Rib galbi hot pot with kalguksu and porridge finale: Guksuhwa, Namdong

Today I'm bringing you a review of Guksuhwa, a well-known restaurant in Namdong-gu, Incheon. The place is big and roomy with easy parking, so I'd recommend it for family gatherings or date nights :)

Open daily 11:00–21:30 (break time 15:00–16:30) — check the image above for more details :)

Location and parking at Guksuhwa

It's on the road toward Seochang in Namdong-gu, Incheon, right in Namchon-dong! The sign is big so it wasn't hard to find, and there's a large parking area in front of the store, so parking was super convenient!

The building's exterior is so pretty it would make a great date course too.

Atmosphere and seating

Tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows, with more tables set further inside! There are a lot of seats and the place is spacious, so it looked great for group gatherings too. When I visited, it was right before break time and almost fully booked. (The photo was taken on my way out.) Most people seemed to be there for family meals!

Menu lineup

True to a Namdong-gu favorite, there's a wide variety of dishes. There's spicy or fiery shabu-shabu, minari-and-squid stir-fry on a griddle, the non-spicy royal rib galbi noodle hot pot, and kid-friendly options like cheese-and-loin pork cutlet, dumplings, and more!

The ades are made with house-made syrup, so if you're an ade fan, that's worth noting!

Royal rib galbi noodle hot pot, ₩20,900 × 2

Basic side dishes and the self-serve bar

The basic side dishes are yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi) and napa cabbage kimchi plus salad — true to a Namdong-gu favorite, everything from the kimchi to the salad was delicious!

At the self-serve bar you'll find extra side dishes plus hot pot and shabu-shabu broth, so feel free to grab more if you need it :) Aprons are also over there at the self-serve bar, so grab one if you need it.

How the royal rib galbi noodle hot pot arrives

The royal rib galbi noodle hot pot comes as a set: hot pot + kalguksu noodle sarion + rice for porridge or fried rice! A completely hearty spread.

The visuals are almost violent... two big rib bones sit inside, plus all kinds of vegetables — sweet pumpkin, mung bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy, and even three kinds of mushrooms, making it a totally healthy meal!

The meat comes pre-cooked, so once the vegetables are done you can eat right away! There's not just rib meat but beef tendon and shank too, so the textures vary and it feels like a proper body-nourishing meal.

The royal rib galbi was so tender, probably from being cooked down thoroughly, with a pleasant meaty aroma that was savory and delicious!!

There's chili sauce and wasabi soy sauce for dipping — I mostly went for the wasabi soy sauce since it suited my taste :) haha

Finishing with kalguksu and porridge

After eating my fill, it was kalguksu time! The noodles are thick, so even after simmering a long time they held their shape and stayed chewy the whole time — delicious. They went great with the yeolmu kimchi and geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi)!

To finish it all off, I wrapped up perfectly with the porridge :)

As the meal wound down, they also brought out pomegranate juice as a palate cleanser to finish things off :) I usually love shabu-shabu, so being able to eat the hot pot shabu-shabu style was such a treat. The royal rib galbi noodle hot pot was extra filling with not just rib meat but beef tendon and shank too! It was the perfect dish for the cooler weather lately.

If you're looking for a good restaurant in Namdong-gu, Incheon, I recommend Guksuhwa — the menu variety and flavors are great, and the spacious, comfortable space makes it good for dates or family gatherings too!