Gyeongbokgung Station Korean BBQ: marinated short ribs at Gukbinkwan

Where is Tonguidong Gukbinkwan? A 3-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station

Tonguidong Gukbinkwan Gyeongbokgung Station Branch is a hanwoo (Korean beef) restaurant in Seochon, about a 3-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station. It's a place I've always loved, so I finally made it back after a long while.

My first visit was already 5-6 years ago, and I kept coming back because the atmosphere is great and the meat is delicious. I've been here a few times for company dinners too, but this time I stopped by for a Seochon date with my husband.

It's about a 3-minute walk from Gyeongbokgung Station, so accessibility is great. If you're looking for somewhere to eat near Gyeongbokgung, this place wins on location alone!

Walking into the courtyard, the first thing that catches your eye is a stylish pine tree standing right in the center. It blends beautifully with the hanok-style space and sets a wonderful mood.

Seating at Tonguidong Gukbinkwan: private rooms, booths and group tables

Tonguidong Gukbinkwan Gyeongbokgung Station Branch has private rooms as well as a variety of hall seating, from 2-person tables to 4-person booths. There's also group seating tucked in the very back — and I felt a little wave of nostalgia remembering a company dinner I once had right at that spot.

An 11:30 lunch reservation and the side dishes served

I wanted to eat a bit early that day, so I booked an 11:30 reservation, and the table was already neatly set when I arrived. The banchan (side dishes) included mustard leaf kimchi, white kimchi, pickled gungchae greens and sweet pumpkin salad — a lot of my personal favorites, so I was already happy before the meal even started.

Marinated short ribs, 35,000 won for two, seared first in the courtyard

We started by ordering two servings of the charcoal-grilled glazed short ribs (₩35,000). And of course, my husband couldn't skip a glass of wine, so we ordered one of those too.

I thought the restaurant's atmosphere would appeal to foreign visitors, and sure enough, there were quite a few international guests already that morning. Being close to Gyeongbokgung and the former Blue House, it seems like a great spot for tourists too.

For the charcoal-grilled glazed short ribs, the staff does the first sear over charcoal out in the courtyard.

A yuzu-dressed salad and a beef soup also arrived — the salad was refreshing and the soup was clean-tasting with plenty of beef in it. It was so good I ended up having two bowls of just the soup 😋✨

Staff grill the short ribs at the table: how the marinade tastes

After that, they brought out the pre-seared short ribs and grilled them right at our table. They put the bone-in ribs on the grill too, cooked them to just the right doneness, and portioned them out to us so we could eat comfortably.

Above all, the meat was just delicious. The glaze wasn't too salty or too sweet — exactly the right balance, the kind of flavor that keeps your chopsticks reaching back. Grilled over charcoal, with that subtle smoky aroma on top, it was every bit as good as I remembered, even after years away!

Marinated short ribs dipped in poached egg sauce

And personally, there's one thing I really have to recommend: the poached egg sauce. Breaking the poached egg into the sauce and mixing it well before dipping the meat in it is such a great combination.

We also tried dipping the meat in salt and eating it with the pickled gungchae greens, and since the meat itself is so good, every combination worked well. The poached egg sauce especially added a smooth, savory note that paired beautifully with the glazed short ribs.

How to finish: galbi fried rice 12,000 won and hanwoo brisket bibim mak-guksu 10,000 won

Partway through the meat course we ordered the meal items too! Hanwoo brisket bibim mak-guksu (₩10,000) and galbi fried rice (₩12,000).

The galbi fried rice had more short rib meat in it than I expected, plus a fried egg on top, making it a satisfying way to finish the meal. The bibim mak-guksu (cold spicy buckwheat noodles) came with ice, so it was nice and cool, and the buckwheat noodles had that distinctive chewy texture. The sauce was on the tangy side, which paired well with the brisket, and it made the perfect palate cleanser after all that meat.

Why Tonguidong Gukbinkwan suits work dinners and family gatherings, corkage-free

Tonguidong Gukbinkwan Gyeongbokgung Station Branch is close to Gyeongbokgung Station with a great atmosphere, making it a place worth remembering when searching for restaurants near Gyeongbokgung or in Seochon. With private rooms and group seating available, it also seems like a good choice for work dinners near Gyeongbokgung Station, family gatherings, or anniversary meals when you want a slightly more special setting.

And since it's corkage-free, this place will be even more welcome for anyone who loves wine. Next time, I'd like to bring my parents here for a meal together.

If you're looking for a Korean beef restaurant near Gyeongbokgung, or a good spot near the former Blue House, this is one I'd recommend. Even coming back after years, it was just as delicious as I remembered, so I expect I'll keep visiting often.