Gwangju galbitang lunch with pot rice: Dugeori Usintang

I went to Dugeori Usintang Gwangju Imam Branch (두거리우신탕 광주 임암점) for lunch with my mother. The galbitang (beef short-rib soup) was so generous that finishing a bowl felt like a lot, and I especially remember the tender rib meat and pot rice.

Where can I park?

The restaurant is on the first floor at 119 Hyocheon 3-ro, Nam-gu. There is a large dedicated parking lot about a three-minute walk away, so I visited without worrying about parking.

There is parking in front of the restaurant too, but there are only four spaces, so it seemed likely to be hard to find one.

There was a notice asking customers who had parked in other nearby businesses' lots to move their cars. It is a good idea to check that you are using the dedicated parking lot.

What were the lunchtime seats and dining space like?

There were many tables inside, but seats became scarce at lunchtime. I ate with my mother, and the restaurant also had high chairs.

There were notices in the restaurant about dishes made with ribs and medicinal ingredients. All menu items are available for takeout.

Even during a busy time, the self-service side-dish bar was kept clean. I used tongs to pick up perilla leaves, dipped them in sauce, and took them to my table.

The hours listed in the original post are 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily, with last orders at 9:00 PM. It also states that there are no days off.

How much was the galbitang, and what came with it?

We ordered two galbitang at ₩14,000 each. According to the restaurant's notice, the franchise receives cooked meat and frozen broth from its headquarters, then prepares the dishes at each franchise location.

The side dishes were salted fermented squid, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and perilla leaves in sauce.

The pot rice came out first, so I transferred the rice to a small plate.

I poured hot barley tea into the pot to prepare nurungji (scorched rice). I first ate the rice I had set aside with the salted squid, and it was tasty even on its own.

How generous was the galbitang, and what was the broth like?

The galbitang arrived bubbling hot. The bowl felt larger than a standard ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl), and there was enough that finishing it all felt like a lot.

It contained beef from several cuts, including short ribs, along with mushrooms and various medicinal ingredients. The broth had a deep, savory flavor, and the large bowl held plenty of meat.

The rib meat was tender. The meat itself was well seasoned, so it was tasty even without wrapping it with anything else.

How did I pair the perilla leaves and salted squid?

I wrapped galbitang meat and salted squid in perilla leaves coated with the house seasoning sauce. The tender meat, salted squid, and perilla leaves worked better together than I expected, and I enjoyed this combination too.

As I ate, I came across hovenia tree fruit, jujubes, and bones, so I picked them out as I went.

To finish, I ate the nurungji that had been soaking in barley tea. Topping it with salted squid, I ended up finishing a whole bowl of the scorched rice too.

Seats were scarce at lunchtime, but I was satisfied with the galbitang's tender meat and generous portion. I ate until full with the pot rice and nurungji, making this a place I would like to return to.