Busan Korean restaurant for steak pot rice: Solsot Gwangalli

It’s on the first floor at 78 Gwangnam-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, about 300 m from Exit 1 of Geumnyeonsan Station.

A range of pot rice dishes in Gwangalli

I stopped by Solsot Gwangalli while wondering what to have for lunch in Gwangalli. I thought pot rice might mean a simple menu, but there were quite a few varieties, from steak and salmon to abalone, sea bream with scallop, and cutlassfish. It was a place where you can enjoy really high-quality pot rice, so this Gwangalli restaurant left a huge impression on me, haha.

What are the exterior and interior like?

Isn’t that bright red sign so pretty? Haha, it really caught my eye. Maybe because I love red, but I was especially drawn to the sign design.

Even the freestanding sign was neatly set out. That made the restaurant really easy to find!

There were menu photos in front of the entrance too, so it was nice to sneak a look before going in. I gave the lunch options a quick once-over with my eyes before heading inside, haha.

A calm, neat wood-toned interior

The interior had a calm, clean wood-toned feel! It seemed like a good spot whether you’re dining alone, on a date, or bringing your parents. I also saw lots of foreign visitors coming in for lunch.

The kitchen was very neatly organized too, which made the whole restaurant feel pleasant!

The pot rice menu and our full spread

Solsot has far more kinds of pot rice than I expected. Steak, salmon, abalone, sea bream-scallop, and boneless cutlassfish pot rice are ₩17,900, while cockle, pork-and-bracken, and cheese dakgalbi pot rice are ₩14,900. There’s freshwater eel pot rice too, plus sides including cheese pork cutlet, fried shrimp, and yuringi (Chinese-style fried chicken), so there’s a pretty wide range of choices!

Here’s what we ordered.

• Steak pot rice
• Abalone pot rice
• Fried shrimp

Wow, what a beautifully laid-out pot rice spread.

Steak pot rice with big chunks of meat

Wow~~~ ♡♡♡ First up, the steak pot rice passed the visual test right away!! It had big pieces of steak, egg yolk, scallions, and plenty of sesame seeds on top. Color matters to me when I eat too, and how could it be this colorful and pretty? ^^

The steak in the pot rice came in really large pieces, with quite a generous amount, so it was very satisfying.

Since the meat pieces were so big, one bite filled my whole mouth, haha.

The basic side dishes were nicely put together too, with sauces and kimchi to cleanse your palate!

Light, nutty abalone pot rice

Wow!!!! The abalone pot rice was a slightly lighter style. It was piled generously with springy, chewy abalone, and the butter added a lovely nutty richness too!

Doesn’t the abalone look amazing? It was sliced to just the right thickness for eating, and the texture was absolutely fantastic 😍👍🏻👍🏻

With the rich abalone innards mixed in too, it was perfect to stir together and wrap in gim (roasted seaweed)! What a generous lunch in Gwangalli, haha.

It was a flavor I kept thinking about even after I got home 🙏🏻😋😋😋 There really aren’t many places that make abalone pot rice at this level of quality. That must be why Solsot Gwangalli is so popular.

As you can see, it looks so appetizing, right? Exactly my taste ♡

If you go as a pair, I recommend ordering one of each and sharing. The flavors are completely different, so I really recommend it, haha.

How to finish pot rice with nurungji

Pot rice, then nurungji (scorched rice) too! When the pot rice arrives, first scoop the rice into a bowl. Then add about three spoonfuls of scorched rice to the pot, pour in the broth, and put the lid on. Once you’ve finished the pot rice, open the lid and enjoy the scorched rice to finish!

I was already full, but somehow there’s always room for this, haha. It was warm and toasty, just perfect for the final bite.

Don’t skip the plump fried shrimp

And the house-made fried shrimp was another thing that quietly stuck in my mind. It wasn’t like the thin frozen fried shrimp you often have at home—the shrimp inside were genuinely plump. Crispy outside and bouncy inside! They came generously topped with sauce too, and having one between bites of pot rice was so delicious.

Isn’t it nice when even a single pot of rice comes out this properly? :) With generous ingredients and great food quality overall, Solsot Gwangalli felt like such a satisfying, filling meal. I loved being able to finish properly with scorched rice after the pot rice, and personally, the fried shrimp was so delicious too! If you’re looking for a clean, hearty lunch in Gwangalli, I absolutely recommend it!!