourself~~ (only if you want them!)

On top of that, dessert coffee and ice cream are unlimited refills! 🍦 Given prices these days, I felt that alone was a pretty good perk.

Here's what we brought back~~ We only took what we could finish ☺️

Is the 500g couple set enough for two?

The Geobugi Dongne 500g couple set includes pork belly, pork neck, hangjeongsal (pork jowl) and gabrisal (the pork neck-end cut), and it was a good amount for two people. Maybe because turnover is high, the meat felt fresh. When I looked at the meat we ordered, the color was good and it looked fresh.

That day we ordered the couple set (500g). It had a variety of cuts including pork belly, neck, hangjeongsal and gabrisal, and when we actually ate it, the amount suited two people and it was nice to enjoy several cuts at once haha

I tried a piece grilled just right, and it was juicy with a great texture. Above all, the meat itself felt fresh. Since there are so many customers, it didn't feel like stock sitting around for ages, more like it keeps cycling through?

How each pork cut tasted

It was tasty with the vegetables from the self-bar, and also tasty dipped in the various sauces one by one. The hangjeongsal had a lovely chewy texture, and the pork belly was so juicy that our chopsticks went to it most. The neck wasn't dry but tender, and the gabrisal had its own nutty flavor, so overall we were satisfied!!

Personally, if two people visit, I think the couple set is the safest choice and also gives high satisfaction 👍

Is the 4,000-won pot rice for two worth ordering?

The pot rice (solbap) for two at Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch is ₩4,000, and it's a must-order that comes out freshly cooked after you order. Pork BBQ places usually don't do pot rice, so I was surprised to see it on the menu!! Because it's cooked after you order, every grain was distinct and we could eat it warm. It's definitely different from plain bowl rice 🥹

It was good with the meat and also went well with the doenjang stew. And I think the real charm of pot rice comes at the end. After you scoop out the rice, you pour in water to make nurungji (scorched rice tea), and we scraped the pot down to the very bottom. After finishing the meat, a spoonful of nurungji felt like the perfect finish~~

4,000-won doenjang stew: portion and taste

The doenjang stew at Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch is ₩4,000, and the portion was surprisingly big when I saw the size of the ttukbaegi (earthenware pot). It looked tasty so I ordered it, but is this really a ₩4,000 doenjang stew? I'd definitely recommend it too ⭐️ When it first came out I was a little shocked by the pot size. There was more than I expected.

We boiled the stew for over 5 minutes. The broth gets much richer and deeper, and eating it with the meat was really delicious ❤️ Honestly, the stew alone was enough to finish a bowl of rice in no time.

Unlimited ice cream for dessert

At Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch, soft-serve ice cream is also unlimited with the self-bar, so the last stop is always ice cream. Even though I was really full, I couldn't give up the final dessert 😂 I tried one, and the ice cream was fresh and smooth. (Tastier than most milk soft-serve.)

You can't eat it inside the restaurant and have to take it outside, so I couldn't bring a lot, but personally I think it's a must-try.

Verdict: is Geobugi Dongne a good pork BBQ spot near Sanbon Station?

If you're looking for pork BBQ near Sanbon Station, I recommend Geobugi Dongne Gunpo Sanbon Branch! With the great access of a 3-minute walk from Sanbon Station, a spacious and comfortable 140-seat restaurant, fresh meat, set menus that let you enjoy several cuts, plus the self-bar and unlimited ice cream, satisfaction was bound to be high 🤩