Seohyeon rib stew spot: mild beef for a pork allergy, Gimcheongja

Why go back to Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim at Seohyeon Station?

Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch (김청자매운갈비찜 서현역점) is a spicy braised short rib spot on the 2nd floor of Cheonji Officetel near Seohyeon Station. It was so good that I'd been before, and this time I came back for a weekday lunch. It's open 11:00–22:00, with last orders at 14:15 and 21:15, a break from 15:00 to 17:00, and it's closed every Sunday. Takeout and delivery are available too.

I was craving something spicy after a long while!! But protein, not carbs~~ I wanted the spicy braised ribs I used to eat a lot as a kid. Love meat 👍

It's right by Seohyeon Station, so it's super easy to get to, haha. I've been here for a team dinner before, and it works great for that too! Haha. There are surprisingly few places near Seohyeon Station for a Korean lunch, and maybe because the food is so good, I keep ending up at Gimcheongja.

Is there a wait at weekday lunch?

This place is popular enough to have a wait, so there are plenty of waiting chairs. Last time we had a bit of a wait, but this was a weekday lunch and we got in with no wait at all. So lucky, haha. We got the very last table! Haha

The restaurant is huge!! Haha. It was lunchtime, so there were already lots of office workers.

Gimcheongja menu: beef or pork galbijjim and spice levels

The menu has beef galbijjim and pork galbijjim, and you need to order at least 2 servings. You can pick mild, regular or hot.

I'm allergic to pork, so I was forced into the beef galbijjim, haha. I can't handle spice, so I chose mild. Spice wimps, go mild; if you handle spicy food well, go regular; and if you're really good at it, try hot, hahaha.

The lucky thing about lunch is that rice and steamed egg come with it! So that's why so many Seohyeon office workers come here at lunchtime???

There are also side dishes like kimmari (fried glass noodle seaweed rolls), fried dumplings and sweet potato fritters. When I came with a bigger group before, we ordered the fried items and I remember them being good, haha. I wanted to order them this day too, but T_T there were only two of us, so we couldn't order a bit of everything T_T Next time I'll come in the evening with a group, get fritters and galbijjim, and have it with beer!!

How long should you simmer the galbijjim?

The galbijjim comes fully cooked, so the instructions say you only need to boil it for 3–4 minutes. While waiting for my order, I read the how-to-eat guide very carefully, hahaha.

And... I looked at the gas burner and it was totally clean, which made me happy, hahaha.

Burners like this usually have food broth stuck on them T_T but Gimcheongja keeps theirs perfectly clean, and I loved that, hahaha.

What are the side dishes and steamed egg like?

The banchan (side dishes) come out neatly, and the staff told us to ask if we ran short. Friendly service, love it~~ I think it's a really good pick when you're craving Korean food. The banchan are varied, lightly seasoned and all delicious!

I ordered the mild level, but it was still a little spicy, haha, so I ate the steamed egg first to soothe my stomach. So soft and wobbly, so good?!!!

Mild beef galbijjim: is the beef tough?

The beef galbijjim came out quickly. Even without adding glass noodles or rice cakes separately, a little of each is already in there, so add more to taste. Haha.

Right at the 3–4 minute mark~~ let's go!

There's really a lot of meat.

The glass noodles are chewy and delicious too, hahaha. I thought I should have added extra noodles, hahaha.

You might worry that beef gets tough if it's cooked a long time, but the beef ribs at Gimcheongja aren't tough at all!! Super tender, haha.

Slurping up the noodles too,

and having the meat together with steamed rice is pure bliss.

Who is Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim in Seohyeon best for?

When you're craving something spicy, stressed out, or just want something delicious!! If you're looking for a good lunch or team dinner spot at Seohyeon Station, I highly recommend Gimcheongja Maeun Galbijjim Seohyeon Station Branch~~