Galbi house for two in Jongno, Daegu: pear-garlic glazed ribs, Jangjak

I visited Jangjak Saenggalbi (벽돌생갈비) Jongno Main Branch, a galbi spot in Jongno, Daegu! It used to run as Ubokgeum Saenggalbi (우복금 생갈비), and recently only the name changed. It was my first visit, but lots of people already know it as a raw galbi place in Jongno. The old menu now has new items too, so here's my review of this Daegu galbi favorite ෆ

Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno: hours and location

Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch is at 38-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, on floors 1, 2 and 3. It's open every day 17:00 to 01:00 (last order 00:00). Groups, takeout and reservations are available, and there are baby chairs too.

It's a 5-minute walk from Jungangno Station. It sits on the road connecting Manggyeonggwan to Jongno, in a three-story building that catches your eye right away, so it's easy to find.

What is the atmosphere like at Jangjak Saenggalbi?

The restaurant was a little dim, but with clean wood tones and a showy chandelier it feels upscale and formal. There are floors 2 and 3 as well as the 1st, so the space overall feels roomy.

The 3rd floor is made up of private rooms, so I thought it would be good for company dinners and group gatherings.

Jangjak Saenggalbi menu and what we ordered

The signature is the brick-cut raw galbi, of course, right? Haha. It's reportedly been a steady favorite since the Ubokgeum days. But this time I ordered the newly launched Uiseong garlic raw galbi, haha. Anything with garlic can't possibly be bad❗️

There are also snacks to go with drinks, like ttagwi-jjim (steamed dish) and gaesaebi-tang (stew), plus finishing dishes like doenjang stew and water naengmyeon (cold noodles).

Extra side dishes can be ordered on the table-order screen, so convenient, haha. And when you ask for a refill, they pile on even more than the first time😊 So here's what I ordered 🔽

• Uiseong garlic raw galbi 500g
• Brick water naengmyeon

Just this much was more than enough for two of us. The original plan was water naengmyeon and then doenjang stew too, but, sigh, next time... 🫠

Side dishes and the complimentary cypress steamer

The basic side dishes come neatly arranged on a tray, and they look nice and clean.

A cypress steamer even comes out for free~ ෆ It has fresh ingredients like bean sprouts, brisket and shrimp in just the right amount, perfect for whetting your appetite before the meal 👍

How does the Uiseong Garlic Saenggalbi taste?

Ta-da, today's main dish, the Uiseong garlic beef galbi, arrives soon after 🥩

Staff grill the ribs with a pear-garlic sauce

At Jangjak the staff grill the meat for you, so all you do is eat! Marinated meat burns easily and is especially hard to grill, so I was so grateful🥹

They generously brush a special sauce, made in-house from ground pear and garlic, all over the meat, haha.

The galbi, grilled golden brown by a veteran staff member's hand...😍 It's already marinated, so it's totally delicious on its own❗️ Sweet, with the deep savory flavor of garlic, and so tender I wondered if this was really beef, haha. It melts in your mouth.

Side dishes that pair well with garlic galbi

Also, the kkaennip-jang (soy-pickled perilla leaves) and buchu-jeotgal (salted chive relish) from the side dish tray go so well with the galbi🥹 Eaten with the kkaennip-jang, which keeps its fragrant perilla aroma, the flavor gets much better. The baechu geotjeori (fresh cabbage salad) has a crunchy texture and tangy seasoning, so my hand kept going back to it, haha.

The thinly cut mu-saengchae (seasoned radish strips) had a great texture too, and put on top of the meat it tastes cool and clean.

Staff carve the meat off the rib bones for you

This cut is meat attached to the bone, yet there's quite a lot of it, right? The staff carve the meat off the bone almost like deboning, lol. Usually I skip it because gnawing at rib bones is a hassle, but this careful prep service is perfect too🥰

And this cut has a chewy charm, so it's fun to bite into, haha. From start to finish, nothing to throw away in this Uiseong garlic beef galbi👍

While you're enjoying it, the staff grill the rest of the meat right on time with how fast you eat.

Is 500g of Uiseong garlic galbi enough for two?

The 500g of Uiseong garlic raw galbi was enough for two people to eat plenty. By the second round of grilling you start to feel full, because 500g is surprisingly generous, so it's great for two.

Finishing with Byeokdol mul-naengmyeon cold noodles

For the finish I wavered between doenjang stew and water naengmyeon, then ordered the naengmyeon first, and sure enough it's a really big portion.

The sweet, cool savory flavor was just right for cleansing the palate after meat😊 I wanted to order the doenjang stew too, but sadly I was too full and skipped it.

Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno: the verdict

• 🎀 Spacious and comfortable, recommended for company dinners, family meals and other group gatherings
• 🎀 Known to those in the know as the Jongno, Daegu spot famous for brick-shaped raw galbi
• 🎀 Good meat quality, and the grilling service makes it easy and tasty

A Jongno, Daegu galbi place I'd hate to keep to myself. Visit once and I bet you'll want to come back!