Ansan BBQ after work: aged rib meat half-and-half, Yangsimso Gojan

Coming off a Sunday day shift, I felt completely drained. You know that feeling when you finish a day shift and your whole body is screaming 'put meat in me right now'? So the moment I clocked out, I headed straight to Yangsimso, known as a go-to meat restaurant in Gojan-dong, Ansan, to refuel with some protein and oil up my exhausted body.

Can you walk into Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch on a weekend evening without a reservation?

Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch was a meat restaurant where every table was packed on a weekend evening. Thanks to booking ahead, we were seated right away without waiting.

Maybe because it was a weekend evening, the inside of the restaurant was already swarming with customers.

The tables were completely full, so we nearly ended up waiting a long time — but luckily, having booked ahead of our visit, we were seated right away without any wait. Visiting a hotspot this busy really drove home how much of a lifesaver reservations are.

Yangsimso's menu and what comes free with your first order

Yangsimso's menu had beef like US prime-grade aged galbisal and kkotgalbi (flower ribs), plus domestic fresh pork belly, pork neck, and pork ribs. Ordering pork on your first order gets you a taster yukhoe bibimbap, while ordering beef gets you yukhoe.

Sitting down and looking through the menu, the lineup was way more varied than I expected, which made choosing fun.

The beef ranged from US prime-grade aged galbisal to beautifully marbled kkotgalbi, and the pork lineup was equally well-rounded with domestic fresh pork belly, pork neck, and pork ribs. And the real standout of Yangsimso was the 'first-order menu' perk! Order pork on your first order and you get a complimentary taster yukhoe bibimbap; order beef and you actually get fresh yukhoe alongside it. (Seems like it's included in the price?)

On top of that, a rich, deep-flavored doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) came included as standard, which wasn't bad at all in terms of value and overall spread.

600g of aged galbisal, half marinated and half plain, for two

We decided to go all in on meat today, so the two of us ordered 600g of the beef menu item, aged galbisal, and since we were craving something spicy and soupy, we added ttukbaegi ramyeon as a side. You could order marinated and plain separately, but since there was a half-and-half option, I went with that haha.

How the aged galbisal tastes grilled over charcoal

Yangsimso Ansan Gojan Branch wasn't a place where staff grill for you — it's a self-cooked spot where you're given red-hot charcoal to grill at your own table. I cooked the aged galbisal to medium-rare, golden on the outside and juicy inside, and ate it dipped in salt.

Soon after ordering, the glowing red charcoal arrived, and the faint charcoal aroma rising over the grill built up anticipation even before the meat hit the pan.

There's no staff-grilling system here — it's a self-cook setup, but that's part of the fun with beef, adjusting the doneness to your taste, right? I carefully grilled mine to medium-rare, golden outside and juicy with the juices locked in inside.

I picked up a well-cooked piece of galbisal, dipped it first in salt — one of the three standard sauces (ssamjang, salt, house special sauce) — and put it in my mouth... and honestly, the words 'so freaking good' just came out. I'm usually a salt-dipping person who likes to enjoy the clean, savory flavor of the meat itself, and the moment I bit down, savory juices burst through my whole mouth while that distinct charcoal aroma spread deeply — it was art.

The free yukhoe and the doenjang jjigae that comes as standard

The yukhoe that came as a first-order perk had zero gamey smell, chewy and sweet-salty, perfect to nibble on as a palate cleanser while the main meat was still cooking.

The doenjang jjigae included as standard was packed with tofu and vegetables, with a rich, spicy broth that cleanly cut through the richness of the meat.

Finishing with ttukbaegi ramyeon and a last bite of galbisal

The ttukbaegi ramyeon that showed up at the end was really a brilliant choice! Boiled bubbling away in an earthenware pot rather than a regular one, the noodles stayed springy and the broth stayed piping hot until the very last bite. Piling a piece of aged galbisal onto the spicy ramyeon broth melted away a whole day's worth of work stress — a perfect ending.

If you're looking for a good meat restaurant in Gojan-dong, or want a hearty, delicious piece of meat and a bit of small healing on a Sunday evening, definitely give this place a try. Tables fill up fast, so I strongly recommend booking ahead before you visit!