Busan Seomyeon breakfast galbitang vs galbi guksu: Gang Galbitang

Today I'm introducing Gang Galbitang, located in Seomyeon, Busan. I was craving galbitang (short rib soup) while walking down from Citizens Park in the morning, so I ended up going for breakfast-slash-lunch. Here's my review after a hearty, satisfying meal.

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon: opening hours and parking

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is at 33 Saessak-ro, 1F, Busanjin-gu, 318m from Exit 11 of Seomyeon Station. It's open daily from 9:20am to 9:00pm, with a break from 3:00pm to 4:00pm and last order at 8:20pm.

Parking is available right near the restaurant at the Blue Parking Lot.

There's 30 minutes of parking support! Parking is tough in Seomyeon so this is a nice perk.

The menu at Gang Galbitang: galbi gukbap in three spice levels

Check the menu above. Galbi gukbap (short rib and rice soup) was a first for me, quite unique. And you can pick from three spice levels, which looks great for daytime drinking too!! Not to mention as a hangover cure, haha. I'll have to try the galbi gukbap next time~

🍚 What we ordered 🍚

• Galbitang ₩14,000
• + Extra Jeju jungmyeon noodles ₩2,500
• Galbi guksu ₩13,500

Here's the storefront. It looked very clean, and there were chairs set up for waiting. As always, let's check the banner outside to see what's on the menu before going in.

Solo seats, self-serve side dish bar and a 9:20am opening

Here's the inside of Gang Galbitang. There were plenty of solo-dining seats, so it looked great for a quick meal or drink alone. And since it opens at 9:20am, it also seems perfect for breakfast!

We came for a late breakfast/lunch at an awkward hour, but the place was still pretty full. There were especially a lot of solo diners, so you can come in comfortably.

There's also a self-serve zone where you can get more side dishes if you run out. Nice to be able to comfortably refill side dishes.

There was a phrase hanging prominently in the restaurant that caught my eye, so I snapped a photo! It clearly showed the owner's mindset, and it made me trust the place more.

Each table has salt, chili powder, water, and more set out, so it's convenient to use. There's also a water cooler next to the self-serve zone, so it was easy to get more water if needed!

Galbitang, 14,000 won: three rib bones in a clear broth

After a short wait, the food came out right away. Wow,,, bb doesn't the whole spread look really clean?

The galbitang came out really generously portioned. The side dishes were varied too, and all of them paired well with galbitang, so it was nice to eat everything together.

Here's the galbitang I ordered. The broth was really clear and refreshing. Three large rib bones were in it too, so I could eat plenty of meat.

Extra Jeju jungmyeon noodles for 2,500 won: how big is the portion?

I also added a jungmyeon (medium-thick noodle) sarry to my galbitang — can you see the portion?!!! Seriously so much, wow,, these noodles are shipped directly from Jeju Island, and they're jungmyeon noodles mainly used in gogi guksu (meat noodle soup)! The noodles are thick and soft, but the broth still soaks in well, so you get to enjoy both rice and noodles at once!! If you're torn between galbi guksu and galbitang, how about adding jungmyeon noodles to your galbitang like I did? Haha.

Putting a piece of kkakdugi (radish kimchi) on top of a big rib was really delicious! I don't usually eat much kkakdugi, but the one here, wow,, it was genuinely so good. It went so well with the meat, bb.

Galbi guksu, 13,500 won, with a mini bowl of rice

Next up is the galbi guksu (short rib noodle soup). It came with a small mini bowl of rice too. The noodles were definitely packed full.

There was a lot of rib meat in the galbi guksu too, so they cut it into bite-sized pieces before serving, haha.

The noodles were the same Jeju jungmyeon I'd added to my own bowl. You can choose noodles or rice depending on your preference. The food was so good ㅠㅠ next time I want to try something I haven't yet, like the aronsatae suyuk (boiled beef shank) or the spicy galbi gukbap, and have a little daytime drink.

I ate as much as I could, but the portion was so big I had to leave a bit,, haha. It was such a filling, satisfying meal.

Who is Gang Galbitang Seomyeon best for?

Today I visited Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon, Busan. With plenty of solo-dining seats, it's great to visit alone, and it also looked good for coming with coworkers on a company lunch break. Since it opens early, I'd recommend it for breakfast too. The galbitang portions are generous and the broth is delicious, so if you're heading to Seomyeon for Bujeon Market or Citizens Park, I really recommend it, bb. Come have a hearty meal, haha.