Asan Korean restaurant with charcoal seokgalbi and monkfish fritters

Location and interior of Dongbaek Seokgalbi Asan Main Branch

Dongbaek Seokgalbi Asan Main Branch is about a five-minute drive from Onyangoncheon Station. It is also close to the Asan Onyang Express Bus Terminal and sits at the Gwongok-dong Museum Intersection, so it is quite easy to get to.

There is a dedicated free parking lot beside the building, so I could visit without worrying about parking.

Once I entered the first floor of the building, Dongbaek Seokgalbi was easy to find. The interior felt warm and was very tidy overall. The tables were generously spaced, too, which was nice because I did not have to pay attention to the next table.

There are also four private rooms, making it perfect for a family meal or gathering. It is a great Korean set-menu restaurant to bring your parents to.

Seokgalbi set-menu offerings

Seokgalbi (marinated beef short ribs grilled and served on a stone plate) is the signature dish, served as a Korean set-style table spread with several dishes. The dishes included in the spread can be ordered separately, and beyond seokgalbi, there are à la carte dishes and course meals suited to formal occasions.

U seokgalbi (U.S. beef) ₩38,000 × 2 servings Doenjang-jjigae ₩4,000

At weekday lunch, you can order a seokgalbi set meal at a really good value. The U seokgalbi I ordered is offered for weekday dinner and weekends.

Neatly arranged side dishes

We made a reservation before visiting, so the side dishes and sauces were already set on the table.

Every side dish was neatly plated on pretty dishes. There was also a good variety of ssam (wrap) vegetables.

A lettuce salad with a nutty dressing and seasoned shredded scallions also arrived.

Fried monkfish and the seasonal pancake of the day

I already thought the complimentary side dishes were excellent, and then the dishes in the set spread began arriving one by one.

I tried the fried monkfish first. It had just come out of the fryer, so it was warm and incredibly crisp.

It was actually my first time trying fried monkfish. It contained boneless monkfish, whose flesh was mild and pleasantly chewy. I liked it enough that I wanted to order another serving.

A seasonal pancake is served with the fried monkfish, and on this day it was gamja-jeon (potato pancake).

It had a little seaweed, like parae, mixed in, and the potato pancake was chewy and nutty. Everything was so good even before the main seokgalbi appeared that I became more and more excited.

U seokgalbi grilled over charcoal

The seokgalbi is grilled over charcoal as soon as an order comes in. A solid-fuel flame is lit beneath the plate, so you can keep it warm as you eat. Once the seokgalbi arrived, the table that had seemed spacious was filled without a gap.

There were two rib bones, and I was surprised by how large they were. Thick meat clung to the bones, and I cut it with scissors. It separated easily, and its chewy texture was so appealing.

Because it arrives fully cooked, it was so convenient to eat without the trouble of grilling meat myself. I cut it into smaller, bite-size pieces. Along with the ribs, shishito peppers, garlic, and king oyster mushrooms came grilled as garnishes, so they were great to eat together. The seokgalbi was sending up little wisps of steam! It was beautifully browned over charcoal and looked absolutely delicious. I tried the ribs on their own first; I was happy that the seasoning was not overpowering, and the meat was tender rather than tough.

The seokgalbi was a total rice thief! A spoonful of rice topped with seokgalbi and spicy pa-kimchi (green onion kimchi) was an absolutely wonderful combination.

Since I love making ssam wraps, I combined the seokgalbi with all kinds of ingredients. The seokgalbi itself was delicious, so it went well with everything.

Doenjang-jjigae for the meal

The doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) arrived bubbling away in an earthenware pot! It contained several big pieces of tofu, plus enoki mushrooms, onion, king oyster mushrooms, and a generous variety of ingredients.

With the seokgalbi there, I finished a bowl of rice in no time! The doenjang-jjigae in between bites was perfect, too.