Balsan Station Korean BBQ for four: beef galbi set & somaek, Ihwajeong

Today's post is about a Korean BBQ spot near Balsan Station: Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch 🤗

How to get to Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga from Balsan Station, and parking

Come out of Balsan Station Exit 4 and walk straight. When you see Himart, turn left and the restaurant is right there on your right :)

For parking, don't use the underground garage below the building. Use the parking building right next to the restaurant :) The sign is big, so it's easy to find! And of course, parking is free 🙂

Even the entrance is so stylish!!! It gives off a high-end BBQ restaurant vibe, doesn't it? 👀 I think it would be great for gatherings, company dinners and even meeting the in-laws :)

What are Ihwajeong's interior and group rooms like?

The inside of Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch is super clean and spacious. The tables are big too, so we sat comfortably without any fuss!

There are plenty of different rooms too, and they say groups from 6 people up to 100 are possible :) Great for all kinds of gatherings and company dinners!

Every table has a KT Hi-Order tablet, paper cups and a bottle opener.

Ihwajeong menu: the set our group of four chose

The main menu at Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch is raw hanwoo (Korean beef) galbi (ribs), seasoned beef short ribs and seasoned pork. We ordered the "Ihwajeong Set", which lets you eat the jumbo seasoned beef short ribs and the seasoned pork together! There were four of us, and it was just the right amount 🙂

There's a wide choice of alcohol and drinks too, and side dishes can be refilled, so just ask if you want more :)

The 7 free side dishes at Ihwajeong

You get scallion salad, green salad, potato salad, white kimchi, seasoned greens, 3 kinds of pickles, and tangpyeongchae (a mung bean jelly salad) that I forgot to photograph, 7 kinds in total. Everything was really clean-tasting and delicious 😋 If you press the staff call on the tablet, you can also request things like garlic and charcoal!

How much is the Ihwajeong Set? 163,000 won total for four

The total for the four of us that day was ₩163,000, and the Ihwajeong Set was ₩135,000 of that. The set is 3 portions of seasoned beef short ribs plus 1 portion of seasoned pork.

It's a set where you get to eat the jumbo seasoned beef short ribs, said to be tender and deeply savory thanks to a patented 144-hour cross-aging process, together with the seasoned pork! The ribs are ₩45,000 per portion (1 rib bone), and if you order 3 portions the seasoned pork comes free, so it's a good set for groups of 3 to 4 :)

Seasoned beef short ribs grilled by staff

We grilled the beef short ribs first. Staff grill everything for you from start to finish, so this is a really easy-going BBQ place near Balsan Station 🫶 So I happily had a glass of somaek (soju mixed with beer)! (Not that I'd be the one grilling anyway 🤭)

When the meat is done, they put it on a plate like this. Doesn't it already look so delicious..? 👀

I took a bite right away and wow..!!!!!!! It's so tender!!!! The number one galbi I've ever had 🫶 The most tender, honestly?? Maybe because they grind in organic pear instead of using sugar, the sweetness was really clean and tasty!

It went well with the clean-tasting sides, and the meat quality is good, so it was definitely delicious!

They grilled the last remaining rib for us too, and we enjoyed it so much 😋 The staff grill the meat well and are kind :)

Doenjang stew and rice

We ordered the doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) too, and it was so rich and savory 😋 I ordered rice and mixed it in, and it was absolutely delicious 😋🩷

Free seasoned grilled pork (marinated pork neck)

After finishing the beef short ribs, it's now time for the seasoned pork 😉 It's seasoned pork neck galbi, made only with carefully selected premium pork neck and said to boast firm texture and nutty flavor :) Such a generous portion, right!?

The seasoned pork neck galbi is super tender too. Beef galbi is great, but pork galbi is really delicious as well 😋 Giving us such tasty pork galbi for free, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch is the best 🩷

Dessert: free pear sorbet

Pear sorbet came out as a free dessert! You can order one per person, but we were too full to finish them all, so we ordered just 2, haha

It's classy enough for all kinds of gatherings, this Korean BBQ spot near Balsan Station, Ihwajeong Galbi Myeongga Magok-Balsan Branch. If you want some really good beef ribs, stop by!! 🤗