Paju galbi restaurant open on Chuseok, 50% off takeout: Jeongwon

Chuseok is coming up soon, right? I went on a little date with my son to a nearby Unjeong, Paju restaurant, partly to prep holiday gifts too. It's close to the Paju Lotte Outlets, so after a great meal we strolled over and shopped for gifts — a really fun outing overall.

What kind of galbi restaurant is Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch?

Pork galbi is soul food for me and my son. He doesn't usually eat much pork, but pork galbi is a different story — he devours it. For a kid to eat well, first the meat has to be tender, and second it has to taste good. Jeongwon Galbi in Unjeong passed both tests — here's my honest, self-paid review, takeout included.

It's in a quiet spot with a big parking lot. The place is also pretty large, so if you're wondering where to take the family out this holiday, I'd strongly recommend it — great taste and good value.

• Address: 478-8 Paju-ro, 1st floor, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM (weekends and holidays open at 11:00 AM)

They're open through Chuseok this year too. Honestly, don't people eat out more during the holidays? Aside from one meal on the actual holiday, we tend to eat out while running errands too. That's how we ended up finding a place open through the holiday like this one.

I came on a Friday evening, and a huge crowd showed up right after us. On weekends you'll definitely want to book ahead — there's a wait.

Jeongwon Galbi's self-serve corner and plum tea

Don't skip the self-serve corner. Help yourself to as many vegetables as you like, and after the meal grab a cold cup of plum tea, said to be good for digestion, on your way out.

Plenty of tables were already reserved, and you can also get private, room-style seating. The place is big with plenty of room, so it's great for a large family gathering too. Perfect timing for this Chuseok, right?

Jeongwon pork galbi vs. seasoned grill: what's the difference?

We came for pork galbi, but this Unjeong restaurant is actually famous for beef and flower-cut short ribs too. Next time I'll try the dongtak galbi (grilled marinated beef ribs) — the prices are really reasonable.

The basic table setting. As I always say, any place that serves yangnyeom gejang (marinated raw crab) can't be bad. One look at the side dishes and I already knew this place was a pass.

Once you finish the vegetables, help yourself to more from the self-serve corner. The onions were fresh, sweet and not spicy at all, so I kept going back for more to eat with the meat.

The yangnyeom gejang I really wanted to eat. Fresh, no fishy smell at all, spicy and delicious — I mixed it right into a bowl of white rice. If you want more, you can order extra (paid). You know normally this side dish isn't refillable, right? So I was grateful it was even offered as a paid add-on.

We ordered the pork galbi. There are two kinds, so let me explain the difference.

• Jeongwon pork galbi ₩16,900 — hand-cut, domestic pork ribs marinated in-house
• Jeongwon seasoned grill ₩15,900 — pork shoulder with house-made marinade, tender

If you're with kids, I'd recommend the seasoned grill — it's relatively lean and tender. Order either kind as a full platter (about 3 servings) and it's a reasonable ₩59,000.

We only ordered 2 servings that day, because we planned to take some home too. So it was just 2 servings, and the rest would be eaten again at home.

Doenjang jjigae and cold noodles to finish the meal

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and cold noodles are must-orders. The noodle broth especially is so good you end up sipping it like a drink while eating the galbi. Cool, savory, slightly salty broth pairs perfectly with the sweet, tender pork galbi.

The heat is strong, so you'll need to flip the meat often. Even just picking up that charcoal aroma makes it taste amazing. For reference, I tried cooking it in a pan at home afterward — a little weaker than charcoal, but still really good.

The meat is so tender it's easy to cut with kitchen scissors, and the marinade isn't too strong, so if you cut it small, my son just keeps picking it up endlessly. The cold noodles + galbi combo is his absolute favorite!!

Load up on the fresh vegetables and onion sauce and you won't even need ssamjang (dipping sauce) or anything else. It's delicious just like that, endlessly.

Is this really the right size for a dessert cold noodle dish? I thought it was a single full meal portion. There was so much that the two of us really did sip the broth like a drink.

I lost count of how many times I said 'this is so good' while eating at this Unjeong restaurant, Jeongwon Galbi. Now I get why it's always crowded.

The real draw: 50% off every takeout order

How good does it have to be for someone to take it home too? Jeongwon Galbi offers a 50% takeout discount. A full 50%, isn't that wild? How delicious must it be that we finished our meal and still packed more to go~ If you're looking for a tasty, great-value BBQ spot for the family this holiday, I highly recommend Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch.