Late-night pork ribs at a Busan Korean BBQ restaurant: Gim Geumja

Charcoal-grilled ribs in Daeyeon-dong after putting the baby to sleep

On a weeknight, my wife and I wanted a beer after putting the baby to sleep, so we looked around Daeyeon-dong and ended up at Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch (김금자숯불갈비 대연점). Little one, please sleep for exactly one hour... We turned on the CCTV app on the phone and headed straight out!

I went in excited by the words “charcoal-grilled,” and to give the conclusion first, I was satisfied. Ribs really do need white rice..

Gim Geumja Sutbul Galbi Daeyeon Branch Parking - Nearby Nam-gu Office parking lot Hours - 16:00–01:00 Saturday - 11:30–01:00

It is about a three-minute walk from Exit 2 of Motgol Station. We live nearby and walked over, but if you bring a car, the Nam-gu Office parking lot should work.

Retro atmosphere, with private rooms and dining-hall seating

The interior seems to go for a bit of a 1970s–80s mood. The typeface and overall atmosphere feel that way. But it still has a polished feel, too.

If you think the ribs here are not delicious, you are a hypocrite.

We went around 8 p.m., and even on a weekday about five tables were occupied. That seems pretty popular for that time. There was no wait, and we were seated right away.

The basic side dishes came out neatly, too. On the bottom right was something like a chilled kimchi muksabal (cold acorn-jelly soup)? It was really refreshing and just right. Perfect with a beer before grilling the meat.

The self-service bar was generous, so you can bring back more. But we were full just from eating the meat, so we did not make a separate trip to it.

They serve sliced garlic in sesame oil. At first I wondered what sauce it was, but then I realized it was sesame oil. Grill this on the grate and the garlic flavor is insane... That flavor everyone knows...

The layout was nice, with private rooms as well as dining-hall tables. For a company dinner, a room would let you eat comfortably without worrying about other people. We just sat at a table and had a quick meal.

The marinated ribs and Cheongyang cream udon set we had for two

The two of us ate more than I expected haha.

• Marinated ribs 600 g + Cheongyang cream udon set ₩38,900
• Table setting charge ₩1,500 x 2 = ₩3,000
• Two bowls of rice ₩2,000
• Cola ₩2,000
• Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) ₩5,800
• Ice-cold draft beer ₩2,900

The ribs were tender and well seasoned. They could easily have been salty, but they were just right.

The marinated ribs were pleasantly savory, and perhaps because of the charcoal, they cooked quickly. You could definitely taste the smoky char. If you are looking for a pork-rib place in Daeyeon-dong for a group dinner, I think you will like that part.

Cheongyang cream udon with morning rolls and strawberry jam

The cream udon has a thick cream sauce with a little heat from Cheongyang chili peppers, but there is a separate kick here. It was so good wrapped in a morning roll....

They give you morning rolls and strawberry jam. Split a roll in half, put a forkful of cream udon on it, spread on the strawberry jam, and eat it—the sweet-and-salty combination is surprisingly addictive. If you do not know this and only eat the udon, you have enjoyed only half of it. Honestly, if I had not been full, I would have ordered three more rolls each.

What goes with pork ribs? White rice, that is what~

We added an order of pork skin, too, and it still had that crisp-outside, chewy-inside texture. The saying that pork skin never lets you down holds true here as well.

Dip it in the sauce and that is it. The end.

The doenjang jjigae had meat in it, which made the broth deeply savory. It is the kind of thing that quietly makes you want another bowl of rice. But I was already so full that there was no way I could eat more....

The staff were kind, too, so we were comfortable throughout the meal. Whether you are looking for a good restaurant and bar in Daeyeon-dong or a good meat restaurant there, this seems like an easy place to visit. We went as a pair, but with private rooms, it also looks good for a larger company dinner. I would visit again.