Ansan Korean BBQ with pre-deboned salt jjokgalbi: Suamgol Jjokgalbi

Hey everyone~~ A little while ago I had dinner plans with my mom after work, but it had been such an exhausting day that I was stuck on what to eat ㅠ Yesterday was exactly that kind of day ㅠㅠ

I called my mom on my way out of the office and she said "anything's fine," and you all know "anything" is the hardest answer haha. Then I remembered I'd bookmarked Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul Ansan Hanyang University Station Branch a while back, so I asked her "how about jjokgalbi?" and she said yes right away!

Where is Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul near Hanyang University Station?

Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul Ansan Hanyang University Station Branch is near Hanyang University Station in Ansan, so it wasn't an awkward stop on the way home from work. I was looking for somewhere I wouldn't have to worry about parking, and this ended up being the right call haha.

Free soft tofu stew with every table

The moment we sat down, what caught my eye was the soft tofu stew that comes as a basic side. I usually don't expect much from the free stew at a BBQ restaurant, but Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul was different. It was spicy but with soft tofu and a gentle seasoning, the kind of thing you keep spooning up without meaning to.

My mom took one spoonful and went, "wait, this is just a side dish?!" Honestly I think this stew works great as a drinking snack too. It was good enough that you could start with this and a beer even before the meat arrives haha. For something served as a free side, it felt like a lot of care went into it, so the first impression was already great ><

The self-serve side dish bar, the menu and the dining room

Oh, and there's a self-serve side dish bar here! So you just grab whatever sides you want — just remember to take only as much as you'll actually eat ><

Here's the menu~~ I want to try the doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice) next time lol

The restaurant was bigger than I expected, and the tables were spaced out well, so getting around wasn't awkward at all~~

The old-style lunchbox: shaking it up with mom

We also had the old-style lunchbox, which is full of that classic school-lunch vibe, perfect for reminiscing with my mom over dinner! Picking up the rolled egg and sausage one by one, we naturally fell into "I used to eat this all the time as a kid" kind of talk haha. It pairs really well with the meat too 😍

Salt jjokgalbi that arrives seared and already off the bone

For our main dish we ordered the salt jjokgalbi. What surprised me was that when the jjokgalbi came out, the meat and bone were already partly separated from the initial grilling.

Jjokgalbi usually has a lot of small bones that make it a hassle to pick apart, but here that work is already done for you, so eating went noticeably faster haha. It was especially convenient for someone like my mom who isn't a fan of tearing meat off with her hands. The salt seasoning wasn't too strong either, just enough to bring out the meat's natural juiciness, so the smell while grilling kept smelling great the whole time.

Of course we each had a beer to go with it~^^ With jjokgalbi, soft tofu stew, and beer, the after-work reward feeling was just so good. My mom and I each held a beer and talked about how our day at work went, and before we knew it time had flown by.

We're usually both busy and don't get to eat a relaxed meal together, so this leisurely dinner where we actually got to talk felt extra memorable.

Outdoor tables, the aging fridge and ice cream for dessert

By the way, this place also has outdoor seating. Once the weather warms up, grilling meat outside would be a lot of fun. I already found myself thinking I should come back to sit outside on a nice day.

Looks like they age the meat too — they had a separate aging fridge?? And they finish it off with ice cream for dessert 🖤

For anyone looking for a comfortable place to bring their parents after work, especially if you tend to avoid jjokgalbi because picking the bones out is such a hassle, I really want to recommend this place~~