Chuseok marinated LA galbi at Morakmorak Home & Cook, Ansan butcher

Does everyone have a food that comes to mind around the holidays? As Chuseok approached, LA galbi (cross-cut beef short ribs) kept creeping into my thoughts. While looking for a butcher shop, I found a hidden gem in Seongpo-dong!

Morakmorak Home & Cook

Where is Morakmorak Home & Cook, and is there parking?

Morakmorak Home & Cook is a butcher shop on the basement floor of Star Plaza in Seongpo-dong, Ansan, tucked inside opposite the mart. Star Plaza has been a real neighborhood landmark here for ages, and it's a place I have a lot of memories of too. The parking lot is quite large too, so there's no need to worry about parking (important!)

Morakmorak Home & Cook is located inside, opposite the mart, once you go down to the basement level of Star Plaza.

House-made marinated meats at Morakmorak Home & Cook

I actually went there craving LA galbi, but the menu had so much variety I ended up agonizing over what to get. Beyond the basics — house-marinated meats made with fresh cuts (marinated LA galbi, braised pork jjimgalbi, beef bulgogi, dakgalbi, dakbal (chicken feet), gochujang jeyuk, soy sauce jeyuk) — they even simmer hanwoo gomtang, seolleongtang, and galbitang from beef bones the owner sources himself!! He said he keeps to a 20-day aging period for hanwoo and 10 days for handon pork, using meat he sources weekly.

There wasn't just LA galbi — all sorts of marinated meats were laid out, and it was fun just to browse. The prices weren't too intimidating either, so it seems like a good spot to pick up marinated meat as a side dish once in a while and grill it up. It felt like a handy option for those days when you're stuck on what side dish to make ☺️

Single-portion hanwoo gomtang, seolleongtang and galbitang

It's not just meat here~~ that's the special strength of Morakmorak Home & Cook!! They also sell portioned hanwoo gomtang, seolleongtang, and galbitang, simmered by the owner himself from hanwoo bones. There were products you can easily reheat at home, which seemed perfect for busy days or when there's nothing decent to serve as a side. Knowing I can pick up everything from meat to easy meals here from now on, I feel like my side-dish worries are going to ease up a bit 🤍

Buying the marinated LA galbi — free tteokgalbi and shredded scallions

What I bought was the marinated LA galbi! I picked out beautifully marinated LA galbi to buy, and the owner threw in tteokgalbi (grilled meat patties) and scallion shreds as a bonus. I only meant to buy the LA galbi, so being sent off with such a generous haul made me really happy. He even gave me scallion shreds, which go so well with grilled meat, so I didn't need to prepare anything separately at home. I was already looking forward to grilling up that bonus tteokgalbi too!

Local currency, Onnuri and livelihood coupons all accepted

These days there are plenty of places that don't take local currency, but Morakmorak Home & Cook accepts local currency as well as Onnuri gift certificates and livelihood coupons, so I could shop even more economically — I loved that!

Ta-da! I divided it into portions for one meal at a time once I got home — looks pretty generous, doesn't it? The marinade was packed in plenty too.

How the marinated LA galbi tasted, pan-grilled at home

I grilled it up the very next evening — can you see that color? Marinating galbi at home yourself is honestly a hassle. It seemed like the owner makes all the marinade himself, and it was exactly to my taste. The sweet marinade had soaked into the meat so nicely and moistly that just grilling it plain at home was enough to polish off one bowl of rice — okay, honestly, two.

Too far to visit? Order from the Naver Smart Store

If the shop is close to you, visiting in person is great, but I'm sure there are people who live too far to make the trip. This place also runs a Naver Smart Store, so ordering online is an option too! If visiting in person is difficult, ordering through Smart Store could be a comfortable alternative.

Is Morakmorak Home & Cook worth it for holiday meat shopping?

With the young owner's generous hospitality on top of the taste, it really felt like I'd found a hidden gem. I plan to come back again for more meat ❤️ Chuseok is coming up soon too. If you're wondering what gift to prepare for family for the holiday, why not consider delicious meat as a gift? Gifting meat to your loved ones, or grilling up something tasty together, sounds like a great way to spend a happy time ❤️