Gwangalli Korean BBQ with Mom and sister, B Set: Gwangan-mok

Gwangalli Beach is where I always go whenever I visit Busan! On the first night I wondered what to eat, and a hearty meat dinner sounded perfect, so I searched around and found a famous BBQ place called Gwangan-mok. Off I went.

Getting to Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch and opening hours

Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch is at 156 Gwangnam-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan (Millak-dong 184-6), about a 3-minute walk from Gwangalli Beach. If you're coming from Gwangan Station, take Exit 3 and head toward the beach, and you'll spot it!!

• Weekdays 12:00–23:30
• Sundays 12:00–24:00
• Closed the 3rd Sunday of every month

Weekday dinner wait at Gwangan-mok: do you need a reservation?

From the outside you can see the meat aging right in the window. This is the place! Look at all that meat aging, doesn't it look delicious at first glance?

There was a wait even on a weekday evening. When we arrived around 5:30 there were empty tables, but a little later it was full. If you're planning to go, definitely book ahead! Maybe because so many foreign tourists visit Gwangalli these days, there are waits everywhere, even on weekdays.

Inside Gwangan-mok and its pre-grilling station

This is what the inside looks like. It was almost full, so I couldn't take more photos of the restaurant. They have high chairs too, and lots of families were there!

Step one: a staff member does a tasty first grilling of the meat right here!!

Gwangan-mok menu and set options

You order on the tablet at each table! There are set menus too: the A Set, the B Set, and the Only Gwangalli Set, which is limited to 5 sets a day. There were three of us, so we ordered the B Set~

There's also a review event. You can get a makgeolli shake (a slushy-style rice wine drink) or steamed egg, so do join in~~~

Gwangan-mok side dishes and the self-serve banchan bar

The basic side dishes (banchan) here are really good!! The seasoned lettuce was tasty, and the pickled chili peppers, pickled onions, young radish kimchi, white kimchi and the rest were all delicious. Foreign visitors can try lots of different Korean kimchis here, which seems great.

Refills are self-serve, so help yourself to as much as you like~~ My mom went back for the mustard-leaf kimchi (gat-kimchi) several times! Each side dish container also had the date written on it. They seem to take hygiene seriously!

Gwangan-mok B Set: how were the pork neck and pork belly?

Here's the B Set I ordered. It comes out already partly grilled, and a staff member grills it once more at the table!!

Doesn't it look so good~~!! The pork neck and pork belly are thick and look amazing~

With a set order you also get grilled vegetables. These are a real treat. At the end, the potato and corn were nice as a palate cleanser~

Basil wraps: the must-try at Gwangan-mok

The basil wraps here are seriously good! At the start a staff member makes you a wrap to try, and it suited my taste so well that I kept making basil wraps~ The basil scent is so fragrant and lovely~

My mom said the mustard-leaf kimchi was delicious and ate several bowls, while I went back for basil a few times!!

One bite of the meat and I wanted soju, so I ordered a bottle~~

Even eaten plain, the juices burst out inside, so good~

And a glass of soju to go with it~~

Is Gwangan-mok Gwangan Branch worth a return visit?

I went with my mom and sister, we all enjoyed the food, and we'd love to come again. We finished everything in no time! I'm not great at grilling meat, so it was nice and easy that it arrives fully cooked and I could just focus on eating. The staff kept smiling even though the place was busy~ Next time I want to try the Only Gwangalli Set with a glass of makgeolli shake!