Late 8 p.m. galbi dinner for two in Yangju: Manpo Galbi Main Branch

• 📍Address: 65 Songnang-ro, 1st floor, Manpo Galbi, Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• 📌Hours: 11:00 – 22:00
• 🅿️Parking: Available

Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch at 8 p.m. on a weekend

I went to Yangju with a friend for a weekend outing and looked for a nearby restaurant, which led me to Manpo Galbi! I expected it to be crowded since it was the weekend, but since we came a bit late (8 p.m.), it wasn't as packed as I thought!

This visit was made with a Superchart discount, but I'll write honestly based on the food I ate and the atmosphere of the restaurant!

Parking at Manpo Galbi: a large lot 🅿️

I usually eat in Seoul or Incheon, so I have a habit of checking parking space first when I visit a restaurant. Manpo Galbi's lot is spacious, which I liked right away. Parking can be stressful at galbi restaurants on weekends, but here there was plenty of room to pull in comfortably😝 (With such a large lot, I think you could park without worry even during busy hours!)

Free yukhoe and yukjeon 🥓

The name Manpo Galbi apparently means "giving generously."

Living up to its name, the free basics that arrived at the start were already a bit impressive!!! Yukhoe (beef tartare) and yukjeon (pan-fried beef) came out as a free service.

I've barely ever gotten yukhoe or yukjeon as a free service at a galbi restaurant, so for a second I wondered if we'd ordered something by mistake — I was pretty surprised they gave it to us free🙇‍♂️ The yukhoe was seasoned a bit lighter than the yukhoe I usually eat, but that made it mild and clean rather than sharp, and the meat quality was good too! The yukjeon had thicker slices of beef than I expected. Since it was a free item I didn't expect much, but the beef was fairly thick and had a nice texture! (Please note this isn't officially confirmed as a standing service item, so it may vary by visit)

The side dishes at Manpo Galbi 🍲

The basic side dishes were also clean overall, and among them the doraji-muchim (seasoned bellflower root) and seasoned ssamjang stood out to me.

The doraji-muchim went well with the meat, and the seasoned ssamjang paired well too!

The main dish matters most at a galbi restaurant, but these side dishes are the kind you keep reaching for anyway. That day I ended up eating the doraji-muchim and seasoned ssamjang pretty often.

Fresh beef short ribs, 2 servings 🥩

Since there were two of us, we ordered 2 servings of raw galbi and 2 servings of handmade pork rib. The raw galbi that came out first — you could tell from the color of the meat alone that the quality was good.

What I especially liked was that it had score cuts made in just the right places for charcoal grilling.

Beef on a charcoal grill can easily end up only browned on the outside or burnt, but with the score cuts it was easy to grill evenly. Grilling it myself made me realize how much this kind of prep matters.

The charcoal-grilled raw galbi kept its juices well, so I'd recommend eating it with just a dip of salt to taste the meat itself!!

Handmade pork ribs (handon suje-galbi) 🍖

The handmade pork rib was also fairly tender. It was pre-seasoned, so it had a nice sweetish flavor, and the meat wasn't tough.

That said, the raw galbi personally stood out more to me that day, so the handmade pork rib was relatively less memorable. Still, if you like tender seasoned ribs, this seems like a solid choice🫡

Bibim naengmyeon for ₩0

As we wrapped up the meal, I checked the tableting order to order naengmyeon (cold noodles).

The naengmyeon turned out to be orderable for ₩0. So we ordered 2 bibim naengmyeon to have with the meat — the bibim naengmyeon had the sauce and broth mixed in a fairly wet style, not too thick or dry, with just the right seasoning.

The noodles felt softer than typical naengmyeon, probably because it's self-made Hamhung-style naengmyeon?! Rather than a chewy noodle, it had a texture that broke softly when chewed, which I thought worked well eaten with the meat or as a finish!

Soft-serve ice cream to finish 🍦

After finishing the meal and paying, I noticed a corner of the restaurant with ppeongtwigi (puffed rice snack) and soft-serve ice cream. It was nice to be able to finish off the meat with ice cream. I especially think this corner would be great for families visiting with kids.

How big is the dining room? 🏟

The restaurant itself is fairly spacious and the tables aren't cramped together.

It worked well for two people dining, but I think it would also suit a family outing or a work dinner with a larger group🙇‍♂️

Verdict on Manpo Galbi Yangju Main Branch 📌

Overall, the meat quality and the generous free sides are what stuck with me. From yukhoe and yukjeon to the naengmyeon, we got to enjoy a lot as free service, plus well-trimmed, good-quality meat. I'm not recommending this because I got a Superchart discount — considering the service and meat quality, if you're looking for a good galbi restaurant in Yangju, this one's worth checking out.