Busan Korean BBQ for a 500g pork rib platter: Gilchon

I finally met up with the friend I had not been able to see around my birthday because our timing never worked out, and we revisited a barbecue place I remembered as delicious and great value.

Gilchon Sutbul Galbi Seomyeon Main Branch location and visit time

Gilchon Sutbul Galbi Seomyeon Main Branch (길촌숯불갈비 서면본점) is on the first floor at 24 Dongcheon-ro 107beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan. It is open 16:00–23:30 Monday through Friday and 12:00–23:30 on weekends, with last orders at 23:00.

Here is the exterior of Gilchon Sutbul Galbi, a Korean BBQ spot in Seomyeon. It is especially nice that it opens early on weekends, but at peak times or on weekends, waiting is a must! It always looked packed whenever I passed by, so I came at an in-between time.

This is the interior of Gilchon Sutbul Galbi in Seomyeon. It is super spacious with lots of tables, so it looked great for a group gathering. The interior is pretty, too, and the seating is divided up, making it a perfect fit for a pre-wedding meeting or a group get-together.

There is a Catchtable waiting system for anyone who needs it, and disposable aprons are hanging up too, so please grab one if you need one.

The menu and side dishes, with no table-setting fee

Here is the menu at Gilchon Sutbul Galbi, a Seomyeon Korean BBQ restaurant. Can you see these prices? At this price point, most places charge for the self-serve bar and the table setting, but this place charges absolutely nothing. No wonder the customers never stop coming. There were so many side dishes, too, which made me very happy.

Take a look at the guide for eating the meat deliciously. A ₩2,900 steamed egg is free if you participate in a Naver review—of course you have to do it and get it. How could I possibly resist steamed egg? I could not!

Once you settle into a comfortable seat, they set out the basic sides: ssam vegetables (wrap greens), scallion salad, white kimchi, wasabi, potato salad, pickled onions, and more. There were heaps of side dishes that went beautifully with the meat. That potato salad (?) in particular was delightfully chewy and so good.

Refill any side dishes you run short of at the self-serve bar. There are small plates there as well, so grab some if you need them.

Soju and beer, ₩4,900 x 3. With two drinkers together, ordering alcohol was essential, obviously. We said we would just have a casual drink with dinner, and then neatly finished only three bottles!

Grilling a 500g platter of fresh pork ribs over charcoal

The fresh pork rib platter was ₩29,500. Being able to eat 500g for under ₩30,000 is incredible value no matter how I think about it. It also came with scallions (?) and sliced potatoes. If you want more, you can add a half platter.

I was excited to start grilling. Every table has two pairs of tongs, so we could grill together, which was so convenient. You can totally tell from the photos alone how good the meat quality is, right? The charcoal was great and the heat was strong, too. The video shows the delicious visuals in even more detail. Pure radiant perfection~

Ahhh, we grilled it perfectly, right? How happy would you be eating it piled up like this?

The moment we took a bite, my friend and I absolutely demolished it. How could it be so flavorful, with nutty juices flowing out like that~ How is this only ₩5,900 per 100g!! Gilchon Sutbul Galbi in Seomyeon seems perfect in every way, from value to quality.

Maybe it was the pretty lighting, but the photos came out so well too, you know? At some point, my Terra bottle transformed into a Cass bottle.

We could not let the momentum break, so while eating, we kept grilling the next round. If you put the scallions on top and grill them too, the aroma soaks in and you get even more flavor. Self-proclaimed food expert here. Hehe. The meat was neither too thick nor too thin, so it was very easy to grill.

Of course I had to make a proper ssam wrap, too. Onion, shredded scallions, and a simple Ttonttoni-style wrap—would you like a bite?

Half-and-half naengmyeon with both cold broth and spicy mixed noodles

The half-and-half naengmyeon was ₩6,900. Seriously, whoever invented this deserves a Nobel Prize. For piggies who always agonize over mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth) or bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles), half-and-half naengmyeon is like finding an oasis in a dry desert! Look at how generously it is topped. Gilchon Sutbul Galbi in Seomyeon is the real deal.

The noodles were wonderfully chewy, too. The broth side was cool and felt like it washed away all the richness, while the spicy mixed side was sweet and tangy and felt refreshing. Conclusion: after eating the naengmyeon, I could eat even more meat.

Gilchon Sutbul Galbi, a Seomyeon Korean BBQ restaurant, is a fantastic restaurant for students and office workers on a budget. It has a pretty interior, great value, and unusually high-quality menu items. A revisit is an absolute must. I should come back again for a gathering soon.