Balsan Station Korean BBQ with tablet-ordered 300g ribs: Ihwajeong

An honest review of Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga — clean space, tasty side dishes and pork ribs

I was looking for a comfortable Korean BBQ place in Magok and ended up visiting Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch. This time I had two servings of pork ribs with rice and doenjang stew (soybean paste stew), and overall I was pretty satisfied — from the atmosphere to the taste. What I especially loved was that the staff grilled the meat for us, and the parking lot was huge, so I'd definitely recommend this place for bringing your parents along or for a family gathering. 😊

Where to park at Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga near Balsan Station

One of the things I liked most about Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch was the parking. Parking is always a bit of a headache when eating out around Magok or Balsan. Here, the parking lot is in a separate building and it's quite spacious.

I didn't have to circle around looking for a spot or squeeze my car into a tight space, which was great. If it's a family gathering where everyone drives separately, easy parking is a pretty big plus. 🚗

Location, interior and private rooms at Ihwajeong

It's very close to Balsan Station and there's a bus stop nearby too, so public transit works well. But the parking lot is big, so feel free to drive too!

The entrance already gives off strong Korean BBQ vibes. This is one of the cleanest, newest-looking BBQ restaurants in the area! With grilled meat places, grease and smell can make the upkeep of the space really noticeable, but this place felt clean throughout the meal. So while it's great to come with friends, I personally thought it'd also be a good spot to bring your parents or have a family meal.

There's a long corridor and the space is divided into sections. If it's a family or group gathering, you can reserve a private room in advance.

The seats were spacious and the chairs comfortable. The tables themselves are wide, perfect for a family gathering! You order the menu via tablet at your seat.

What to order: pork ribs marinated in organic pear

Ihwajeong is known for its set menus, but I heard the pork ribs are delicious on their own too. It's made with an organic pear marinade, which made it feel a bit healthier and tastier!?

For dessert-type menus there's water naengmyeon (cold noodles), bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles), and doenjang stew — I ordered the doenjang stew with rice.

And here's a great touch! To finish the meal, they gave us free pear sherbet. This was so, so good haha, especially since it's made with organic pear.

Pork ribs for two: 300g per serving at 23,000 won

The two servings of pork ribs I ordered came out. Each serving is 300g for ₩23,000. It's a generous portion, so the price doesn't feel expensive at all. The thick pork neck ribs come with score marks cut into the meat.

The marinade wasn't too strong or overly sweet, so it went well with rice. And most of all, what I liked was that a staff member grilled the meat for us directly. Marinated pork ribs can burn easily if you're not careful and need constant flipping, which is a bit of a hassle — but having staff grill it made the meal so much easier.

Are the side dishes any good? Mild and simple

🥢 Mildly seasoned but tasty side dishes. Overall I liked the banchan (side dishes) too. The seasoning wasn't heavy across the board, leaning mild, but not bland either — just right to go with the pork ribs.

Since the pork ribs themselves are already marinated, if the side dishes were also salty or strong-flavored, it could get tiring fast. But here the side dishes were light and clean, which actually paired really well with the meat. That's one of the reasons I thought this would be a good place to bring my parents.

Staff grill the ribs and swap the grill plate for you

The ribs are grilled really well by the staff. And they swap out the grill plate along the way too!

The marinade had soaked in so well that the smell while it grilled was incredible... I'd recommend timing your doenjang stew order for right around when the meat goes on the grill!

Once the meat was fully grilled, some was cut for us right away, and some was left to be reheated and cut later. If I had grilled it myself, I definitely would have burned it all haha — they grilled it just right, so the meal was so easy and comfortable.

Personally, wrapping the meat with pajeori (seasoned green onion salad) like this was so good!!! The sweet-tangy flavor and the slight bitterness of the green onion went really well together.

Add rice and doenjang stew to the pork ribs

Rice is essential with pork ribs, so I ordered doenjang stew too. Eating a bite of the sweetish pork rib with rice, and taking a sip of the warm doenjang stew in between, went together really well as expected. Rather than just eating the meat, I'd recommend ordering rice and doenjang stew alongside it.

Free pear sherbet for dessert at Ihwajeong

🍐 The pear sherbet served for dessert was genuinely delicious! And honestly, this was one of my favorite parts of the whole meal. 🍐❄️ After the meal they gave us free pear sherbet, and it was way better than I expected!

After eating your fill of pork ribs, there's usually a bit of that sweet marinade taste lingering in your mouth. That's when the cool, sweet pear sherbet came in and made everything feel refreshed and clean. Honestly, since it's a free dessert I didn't expect much, but it ended up being surprisingly delicious and memorable. If you visit Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch, make sure to finish with the pear sherbet. 😋

Is Ihwajeong a good spot for a family gathering?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Overall, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch left me with the impression of a great pork rib restaurant for family meals out or for bringing your parents.

• 🚗 Spacious parking lot in a separate building
• ✨ Clean and comfortable space since it opened less than a year ago
• 🥩 Staff grill the meat for you
• 🥢 Mild, not-too-strong side dishes
• 😊 Friendly staff
• 🍐 Delicious free pear sherbet after the meal

What I liked most was how easy the parking was and how the staff grilled the meat for us. Even visiting with a group, there's little to worry about with parking, and you don't have to grill anything yourself, which made for a really comfortable meal. If you're looking for a restaurant near Magok or Balsan to take your parents to, a family gathering spot, or a pork rib place with easy parking, this one's worth a visit. 😊