Seomyeon galbitang restaurant after apartment hunting: Gang Galbitang

After touring Busan Citizens Park apartments, off to Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon

I covered a lot of ground on today's apartment tour (imjang, going to see a neighborhood and its complexes in person). I started with a lap around Songsanghyeon Square.

Then I moved over near Busan Citizens Park: Chokjin Zone 3, Samhan Golden View, Yeonji Xi, Raemian Urban Park. I was busy checking each complex's building layout and atmosphere as I walked, and suddenly the sun was gone. My soles were on fire and my stomach was growling, haha. What do you want on a day like this? Hot soup, of course.

So I headed to Gang Galbitang (강갈비탕), famous as a Seomyeon gukbap (rice soup) spot. By the way, most gukbap places in Seomyeon don't open in the morning, but Gang Galbitang opens at 9:20am. I thought it would be handy for breakfast on a tightly scheduled apartment-touring day.

What are Gang Galbitang's hours and break time?

The Seomyeon branch of Gang Galbitang is at 33 Saessak-ro, Busanjin-gu, on the 1st floor, open daily 9:20–21:00. Break time is 15:00–16:00, and last order is 20:20.

I went in the evening, so I steered clear of the break time~

Is there parking at Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon?

If you park at the nearby Blue Parking Lot (399-8 Bujeon-dong), they cover 30 minutes. It's one car per table when you spend ₩20,000 or more. Having parking is quietly a big plus. Finding a restaurant with parking in Seomyeon is so hard, so for people who drive, this is a treat.

Seating that suits solo diners

The Seomyeon branch has 4-person tables, high-stool counter seats facing the kitchen, and a long row of seats facing the wall. I opened the door and thought, oh, it's bigger than I expected!

There were really a lot of people eating alone. I thought there's no better layout for a solo meal. (Oddly, there were also a lot of foreign visitors.) Some tables had ordered suyuk (boiled sliced meat) and were having a drink. Drinking alone felt perfectly natural here too, haha.

How to order and the review event

You order at a kiosk. You can also order directly at the counter, but they say the kiosk gets you 5% in points.

Join the Naver review event and you get a hand cream! Must do.

Gang Galbitang menu prices: what did I order?

The basic Gang Galbitang is ₩14,000 and the spicy version is ₩15,000. I ordered two: the Gang Galbitang with Jeju medium noodles added, and the spicy Gang Galbitang.

Side dishes are self-serve from the bar. They say things like kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and Chinese artichoke pickles go well with galbitang. Will they?

And here it comes. A neat one-person tray, all laid out.

How does the basic Gang Galbitang taste?

The basic galbitang has a clear broth but a rich flavor, and the ribs were so tender they fell off the bone at a touch of the chopsticks. Starting with the basic one. Something like ginseng sits on top, so it feels like total health food, haha.

A spoonful of broth, slurp~ Oh? This is richer than I thought! The color is clear but the flavor is rich.

Maybe it's because the Korean beef bone broth is simmered for so long, but I felt strength come back into legs that were wobbly from all the walking.

The moment my chopsticks touched the ribs, they just gave way. The meat simply falls off the bone.

It's tender, not tough, so a few snips with scissors and you're done. And here's something I discovered!

Definitely add the Jeju medium noodles

I added Jeju medium noodles to the galbitang and they're the real deal. They soak up the broth so well that the noodles alone are delicious. I ordered one soup but it feels like eating noodle soup too. Definitely add them~

How spicy is the spicy Gang Galbitang?

The spicy Gang Galbitang (₩15,000) has radish and bean sprouts in a broth that's sharp yet refreshing, and you can choose the spice level, so it wasn't overwhelming. It arrived with the red broth at a rolling boil. Hot, hot, hot!

With the radish and bean sprouts in it, the broth is sharp yet refreshing. You can pick the spice level, so it wasn't a burden.

One bite and, ahh... I thought this would be perfect as a hangover soup too.

Mild and clean for the basic one, sharp and spicy for the other. Alternating between the two, there's no time to get tired of either, haha.

At the end I cut the meat small, dropped in rice, and slurped it down~ The broth seeping between the fluffy grains of rice. This is why gukbap is the best.

Galbitang for dinner after apartment touring: final thoughts

For anyone looking for a good gukbap place in Seomyeon, especially to eat a meal alone, Gang Galbitang is a choice you won't regret. There are plenty of complexes to see and places to eat around here, but I came in exhausted and left so well fed, and that felt great. I was sweating buckets and got my energy back.

Gang Galbitang also sells meal kits separately and has suyuk made with aroni-satae (beef shank), so next time I'm thinking of having the suyuk with a drink. A bowl of galbitang for dinner after a day of apartment touring, thoroughly enjoyed. If I'm ever in Seomyeon again, I'll start here.