Private-room BBQ restaurant in Suyeong, Busan: Donbegi Gwang-an

Is there a private room where you can eat and talk with friends?

I reserved a private room at Donbegi Gwang-an Branch (돈베기 광안점) to catch up with a friend I had not seen in a while. It is an aged pork barbecue restaurant in Gwangalli, Busan, with a spacious dining hall on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor.

There were also wines and a couple's wine set to pair with the aged pork. I visited with a friend this time, but I thought it would also suit an anniversary date in a private room.

What are the aged pork menu options and prices?

I was told that the “480” in the menu names means the meat is aged for 480 hours. We ordered 180 g each of aged ogyeopsal (five-layer pork belly) and aged mok-sal (pork neck).

• 480 aged French rack: ₩10,000 per 100 g
• 480 aged shoulder rack, 480 aged ogyeopsal, and 480 aged snowflake ogyeopsal: ₩9,350 per 100 g each
• 480 aged 4 mm ogyeopsal and 480 aged 4 mm mok-sal: ₩9,350 per 100 g each
• 480 aged French slice: ₩11,000 per 100 g
• 480 aged deungsim deotsal (extra pork loin): ₩8,500 per 100 g
• Pork omakase: ₩60,000 for 600 g (2–3 people), ₩80,000 for 800 g (3–4 people)

How did I use the side-dish bar?

When we sat down, they brought myeongnan (seasoned pollock roe), gungchae (dried stem lettuce), baek-kimchi (white kimchi), pickled chili peppers, kelp, shredded radish salad, and wasabi mushroom side dishes. There was also a self-service bar on the second floor, so it was easy to get more side dishes, and all the containers had lids.

Ssam vegetables were not part of the basic table setting, so I picked some up at the self-service bar. I liked the pickled chili peppers and wasabi mushroom side dish enough to get more, and we ordered Hallasan liquor.

Do staff grill the meat?

The meat we ordered arrived par-grilled. They had separate par-grilling equipment, and staff also grilled the meat at our table, so we could sit, talk, and eat.

We ordered both ogyeopsal and mok-sal because we wanted to compare the two cuts. I was especially curious about the texture of the pork neck.

It was convenient because no one had to keep grilling the meat, so our conversation was not interrupted. However, we had to grill the vegetables ourselves.

Which side dishes went well with the pork belly and pork neck?

Following the recommendation to try the first bite with salt, I did. The pork neck was tender and moist, and the salt let me taste its savory aroma and texture clearly.

Next, I ate it with wasabi, baek-kimchi, and perilla leaf. The baek-kimchi was slightly spicy and tangy, which cut through the richness of the juicy ogyeopsal.

I moved the side dishes that were on the stone plate aside and ate the meat with several accompaniments.

The myeongnan also suited my taste. The meat was good with mushrooms as well.

How were the rice and dessert dishes with the meat?

We ordered doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) and galchi sokjeot-bap (rice with salted cutlassfish innards). The galchi sokjeot-bap came topped with crushed seaweed, so I mixed it like bibimbap. I also ordered a bowl of rice because I thought it might be salty, but it was less strongly seasoned than expected and went well with the stew or meat. My friend and I said we would order two servings of galchi sokjeot-bap next time.

We also had Geumsadong naeng-kimchi kalguksu (cold kimchi knife-cut noodles). Its cool, spicy flavor refreshed my palate after the meat, and I liked the springy texture of the cold noodles. When ordering, sesame seeds, cucumber, and seaweed could be removed through the options.

Are parking and pet visits available?

At the time of my visit, the notice said parking was free for one hour and group dining was available for up to 30 people. Pet visits were also said to be allowed, but you need to check the precautions and make a reservation before visiting.

The address is 34 Millakbondong-ro 11beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, and the restaurant uses the first and second floors. At the time the original post was written, the listed hours were daily 12:00–23:30, with last orders at 23:00.

What I liked most about this meal was being able to talk comfortably with my friend in a private room. Since staff grilled the meat, I could focus on our conversation, and the tender pork neck and galchi sokjeot-bap were especially memorable.