Galbi lunch at opening time in Gwangmyeong Sageori: Seoseo Galbi

Today I visited Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi (광명서서갈비), a well-known BBQ spot near Gwangmyeong Sageori! Great value and great taste, so let's jump right into the review~

Where is Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi, and where do you park?

Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi is at 3-5 Gwangi-ro, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, about a 2-minute walk from Exit 10 of Gwangmyeong Sageori Station on Line 7, so it's very easy to get to. Gwangmyeong Market is nearby, so there's plenty to see around here, which makes it a nice spot for a meal.

It's open daily from 12:00 to 22:00.

There's parking for 2 cars in front of the restaurant. If it's full, you can use a nearby public parking lot or the Seongil parking lot next door.

• Group reservations available
• Takeout available
• Wi-Fi available
• Separate men's and women's restrooms
• Baby chairs
• Wheelchair-accessible entrance

What is the atmosphere like?

The exterior has a long-established, well-loved-restaurant feel~ The neat sign and entrance already give off strong BBQ-joint vibes!

Inside, it's clean and the tables are spaced generously, so you can eat comfortably~ I came right at opening, and by lunchtime people kept coming in. It must be a real Gwangmyeong favorite!

The old-favorite atmosphere and the tidy, well-kept space blend nicely, and it looked fine for a family meal or a get-together~ The ventilation system is also good, so we could eat comfortably.

Menu, prices, and what we ordered

True to a BBQ place near Gwangmyeong Sageori, the menu isn't complicated and focuses on galbi (ribs). Here's what we ordered that day.

• Seoseo galbi, 3 portions, ₩22,000 ×3
• Cold noodles (mulnaengmyeon), ₩5,000
• Steamed rice, ₩1,000
• Beer, ₩5,000

Side dishes and the self-serve bar

The side dishes included spicy marinated crab (yangnyeom gejang), pickled onions, kimchi, shredded scallion salad, salad, and samchae (a crunchy root vegetable side), all good with meat~!

There's also a self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant, so you can grab more side dishes yourself without feeling awkward. Being able to take as much as you like was great~ thumbs up!

How did the seoseo galbi taste?

First they set up the charcoal~ I don't know whether it was real hardwood charcoal, but it looked really good.

The first thing we ordered was 2 portions of seoseo galbi, the signature dish here. It comes already marinated in a soy-based sauce.

Above all, the galbi was really soft and tender, with nothing tough about chewing it. The marinade wasn't harsh or overpowering either; it was a gentle sweet-and-salty flavor that brings out the taste of the meat itself, and it was really delicious.

Time to grill! Charcoal plus meat is love~

I flipped it carefully so it wouldn't burn, haha. Looks delicious, right?

Special soy sauce and ssam

When you order meat at Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi, a special soy dipping sauce comes with it. Dipping the galbi in it adds saltiness and makes the flavor a little richer.

And of course we wrapped it in lettuce (ssam) too~

Rice with refillable spicy crab

Halfway through the galbi, rice was a must, so we ordered a bowl of steamed rice (₩1,000)~

It was especially good with the spicy crab from the side dishes~ The rice thief! And the crab is refillable here, which was so nice, haha.

Galbi on top of rice is delicious, wrapped in lettuce is delicious too. Koreans really can't do without rice~

Finishing with 1 more portion of galbi and cold noodles

Finally, we weren't ready to stop, so we added 1 more portion of seoseo galbi and a bowl of cold noodles (mulnaengmyeon, ₩5,000). Back to grilling hard, haha.

Naengmyeon is the one combo a galbi restaurant can't go without~

Chewy noodles and cool broth with nicely grilled galbi, thumbs up~ The naengmyeon and galbi combo is always good! Once again I had a really great meal at Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi.

If you have plans near Gwangmyeong Sageori or are looking for a BBQ restaurant there, I recommend giving Gwangmyeong Seoseo Galbi a try~ I think I'll be back!