Gwangju Korean BBQ weekday lunch: galbitang and pot rice at Sowon.1

Today I went out for a good meal with Ppiyak's dad, just the two of us! We visited Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch, a pork galbi (marinated ribs) favorite in Taejeon-dong!

• 📍Location: 130-60 Taeseong-ro, 1st floor, Gwangju, Gyeonggi
• 🕒Hours: Daily 11:00-21:50
• 🚘Parking: Plenty of space in front of and beside the restaurant

Lunchtime rolled around again! For some reason lately all I want is pork galbi... so I searched and found there's a great pork galbi place in Taejeon-dong. Let's go, let's go 🚗🚗🚗🚗

What is Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch like, and is parking easy?

Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch is a specialist in wagyu, beef short rib meat and giant galbi in Taejeon-dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi. Go past Hillstate Taejeon Complex 9 and keep going up and up and you'll find it. There's lots of parking in front of and beside the restaurant, room for more than 50 cars, so no worries there.

These days pork costs more than ₩10,000 per 100g! Here you can apparently enjoy top-grade beef for ₩6,500 per 100g. It's a Taejeon-dong spot for group dinners where you can be happy with both the taste and the value.

There's a menu that pairs the richness of beef with the sea scent of sea urchin roe, and a lunch special available on weekday lunches only. There's even an event where you get an extra 200g when you take out 1kg of meat! You can also get galbijjim (braised short ribs) made with natural ingredients.

Is there a wait?

There was no wait, maybe because I went at weekday lunchtime. I heard it gets really crowded on weekends and holidays, and if you have to wait, they'll help you register through Catch Table.

Can you go as a group or for a company dinner?

There were more tables than I expected. Families can eat comfortably, and there are private rooms too, so it works for group gatherings or company dinners.

Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch menu and lunch special

At Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch you can grill or braise fresh beef and pork at reasonable prices, and the lunch special lets you have beef and pork in a simple way too. You can enjoy hanwoo yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), galbitang (short rib soup), handmade giant galbitang, marinated pork and more. Corkage is free as well. Let's order:)

What can you grab at the self-serve corner?

There's a self-serve corner so you can easily get more of the side dishes. Lettuce, garlic and ssamjang (dipping paste) aren't provided by default, so just help yourself at the self-serve corner 😋😋😋😋

Is it okay with kids? Playroom and high chairs

Wow 😲😲😲😲 Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch has a playroom where kids can play comfortably!!!! If Ppiyak had come along, his eyes would already be popping 🤣🤣🤣🤣 He'd be too busy playing to even eat. It isn't a half-hearted job either, it's really clean and properly done, so kids would have a blast 👏👏👏👏 And of course there were high chairs too.

What we ordered at weekday lunch, and the prices

• Marinated pork (Hanbon) 500g ₩29,000
• Galbitang + pot rice ₩14,000
• Bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles) ₩8,000

I meant to have a simple lunch, but wow..... there were so many great-looking dishes that we ended up going for a hearty meal 😆😆😆😆

What is going on here!? 😭 Just looking at it makes my mouth water... Time to eat. I'm so hungry........🤤🤤🤤🤤

The side dishes came out neat and tidy, and they go well with the meat. The heat from the fire is no joke, it was so hot I jumped 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Okay, shall we put the meat on!? Hehe, looks delicious!!!!!!!!!!

How does Sowon.1's Hanbon marinated pork taste?

The marinated pork (Hanbon) at Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch has a sweet-salty taste from a 100% handmade marinade, aged at low temperature for 72 hours, they say. It's supposedly a hit with kids, but even as an adult it's one of my favorites!

The pork itself is very good quality, and it's cut thick so you really feel the chew, while the sweet-salty marinade soaks right in and the charcoal aroma takes the flavor to the max, so it's really delicious....🤭🤭🤭🤭

The marinated pork at Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch is great on its own! Great wrapped in lettuce, great on top of rice, great with pickled onions, aaah~~~ is there any bad combination?😭😭😭😭 It's all just delicious.

How is the lunch special galbitang + pot rice?

The galbitang + pot rice (₩14,000) at Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch needs no words!!!

The galbitang has 3 ribs in it, and the meat was so plump and tender that it came off the bone easily, which honestly surprised me haha. Once I'd pulled it off, the bowl was brimming with meat. The soup is full of ingredients, and the broth is rich and deep, I was moved....😭😭😭😭 Dip it in the mustard sauce they give you and eat it in one bite and the world is a happy place...........🤗🤗🤗🤗

The pot rice can only be ordered on weekdays, and the moment you lift the lid it's glossy~~~ sticky with a great chew. I really love pot rice, so being able to have it with galbitang makes me recommend it as a lunch special 👍👍👍👍 After scooping the rice into a bowl, pour water in and wait for the nurungji (scorched rice soup)!

Marinated pork with bibim naengmyeon

Tsk tsk~~ eating marinated pork without naengmyeon would be a shame! I ordered the bibim naengmyeon (₩8,000) and eating it with the meat is the best of the best. The sauce is neither too strong nor too weak, just right! Even after mixing it all, a little sauce was left pooling, and eating that together was delicious too!

I thought, I ate so well! But then, haha, the nurungji........🤣🤣🤣🤣 I was so full I thought I'd roll out of there. But it's delicious so it goes in anyway.... so happy...😂😂😂😂

It was a happy lunch! People said Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch was good and it really is 😆😆😆😆 I hear the beef is great too, so next time I'll have to come with Ppiyak for the beef 😋😋😋😋

Grab dessert on your way out

On your way out of Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch you can take a cup of coffee and some puffed-rice snacks (ppeongtwigi) as dessert. They're good!! Even dessert is taken care of at Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch...☺️☺️☺️☺️ If you want the sweet-salty marinated pork from the lunch special, or you're curious about the beef everyone says is good, head to Sowon.1 Taejeon Branch, the pork galbi spot in Taejeon-dong:)