Korean BBQ near Bongeunsa Temple: hanwoo galbi set at Gukbo Garden

A properly protein-loaded review from Gukbo Garden, a Samseong-dong favorite 💛

Gukbo Garden, right outside Samseong Jungang Station Exit 3 on a Bongeunsa day

I went to Samseong-dong to visit Bongeunsa, famous as a wealth-luck spot in Seoul! But first, food — my friend and I stopped by Gukbo Garden, a hanwoo (Korean beef) spot in Samseong-dong. I'm definitely coming back!!

Gukbo Garden is right in front of Exit 3 of Samseong Jungang Station on Line 9, so the access was honestly the best. You can see the building on the first floor as soon as you come out of the station — a real 10-second walk haha.

• 🖤608 Samseong-ro, 1st and 2nd floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• 🖤Parking available (paid) — ₩5,000 for the first 120 minutes / ₩1,000 per additional 10 minutes, ₩50,000 max
• 🖤Valet available (paid) — ₩5,000
• 🖤Hours Mon–Fri 11:30–23:00 (break time 15:30–17:00, last order 22:00)
• 🖤Sat, Sun 11:30–23:00 (last order 22:00)

Bongeunsa was only a 10-minute walk away too, which was so nice haha.

Inside Gukbo Garden: ivory-and-wood dining room and second-floor private rooms

There's a 2nd-floor room too, which would be perfect for a company dinner or for bringing your parents.

The interior overall was ivory and wood tones — modern, clean, and had a slightly upscale feel. The tables were separated so even though it was the main hall, it still felt private and easy to chat with company. The sofas were comfortable too, so I was satisfied before even eating haha.

Ordering was done through the tablet on the table. Corkage free at all times is such a plus. Plus yogurt soft-serve for dessert haha.

There were quite a lot of menu items, plus a lunch special, so nearby office workers could get a solid meal at lunch too. The day I went, there were a lot of people from nearby offices. Feels like a lunch spot too.

Hanwoo fresh galbi set for two: picking bibim naengmyeon and pot rice with stew as sides

Ordered the hanwoo raw rib-eye set for two :) For sides we picked bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) and hot pot rice + stew.

The side dishes and accompaniments came out first — I love having a variety of things to eat alongside meat, so I was very happy haha. And everything was delicious!!!!!!

Macaroni salad, one of my favorites~! The herring roe in particular was delicious even on its own, but it went so well with the rib-eye that I highly recommend eating them together ❤️❤️

Staff grill the hanwoo short rib at your table

The hanwoo rib-eye arrives ✨✨ The bright red meat already looked mouthwatering.

At Gukbo Garden, a Samseong-dong favorite, the staff grills all the meat for you, so all you have to do is eat. A place that grills the meat for you is just love...

Rib-eye tastes best slightly well-done, and they grilled it just right :) The juiciness was insane. I tried a bite of just the meat first, and it was really, really tender, savory the more you chewed. Juices bursting out of the rib-eye ><

It was delicious even plain, but I also tried it classic style with salt and wasabi. Good.

Also tried it with sesame oil-salt sauce and herring roe on top. Please, please don't skip the herring roe!!!

Doenjang stew with blue crab, and crispy scorched rice from the pot

The stew we ordered was doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)! Smelled great. The portion was generous too, with plenty of ingredients — blue crab, mushrooms, tofu, and more haha.

The stew alone could finish two bowls of rice easily. It was slightly spicy, which paired perfectly with the meat for a refreshing balance.

The hot pot rice arrives sizzling along with the stew, and the portion of rice is quite generous too! Scoop the rice out, pour hot water in, let it sit a bit, and you get scorched rice (nurungji). Please, please eat it with the herring roe.

I usually don't eat the scorched rice part when I have hot pot rice, but after one spoonful of the rice I knew it was a must, so scorched rice, go go. Definitely with the herring roe,,,

Bibim naengmyeon, the perfect match for grilled beef

Tangy and spicy bibim naengmyeon. They give you broth separately too — pour a little in, mix it up, and you get bibim naengmyeon that's a perfect match with the meat! Both the broth and the noodles were delicious.

The bibim naengmyeon wasn't very spicy — the sauce was moderately spicy and tangy, so it went well alongside the meat without overpowering its flavor :)

Beef tartare and the side dishes at Gukbo Garden

Beef tartare too ❤️ Can you see how fresh it looks?

True to its reputation as a hanwoo spot in Samseong-dong, the beef tartare quality was great too — ate it very happily.

There were various side dishes to pair with it — shredded scallions, pickled onion, japchae, and more — so it was nice being able to mix and match based on preference and taste.

Herring roe, herring roe, and more herring roe. You really must eat it with the scorched rice. Honestly so full, but dessert can't be skipped.

Yoajeong yogurt ice cream at the first-floor dessert counter

Near the entrance on the 1st floor there was a dessert counter with americano, milk coffee, omija tea, yulmu (Job's tears) tea, and yogurt-based soft-serve haha.

The soft-serve came with cereal and chocolate shell toppings you could add on. Had to get the soft-serve, no question~🖤

Stacking the soft-serve was surprisingly fun.

The chocolate wealth gap between me and my friend, lol. But the chocolate was genuinely delicious chocolate, so pass~! A hearty meal at Gukbo Garden, a Samseong-dong favorite that stuck the landing all the way to dessert ❤️ Then off to Bongeunsa to make a wish — a very satisfying day.

If you're looking for a Samseong-dong restaurant — whether you're visiting the currently-trendy Bongeunsa or heading to Coex — Gukbo Garden is a highly recommended spot in Samseong-dong where you can enjoy not just hanwoo but hanpork deliciously too ✨✨