Paju galbi restaurant for a three-generation family dinner: Jeongwon

We went to Jeongwon Galbi in Paju for a family dinner out with my mom and my kid. I expected a weekday evening to be a bit quiet, but not long after we walked in, the place was almost full. It felt like a spot a lot of locals come to.

What is the atmosphere at Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch like?

Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch is a charcoal galbi restaurant popular for family meals and gatherings. The space is large, so the tables weren't crammed together. Besides families, I saw plenty of tables that looked like friends' get-togethers or company dinners.

We visited on a weekday evening, and it was relaxed when we first walked in. But soon after we started eating, guests kept coming and almost every table filled up. Seeing that, I got the feeling that locals come here often. If you reserve ahead or go a little earlier in the evening, I think you'd have a more comfortable meal.

Since they use charcoal, the smell of grilling meat drifted deliciously from every table. It's on the lively side, but it was no bother for a relaxed family meal.

What the three of us ordered

At Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch, my mom, my kid and I ordered the following:

• 3 servings of Jeongwon pork galbi
• Kids' steamed egg (gyeran-jjim)
• Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew)
• Steamed rice
• Cold noodles (mul naengmyeon) for dessert

Since I came with my kid, I ordered the steamed egg too, and it turned out to be a really good choice.

Side dishes at Jeongwon Galbi, even seasoned crab

The side dishes at Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch were more varied than I expected: lettuce and wrap vegetables, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), and even yangnyeom gejang (seasoned raw crab). Side dishes matter more than you'd think at a meat restaurant, and these were great to mix and match.

What surprised me most was that the seasoned crab comes as a default side! It's rare for a galbi place to give crab as a free side dish, so that was an unexpected bonus.

How is the charcoal-grilled pork galbi?

The pork galbi at Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch is grilled over charcoal, so a faint smoky aroma soaks in and makes it taste even better. Pork galbi gets tiring fast when the marinade is too sweet or too salty, but Jeongwon's has a nice balance of sweet and salty, so I could keep eating without feeling weighed down. Wrapped in lettuce, the seasoning was just right.

Is it a good galbi restaurant to visit with a child?

Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch has a high chair and kids' tableware, and my kid ate the pork galbi wrapped in lettuce really well. I actually ordered the steamed egg for the kid, but surprisingly the lettuce-wrapped galbi went down better than the egg, haha. The marinade isn't harsh, so it was easy on a child, and the kid ate more meat than I expected. Seeing that, I thought it's a good galbi restaurant to come to with a kid.

The staff also came over to change the grill plate before it burned and kept looking after whatever we needed, so we could eat comfortably. That kind of thing makes a big difference when you're eating out as a family.

Finishing with cold noodles

After the meat, we ordered mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth) as a dessert dish. The crunchy cucumber, pickled radish and thin noodles went well with the charcoal pork galbi, as expected, and it was a perfect palate-cleansing finish.

Overall verdict on Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch

Here's what I liked about this visit to Jeongwon Galbi Paju Main Branch:

• Charcoal-grilled pork galbi
• Generous side dishes, including seasoned crab and japchae
• Galbi that my kid ate well
• High chair and kids' tableware
• Friendly staff

Thanks to all that, my mom, my kid and I had a lovely meal. When we finished and headed out, there was plum tea set out at the entrance too, so it was a perfect course right to the final palate cleanser. It may not be a big deal, but a drink to finish makes the mood different, doesn't it?

Jeongwon Galbi in Paju was a great Paju pork galbi restaurant for enjoying charcoal-grilled pork galbi comfortably with a child.