Gyodae Station BBQ lunch with ₩990 draft beer: Galgol Yeontanjip

Good for a set-meal lunch, and also fine for grilling a bit of anju (drinking food) with soju.

Where is Galgol Yeontanjip Seocho Gyodae Branch, and what is it like inside?

Visited Galgol Yeontanjip Seocho Gyodae Branch for lunch. It sits on Seochodaero 51-gil, an easy walk from Gyodae Station, and while the space itself leans into that retro charcoal-grill-house vibe, the tables are set generously enough that it works well for both a meal and a drinking session.

The color tones and interior are nicely retro, which I liked.

At lunchtime there are a lot of set-meal customers, so tables come pre-set.

What to order at Galgol Yeontanjip: the menu and this table's picks

The core concept is grilling meat over charcoal, with a wide range of meat options — gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi, coarse salt charcoal pork belly, premium pork neck cuts, kkodeulsal, and honeycomb tripe among them.

There are also set-meal-style lunch options, so the choices span both proper meals and drinking snacks, which makes it look like a solid pick for a work dinner or a night out near Gyodae Station.

This time we ordered gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi (2 servings), coarse salt pork belly (1 serving), honeycomb tripe (1 serving), and the ₩990 lunch draft beer.

Side dishes at Galgol Yeontanjip: potato salad and basil pesto

You get whole cabbage kimchi, green onion kimchi, lettuce wraps, sliced green onion salad, potato salad, and gungchae namul, plus ssamjang, salt, and even basil pesto.

The potato salad especially pairs surprisingly well with the meat. You'd normally think of potato salad at a barbecue place as just another side dish, but eating it alongside charcoal-grilled meat felt a bit like steak with mashed potatoes.

The basil pesto is a fun touch too. As you keep eating meat, your palate gets weighed down by the fat, and every so often the basil's distinct aroma cuts through and resets your taste buds.

Charcoal haha, the heat is intense so you really have to grill carefully.

The meat usually comes out in a stone bowl.

Free sundubu jjigae with any lunch meat order

One nice feature: ordering meat at lunch gets you a complimentary sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew).

The stew that arrived had clams in it, plenty of egg and soft tofu, and a good amount of zucchini and green onion too — way more substantial than you'd expect from a 'free' stew.

They also run a separate lunch item, the charcoal pork bulgogi set meal, which apparently comes with charcoal pork bulgogi, lettuce wraps, side dishes, and the sundubu jjigae all together.

Honestly, this alone would fill you up haha.

How to grill the gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi

Started with the gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi. It comes pre-marinated like jumulleok, with thin slices of various pork cuts coated in gochujang seasoning.

Since the charcoal heat is quite intense, it worked better to cook the meat slowly at the edges of the grill first rather than starting in the center, then move it to the center at the end to pick up that charcoal flavor.

Because it's sliced thin, it cooks fast and picks up the charcoal aroma quickly. Despite being a gochujang seasoning, it's not super heavily seasoned — more moderate than expected. It's slightly spicy with that characteristic gochujang savoriness, and it seems like it would go best with rice.

Personally, I think next time I'd rather order the charcoal pork bulgogi set meal, the lunch special, than order the gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi on its own at lunch. If you're already experienced with grilling, ordering the dish that comes pre-grilled on charcoal makes for a much easier meal.

Honeycomb-cut pork tripe on the charcoal grill

Honeycomb pork tripe. The elongated pieces of tripe come with dense crosshatch cuts. It's fairly thick, so it's not the type you eat purely for crispness like thin tripe — chewing it leaves a texture that's tender yet a bit chewy.

The soy-based seasoning is already well absorbed, so it tastes good even on its own. It's nice dipped in the soybean powder that comes with it, and personally I found it interesting to enjoy in a different way from the basil pesto or salt used with the other meats.

Coarse salt-grilled pork belly

Coarse salt pork belly. It comes pre-cut into chunks so there wasn't much need for extra scissor work. Coarse salt is sprinkled on top, and it doesn't feel heavily brined — more like the salt was added right before grilling. The flavor is a very classic pork belly.

The richness of the fatty pork is unmistakable, and with the charcoal aroma added, it goes great with rice or with drinks. Paired with a beer, the carbonation and slight bitterness cut right through the fatty meat — a really nice match.

Is Galgol Yeontanjip worth it for drinks near Gyodae Station?

Galgol Yeontanjip has a clear identity in its charcoal grilling without overcomplicating the menu. You can pick from basics like pork belly or pork neck, up through gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi, kkodeulsal, and honeycomb tripe, and there are meal options too like sundubu jjigae, fried rice, and flat bibim noodles.

The gochujang charcoal pork bulgogi is fun for how quickly the thin-sliced meat picks up that charcoal aroma, while the coarse salt pork belly was great for enjoying the pork's own savory flavor. With unexpected sides like potato salad and basil pesto thrown in, I liked that you don't have to stick to just one combination the whole meal.

The ₩990 draft beer haha, honestly it's just the right amount and only sold at lunch.

There were more sides to go with the meal than expected, so we ate quite well haha.

Oh haha, an orange slushie — couldn't resist.

Whether you're after a set-meal lunch near Gyodae Station, a casual grilled-meat spot, or somewhere to order pork belly, gochujang bulgogi, and tripe together with a drink, Galgol Yeontanjip Seocho Gyodae Branch isn't a bad choice.