Pork rib restaurant near Handaeap Station, Ansan: BBQ ribs at Suamgol

I heard there was a great pork rib place near Handaeap Station, so I went to Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul (수암골 쪽갈비마을) Ansan Hanyang University Station Branch. It's perfect for company dinners and great for family gatherings too.

Where is Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul near Handaeap Station? Hours and parking

The restaurant is at Idong 716-8, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi (370 Gwangdeok 1-ro, Coros Plaza), and it's open daily from 16:00 to 24:00. It's close to Handaeap Station so it's easy to get to, but note that it's on the opposite side from the main food alley.

We parked in the public lot right in front of the restaurant. If there are no spaces, I'd suggest calling the restaurant.

Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul exterior and outdoor seating

The exterior is easy to spot at a glance. There's an outdoor seating area on the left side. The evening was cool, so it looked like a nice place to eat, but there were no free seats, so we ate inside.

Is the Suamgol Jjokgalbi Maeul dining room good for groups?

The inside was spacious, just as it looked from outside, and I loved how wide the spacing between tables was. The tables are round, so they seem great for a bunch of people sitting around together.

Menu, smart ordering and what we ordered

A big menu board hangs on one wall, so it's easy to look over beforehand. If you're not comfortable with the smart order system (ordering on a tablet), the wall menu helps. Some items aren't available though, so do check the smart order screen.

We hesitated for a while, asked a staff member, and ordered the following:

• 1 portion garlic ribs
• 1 portion BBQ ribs
• Steamed egg
• Kimchi noodles (kimchi malli guksu, chilled noodles in tangy kimchi broth)

Side dishes, stew and self bar refills

Side dishes and a stew come as standard. The green onion kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, cabbage corn salad and pickled onions were all so good that I lost count of how many times I went back for more. The stew was great too, and the broth can be refilled, so definitely get a refill. Adding more sundubu (soft tofu) costs extra, so keep that in mind!

There's a self bar, which I loved: if you run low on side dishes you can go refill right away without feeling awkward. The staff seem to keep it well maintained, because nothing was running out and it was very clean, so I could eat with confidence. The self bar has white kimchi that is really delicious, so give it a try.

Before the ribs arrive, it's worth reading the notice on the wall about how to eat them. I especially recommend dipping them in sauce no. 2, the pickled onion sauce. And grab a dessert ice cream on your way out! It's just right for freshening your mouth.

Garlic vs BBQ pork ribs: which tasted better?

The ribs here come fully grilled, so staff told us to just keep them warm on the heat and eat. Finally everything we ordered (garlic ribs and BBQ ribs) arrived.

We tried the garlic flavor first: the garlic aroma fills your mouth, it's full of flavor and so tasty. Then the BBQ flavor is a total must-try!!! It was so good that even though we were full, we ordered one more portion.. haha. It was really tender and delicious, and the BBQ sauce on the outside went so well with it.

Are the kimchi noodles and steamed egg worth ordering?

I really recommend the kimchi noodles. Eaten together with the ribs, the tangy noodles lift the flavor so much, it's such a great combination. The steamed egg is a must!

See? It was so good that we ordered another portion of the BBQ ribs and ate it! I was about to burst by the end, but it was so delicious I couldn't control myself,,,

Pork skin from the review event

We were full, but we couldn't resist the review event, so we ordered the pork skin (kkeopdegi)! Do try it here, it's chewy and so good. My only regret is that there's no separate sauce for the pork skin, but it was still delicious.

Hygiene items at the counter and free dessert ice cream

In front of the counter there are cotton swabs, dental floss, hair ties and other hygiene items, which I liked even more. When leaving, staff told us to take one ice cream per person, so we did haha (there were two kinds: matcha maru and choco fudge).

A perfect restaurant that gives you dessert after the meal too! I left happy and full. My chance of coming back is 100000 percent!!!