Galbitang near Kyung Hee, stamina and spicy bowls with Mom: Hoegi Wang

This is the story of how I restored my energy with rich broth at Hoegi Wang Galbitang (회기왕갈비탕), a galbitang (beef short rib soup) specialist in Hoegi-dong and a great spot for solo meals near Hoegi Station and Kyung Hee University.

Where is Hoegi Wang Galbitang, and what are the hours and parking?

Hoegi Wang Galbitang is at 54 Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (1st floor), about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Hoegi Station. It is open 10:30–21:00 with last order at 20:20, and there is no parking at the restaurant, so you will need a nearby public parking lot.

Being close to the subway station makes it easy to get to. It is also near Kyung Hee University, so students and office workers both come often. I visited after the lunch rush and customers kept coming in, so you can really feel how popular it is.

Is Hoegi Wang Galbitang good for eating alone?

The restaurant is clean and spacious overall, with all kinds of tables, from tables for four to solo seats by the window, so it works well for eating alone. Office workers and Kyung Hee students come at lunchtime, and the solo seats were completely full.

A table setup that makes picking off the rib meat easy

On the table there was wasabi soy sauce, pepper, paper cups, small soy sauce dishes, and even scissors and a bone bucket for removing the meat from the ribs. Getting meat off the ribs is often a hassle for me when I eat galbitang, so I loved how thoughtfully it was all set up. It was much easier to eat without splashing broth everywhere.

Side dishes and the self-serve corner at Hoegi Wang Galbitang

The side dishes were chili peppers, onion, deodeok muchim (seasoned bellflower-family root), kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and kimchi. All of them go well with galbitang, so they were nice to nibble on between spoonfuls, and the kkakdugi in particular was refreshing and went really well with the broth.

If you run out of side dishes, you can help yourself at the self-serve corner. Besides the side dishes, there was also barley gangjeong (a crunchy barley snack), perfect to have one as a dessert after the meal :) It is also sold cheaply, so it would be good to buy some to take away as a snack too, haha.

Unlimited rice refills

The rice is unlimited too. With prices so high these days, most places charge extra even for more rice, but at Hoegi Wang Galbitang you can eat as much rice as you like. The galbitang broth was so rich and tasty that one bowl of rice was not enough, so I got a refill too, haha.

Hoegi Wang Galbitang menu and takeout terms

As you would expect from a galbitang specialist, the menu had a variety of stamina-boosting dishes: stamina galbitang, spicy galbitang, arong sagae (beef shank) galbitang, and even galbijjim (braised short ribs). Takeout is possible too. For takeout, rice is not included, but you get double the broth instead.

We ordered the stamina galbitang and the spicy galbitang. Each bowl came filled to the brim, and just looking at them felt hearty and restorative.

How was the stamina galbitang Mom chose?

On the stamina galbitang Mom ordered, the first thing that caught my eye was the huge rib! The rib was so big that it looked overwhelming, and I liked that there was plenty of meat on it.

I cut the rib with the scissors into easy pieces, and the meat came off tenderly, which was great. The meat was moist, not tough, so if you come here for a family gathering, everyone from kids to parents should be able to enjoy it.

The broth of the stamina galbitang was clear, rich and clean. It was not greasy, so it was easy to eat, and every spoonful made my stomach feel settled. Personally, I liked it even better with a little sprinkle of pepper :)

Is the spicy galbitang very hot?

The spicy galbitang I ordered has a red broth, but it is not overly hot. The kick was so good that it is also the best for curing a hangover :) It also had a big rib in it, so it was generous, and I would recommend it on days when you crave a spicy broth.

The spicy galbitang also had plenty of dangmyeon (glass noodles) and bean sprouts, which go well with the spicy broth, and I liked that.

I put a whole bowl of rice into mine, and eating the rice and noodles together with the spicy broth made for a filling, restorative meal :)

Dessert at Hoegi Wang Galbitang: free 17-grain misugaru and barley gangjeong

After the meal, Hoegi Wang Galbitang serves 17-grain misugaru (a roasted grain drink) for free. So you can taste its rich, sweet flavor, the misugaru was being stirred continuously in its container.

After a piping hot galbitang, rinsing my mouth with cold misugaru was just perfect :) It was so good that I drank two cups, haha.

On my way out I also grabbed a piece of barley gangjeong, and it was nutty and crunchy, just right as a dessert snack. Thanks to the owner's little dessert treat, I could end the meal on a happy note :)

Is Hoegi Wang Galbitang worth recommending?

From the clean-tasting stamina galbitang to the spicy galbitang, I was satisfied with both, and especially the ribs were really big and tender, so it is a place I still remember :) If you are looking for a hearty Korean meal near Hoegi Station and Kyung Hee University, I recommend visiting Hoegi Wang Galbitang :)