Gasan-dong Korean restaurant, spicy ribs with soju: Gim Myeongtae

Hi, it's Honey!

Lately, every evening something spicy calls my name. Just plain rice feels a little lacking on those days — you know the kind of day where you want something spicy with a glass of soju? This time I went to Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch (김명태 매운갈비찜 가산점), known in Gasan-dong for its spicy braised ribs.

How to reach Gim Myeongtae Gasan Branch from Gasan Digital Complex Station, plus parking

The address of Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch is 132-1 Gasan-ro, 1F, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's located across from the Gasan-dong Community Center. If you're taking public transit, head out from Exit 5 of Gasan Digital Complex Station — it's about a 15-minute walk from the station.

🚗 Parking is available too. There's space for up to 3 cars on the right side of the restaurant. Since the space is fairly small, if it's full you can use the public parking lot across the street. I'd recommend checking with the restaurant beforehand about any parking discount support.

Being right across from the Gasan-dong Community Center made it easy to find. Walking along the main road, the spicy braised ribs sign came into view quickly.

There was a big menu board out front, so it was easy to check the menu and prices in advance, and the floor-to-ceiling glass front let me see the whole restaurant at a glance.

What is Gim Myeongtae like in the early evening? Room for work dinners and family meals

I visited a bit early in the evening, so the restaurant was fairly quiet. The inside of Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch was bigger than I expected, with plenty of tables, making it comfortable to eat at leisure. It seemed suitable for company dinners or family gatherings too.

What we ordered: spicy braised short ribs (small) at 33,000 won and prices

As the name suggests, the signature dish here is spicy braised ribs (매운갈비찜). Besides the basic spicy version, there's also cheese braised ribs, kimchi braised ribs, and dried radish greens braised ribs, along with braised pollock and rice dishes.

• Spicy braised ribs (small) — ₩33,000
• Self-fried flying fish roe rice — ₩3,000
• Saero soju — ₩5,000

The side dishes to go with the braised ribs were neatly set out too. Pickled radish, pickled onion, macaroni salad, and kimchi came out together, and glass noodles to add to the ribs were prepared separately.

How do the small spicy braised short ribs taste? Rib size and bean sprouts

Spicy braised ribs (small)

Finally, the small spicy braised ribs I ordered arrived. It came in a large pan generously coated in red sauce, topped with a hearty amount of bean sprouts, scallions, and onion — it looked delicious from the first glance.

The ribs were also packed generously throughout the sauce, and eating them alongside the basic side dishes helped tame the spiciness in between bites. Since it's the style you simmer bubbling away at the table, I was looking forward to the sauce reducing further and soaking deeper into the ribs and bean sprouts.

Picking up one rib, the piece was quite substantial in size. The red sauce was deeply soaked into the surface of the meat, and eating it together with the crisply cooked bean sprouts made for a great texture combo. The longer it simmered, the more the sauce reduced and soaked into the ribs, bringing out a spicy, savory flavor in full force.

One bite of a rib coated generously in sauce, and naturally you start craving a glass of Saero!

When should you add the wide glass noodles to the braised ribs?

The braised ribs at Gim Myeongtae Spicy Braised Short Ribs Gasan Branch came with wide glass noodles, which I added in after simmering for a while. Being wide and chewy, the noodles soaked up the red sauce really well, making for a treat quite different from the ribs. Adding them in while there was still some broth left and simmering a bit longer let the spicy sauce soak thoroughly into the noodles. If you love chewy glass noodles, definitely try these together with the ribs :)

Finishing with self-made flying fish roe fried rice, 3,000 won

After eating a good amount of the braised ribs, I finished up with flying fish roe fried rice. It's a self-fry style — you cook the fried rice yourself! Mixing rice, seaweed flakes, and flying fish roe into the spicy sauce left in the pan and frying it all together, the nutty smell alone was already spot on.

Frying it until slightly crisped and taking a bite, the popping flying fish roe, the nuttiness of the seaweed flakes, and the deeply soaked spicy sauce all combined into a real treat. Even when full, it's hard to skip the fried rice, haha.

Verdict on Gim Myeongtae Gasan Branch

✔️ Taste — The sweet-and-spicy, savory sauce soaked deeply into the ribs, and there was fun in eating the crisp bean sprouts and chewy wide glass noodles together. The final flying fish roe fried rice made for a satisfying finish!

✔️ Price — At 33,000 won for the small spicy braised ribs, you get to enjoy ribs along with bean sprouts and glass noodles, making it a hearty meal.

✔️ Atmosphere — The interior was bigger than expected with plenty of tables. When I visited in the early evening, it was fairly quiet, so I got to eat at a relaxed pace.

✔️ Service — The basic side dishes were prepared neatly, and I could comfortably enjoy the meal with whatever sides I needed.

✔️ Would I return — I think I'll come back to mind on days when I'm craving something spicy. I especially liked the combination of braised ribs with a glass of Saero, finished off with fried rice.

✔️ Who it's for — A good fit for anyone in Gasan-dong looking for a spicy dinner, anyone wanting braised ribs and soju after work, or a group looking for a hearty meal together.