Family Korean BBQ at Gupabal Station with doenjang sulbap: Donmihyang

Korean BBQ with kids: why choose a place that grills for you?

When we go to a BBQ restaurant with the kids, mom and dad are usually so busy grilling that we barely get to eat, so these days I only look for places where the staff do all the grilling. Who usually grills when your family goes out for BBQ? At our house it's either my husband or me, and honestly, grilling meat with kids around is no small task!

You're warning the kids that the grill is hot, flipping the meat nonstop so it doesn't burn... a lot of the time mom and dad can't even tell whether the meat is going in through the nose or the mouth 😅 So lately I hunt, eyes wide open, for places where the experts grill everything.

Then a few days ago, a neighbor recommended a BBQ place near Gupabal Station. It was so comfortable and delicious that I rushed straight over here to tell you all about it! ✨

Donmihyang near Gupabal Station: location and evening crowds

This time our family went to Donmihyang Gupabal Branch (돈미향 구파발본점) near Gupabal Station. 🥩 Juicy, sizzling meat! I headed out thinking nothing beats meat that someone else grills for you.

Donmihyang is close to Gupabal Station, so it's easy to get to. Around 6 p.m. customers were already streaming in, and if we'd been a little later we might have had to wait. It really is a Gupabal Station favorite that the locals vouch for! 👍

What we ordered at Donmihyang: 2 servings of pork neck and gabeurisal

At Donmihyang we ordered 2 portions of pork neck and gabeurisal (pork fatback). As soon as we sat down I studied the menu closely, since I'd heard the pork belly quality here is no joke. But that day we were craving something leaner and chewier, so after some debate we chose pork neck and gabeurisal. (Next time I'll definitely conquer the national favorite, pork belly! hehe)

Donmihyang staff grill everything over charcoal, start to finish

After we ordered, a staff member set up the charcoal and carefully grilled all the meat for us from start to finish. On a hot, hectic evening, not having to stand there sweating over the grill made me so grateful T_T Thanks to that I could chat with my husband about everything we'd been putting off, and focus completely on the taste of the meat. I was so happy.

How did Donmihyang's pork neck and gabeurisal taste?

The pork neck and gabeurisal were juicy and tender, not dry at all. I dipped a piece of expertly grilled meat in salt and... wow, the juices literally burst in my mouth! The meat quality is so good that there was zero dryness.

Even my picky kids kept saying, "Mom, more meat please!" and ate so well. Watching each piece disappear into their mouths as soon as it was grilled, I felt full myself 🥰

Is Donmihyang's doenjang sulbap a must-order?

Donmihyang's doenjang suljubap (soybean paste rice stew) has a rich, savory broth and is well worth ordering after the meat. If you eat meat without carbs, are you even Korean? Following the golden rule, we ordered the doenjang rice right away.

It comes out bubbling in a pot, and the smell alone was already a winner 😆 I took a big spoonful, and the broth was so rich and savory it felt like it washed all the grease from the meat away. The rice grains soaked up the broth and were salty and delicious. You absolutely have to order this, it's almost cheating, it's so good!

The letdown: Donmihyang's mul milmyeon

Donmihyang's water milmyeon (cold wheat noodles in broth) came in a mountain-sized portion, but to my taste it was a little bland, which was slightly disappointing. A cold noodle dish is meat's eternal partner, so I ordered it as a final palate cleanser, and I was first startled by how generous the portion was! The owner seems really generous. But the taste... hmm, to my personal taste it felt just a tiny 0.01% short. 😅

I'd expected something tangy, sweet and punchy, but it was milder than I thought. Still, the main meat and the doenjang rice were so good that we finished the meal happy. When the evening was in full swing the tables were packed and noisy, and that felt lively and homey in a good way.

Is Donmihyang a good family Korean BBQ near Gupabal Station?

With no grilling stress, the whole family could eat comfortably, so Donmihyang was a great BBQ place near Gupabal Station for a family gathering. The whole family ate happily and well, and I'd give this evening 200 out of 100 ✨ If you want a hearty meal nearby or a good Gupabal Station spot for a family get-together, do stop by Donmihyang. Whether it's pork belly or pork neck, you can sit back and enjoy good-quality meat to your heart's content!