Yangjae galbi restaurant with handmade fresh galbi: Gukgojip, Seoul

Today I'm sharing a place where I properly ate my fill of Korean BBQ in Gangnam! I went to Gukgojip!! 🥩🔥

Gukgojip sells gukbap (soup with rice) during the day and grilled meat in the evening, and it's said to be a soup and meat restaurant that's been running for three generations. It's a place that comes up a lot when people near Yangjae Station search for Korean BBQ near Yangjae Station or pork galbi near Yangjae Station, so I went to try it myself! 👀

What is Gukgojip like inside? Two floors near Yangjae Station

Gukgojip sits on the ground floor near Yangjae Station, and it's split across the 1st and 2nd floors, so it's a fairly sizable place. The first thing that caught my eye walking in was the wall completely covered in celebrity autographs! 👀

There were autographs everywhere, and it really gave off the feeling of a place that's been loved for a long time haha. There were plenty of tables too, so it looked like a good spot for a company dinner or a group gathering.

Gukgojip menu and what we ordered

The Gukgojip menu had a variety of grilled options like galbi, samgyeopsal (pork belly), and gabrisal (pork skirt meat), and there were also separate lunch dishes like Andong gukbap, Korean beef seolleongtang, and Korean beef bosintang.

We ordered like this so we could try everything from meat to meal dishes! 🐷

• Handmade fresh pork galbi: ₩20,000
• Beef short rib meat: ₩22,000
• Beef bone broth ramyeon: ₩5,000
• Beef fried rice: ₩7,000

Side dishes and soybean pulp stew at Gukgojip

The basic side dishes at Gukgojip included well-aged kimchi, green onion kimchi, pickled onions, and garlic — all good to pair with meat — along with ssamjang (dipping sauce), salt, wasabi, and salted seafood condiments for dipping the meat.

And then the soybean pulp stew (kongbiji jjigae) came out. It was nice to warm up with a spoonful before eating the meat haha.

Beef short rib meat, 22,000 won: best with wasabi

The first dish that came out at Gukgojip was the beef short rib meat (₩22,000)! The meat had a vivid red color with quite appetizing marbling, so even while taking photos I wanted to hurry up and grill it 🤤 They grilled it on the pan until golden brown 🔥

I put the well-grilled beef short rib meat on a lettuce leaf and ate it with onion in one bite. Meat really is best eaten right off the grill...🥹

It had a soft texture with juices bursting out, and you could really taste the savory flavor of the meat itself, so it was delicious even without any sauce. Among all the sides, the combo of adding a little wasabi on top was the tastiest for me!

How does Gukgojip's handmade fresh pork galbi (sow pork), 20,000 won, taste?

Gukgojip's signature dish, handmade fresh pork galbi (₩20,000), also made its appearance! Gukgojip sells this dish as 'handmade fresh pork galbi (female pig).' Unlike typical pork galbi that's heavily seasoned, this is a dish grilled fresh without sauce, so you could taste the meat's own flavor and texture more directly.

The lean part of the handmade fresh pork galbi felt firmer and chewier. But it wasn't tough or dry — more like it got springier the more you chewed it.

With the fat attached in just the right amount grilling alongside it, the savory juices and richness seeped out moistly, and the more I chewed, the more I could taste that deep, distinct pork flavor.

Beef bone broth ramyeon, 5,000 won: like Shin Ramyun Black

After eating a good amount of meat, I started craving carbs, so I ordered Gukgojip's beef bone broth ramyeon (₩5,000) haha. My boyfriend took a bite and said, 'Doesn't this taste like Shin Ramyun Black?' lol. So I tried it too, and that was exactly the taste ^^

Then I wrapped some green onion kimchi with the leftover meat and ate it together... that combo was surprisingly good lol. Eating meat and then taking a sip of the ramyeon broth felt like it cleaned my palate all over again, so it was great as a finishing meal after the meat. 🤤

Beef fried rice, 7,000 won: mild and light

Last up was Gukgojip's beef fried rice (₩7,000)! There was a fried egg on top of the fried rice, and inside there were various vegetables like corn, carrot, and asparagus.

I tend to like fried rice with a strong sauce flavor, so honestly, this wasn't quite my style! 😂 Still, since it's not overpowering and has vegetables in it, I think it would suit people who prefer a lighter taste. Especially after eating a lot of meat, if you want to finish your meal cleanly rather than with something too heavy, this would probably suit your taste haha.

What should you order at Gukgojip?

I tried various meat dishes at Gukgojip, and among them, I'd most recommend the handmade fresh pork galbi! 🥩 It had a chewy, springy texture that's a bit different from regular samgyeopsal, and since the meat has just the right amount of fat, you could really taste that savory flavor the more you chewed haha.

Above all, it's a dish you can only find at Gukgojip, so if it's your first visit, I think it's worth trying at least once! Especially if you're like me and enjoy somewhat fatty meat with a chewy texture, I highly recommend it!! If you're looking for a different kind of meat dish near Yangjae Station, be sure to try the handmade fresh pork galbi~~!!