Galbi BBQ in Jongno, Daegu: 3rd-floor room & perilla pesto, Jangjak

When you're worn out, meat is the real energy drink. I was heading to a Daegu Jongno place known for great noodles, then did a sudden U-turn and ended up at Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch (벽돌생갈비 종로점), a raw galbi (beef short rib) specialist.

• Name: Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno Main Branch (벽돌생갈비 종로점)
• Address: 38-1 Jongno, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (floors 1, 2 and 3)
• Hours: 17:00-01:00
• Getting there: Jungangno Station, Exit 1

What is the seating like at Jangjak Saenggalbi Jongno?

This is a big restaurant using floors 1 to 3. Floors 1 and 2 are wide-open halls and floor 3 is rooms, so even a big group needn't worry much about finding seats. The place is huge, honestly.

When I walked in, the 1st floor was almost completely full. But no worries, there are a 2nd and 3rd floor too. There's also a coat rack on one side of the restaurant.

The 2nd floor is a wide hall just like the 1st. On weekends the 1st floor fills up, so people end up going upstairs.

Is the 3rd-floor room good for a team dinner?

The 3rd floor is made up of rooms! It's a private space for eating meat.

Nobody was in there, so I sneaked a peek inside. It's spacious, so it's a good spot for a group dinner. The restroom is oddly located halfway up the stairs to the 2nd floor. The sink is separate, outside, so I only washed my hands.

Jangjak Saenggalbi menu: can you order half-and-half?

Yes, you can order fresh galbi and marinated galbi half-and-half. We ordered one plate: half a plate of brick-cut fresh galbi plus half a plate of marinated brick galbi. Could you come here and not eat the brick galbi? There were plenty of sides too, but we decided to order those after the meal.

They sell non-alcoholic drinks, and I spotted jjagyechi (a quirky item on the menu) that caught my eye.

If you join the Naver receipt review event, they say you get either naengmyeon (cold noodles) or a service ttagwi-jjim (steamed dish).

What side dishes come with the galbi?

The neat spread of 8 side dishes goes down right after you order. You get white kimchi, seasoned radish strips, pickles, perilla pesto, spicy chive salad, jaeraegi (a Korean salad), garlic and ssamjang (dipping paste).

Wasabi and Cheongyang chili peppers are brought if you ask separately. Hehe, can't miss those.

Why is the brick galbi square?

True to its name, brick galbi comes cut in big squares. The charcoal came in, then the meat, and the unusual shape jumped out right away. How did they cut it into such neat squares, haha? They say they butterfly the meat themselves.

We don't need to put anything on the grill, since the staff grill it all, so just stay put for a bit.

Free cypress-steamer dish while the galbi grills

While the meat cooks, you can eat the complimentary steamed brisket in a cypress steamer (편백찜). One portion worth ₩10,000 is free, and you can order more. It has shrimp in it, and this alone is enough to call for soju. The meat is thin and steamed until soft, so it tastes different from grilled meat.

How do the fresh and marinated galbi taste?

I started with the fresh galbi. The brick galbi was tender and melted in my mouth, and you really taste the freshness of the meat.

And they take the meat off the bone amazingly well. Not a single scrap of meat is left on the bone, lol.

Try the perilla pesto with the fresh galbi

Unmarinated fresh galbi clearly goes well with the side dishes. The green one in particular: a staff member introduced it as perilla pesto they made, so I tried it, and it went much better with the fresh galbi than with the marinated. Full of fragrant perilla aroma.

The marinated galbi was salty-sweet and delicious with no sides or sauce needed! It tasted best eaten just as it was.

When someone follows you around asking for a cheers, what choice do you have!

Is the ₩5,000 doenjang stew worth it?

The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) is ₩5,000, and it's big and has seafood in it. You know how it is: even after finishing the meat, you still have to eat rice! Near the end we ordered the stew and rice. ₩5,000 for a stew sounded a bit pricey, so I was curious how it would arrive, and it's big! A doenjang stew with seafood inside, haha.

Rice and meat vanished! The meat was truly delicious, a great Daegu Jongno spot... but a work call came on the weekend asking me to sort something out, and I ended up with an upset stomach (ㅠㅠ lol). Ugh, as I sat there working without eating properly, a staff member asked if I'd like a piece of paper and a pen, hehe.

Next time I'll go again and just enjoy the meal this time.