Seomyeon galbitang with three ribs and glass noodles: Gang Galbitang

Whenever the chilly wind starts blowing like this, there's one food I often think of — hot galbitang (short rib soup). When the weather turns cool, I really crave something with broth.

Among all the galbitang places, there's one I keep going back to again and again: Gang Galbitang in Seomyeon. I've been there with my mom, I've been there with my boyfriend a few times — it's basically our go-to spot. Now that the weather's cooling down, it came to mind again, so I paid a visit after a while. Yay~~

Where is Gang Galbitang Seomyeon, and what are its hours and parking?

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon is located at 33 Saessak-ro, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea. It's open daily from 9:20am to 9:00pm, with a break time from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.

• Address: 33 Saessak-ro, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 9:20am-9:00pm / Break time 3:00pm-4:00pm
• Parking: Blue Parking Lot, 399-8 Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu
• 30 minutes of parking supported with meals over ₩20,000 (one car per table)

Inside Gang Galbitang Seomyeon: is it comfortable for solo diners?

The interior of Gang Galbitang is clean overall, and the spacing between tables is pretty decent. There's also solo seating by the counter for guests eating alone, so it's a fine spot for solo dining in Seomyeon too.

It's great for visiting with two people like we did, but it also has a comfortable vibe if you just want to grab a bowl of hot soup or galbitang by yourself.

There's also a separate self-bar inside, and it's surprisingly fun to look through.

There's ice, and a whole range of side dishes ready to go — chosukjam (Chinese artichoke) pickles, mu-malaengi (dried radish strips), gat-jangajji (mustard leaf pickles), soy sauce, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), doenjang (soybean paste), peppers, garlic, and more. I especially love that all the side dishes here are tasty.

Gang Galbitang Seomyeon menu and prices

You order at Gang Galbitang through the kiosk. Here's the menu!

• Gang Galbitang ₩14,000
• Spicy Gang Galbi Gukbap ₩10,500
• Gang Galbi Guksu ₩13,500
• Arongsatae Suyuk ₩28,000
• Gang Galbi Gukbap ₩9,500
• Spicy Gang Galbitang ₩15,000

My one and only pick is always Gang Galbitang. The spicy version is fine too, but for my taste, the clean, refreshing basic broth is on another level, haha. So today I ordered two Gang Galbitang again! Oh, and by the way, I added noodle sari to my boyfriend's.

What comes with one Gang Galbitang set

Gang Galbitang comes out as a neat single-serving spread. Ta-da, the galbitang table setting appears — rice, soup, side dishes, spoon, and they even give you your own tongs and scissors per person, which is handy.

On the left is the basic Gang Galbitang, and on the right is the one with noodles added. The extra noodle sari here costs +₩2,500, and just so you know, it's not somyeon (thin wheat noodles) but jungmyeon (medium wheat noodles) — the same noodle used in Jeju's gogi guksu (pork noodle soup)! Eating the noodles together with the galbitang broth actually goes really well.

Side dishes, from chosukjam pickles to dried radish strips

And the side dishes~ I tried chosukjam pickles here for the first time and loved them so much I've become a fan. But honestly everything here is tasty. The kkakdugi is great too, and the mu-malaengi at the self-bar is also good.

Three ribs, glass noodles and how the broth tasted

Gang Galbitang comes with about three big ribs, and the meat is quite generously attached to the bone. When I eat galbitang, I like to strip all the meat off the bone first — since they give you tongs and scissors, you can debone it and cut it into bite-sized pieces right away. I like doing all this prep first, then spooning up the meat with the broth.

There's also quite a lot of glass noodles inside. Eat the meat, eat the noodles, take a spoonful of broth — and before you know it, the whole bowl is gone.

What keeps bringing me back to this place, more than anything, is the broth. Rather than being aggressively spicy or salty, it's rich and warm, leaving you feeling satisfyingly full afterward! It really suits chilly weather, and even though I hadn't had any alcohol, it somehow felt like it was curing a hangover, haha. If you're a fan of galbitang, I think it's worth a visit at least once.

Can you order takeout or a mealkit at Gang Galbitang Seomyeon?

Gang Galbitang offers takeout, and they also sell a Gang Galbitang mealkit. If you want to enjoy it comfortably at home, the mealkit is a solid option, but personally, I love eating it together with the side dishes here, so I'd recommend visiting the restaurant instead.

As the weather gets a bit chillier, Gang Galbitang is a place I think I'll keep thinking of again and again. If you're looking for warm soup food in Seomyeon, this is the place I'd recommend.