Busan beef restaurant with personal charcoal grills: Yakiniku Gaek

Today I went to Nampo-dong for a date and ended up wandering over to Bupyeong-dong, where I discovered a really good-looking, great-tasting beef place — 'Yakiniku Gaek Nampo-dong Main Branch,' which is becoming a hot spot near Kkangtong Market.

Where is Yakiniku Gaek Nampo-dong Main Branch, and what are its hours?

Yakiniku Gaek Nampo-dong Main Branch is at 17 Gwangbok-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Busan, 289m from Exit 7 of Jagalchi Station. Monday to Saturday it's open 14:00 to 1:00 the next day (last order 00:20), and on Sunday from 13:00 to 24:00 (last order 23:20).

Yakiniku Gaek Nampo-dong Main Branch Hours (Mon–Sat): 14:00 – 1:00 the next day (last order 00:20) Hours (Sun): 13:00 – 24:00 (last order 23:20) Address: 17 Gwangbok-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Busan (289m from Jagalchi Station Exit 7)

Inside Yakiniku Gaek: counter seats and table seats

The moment I stepped into Yakiniku Gaek, this Kkangtong Market favorite, I noticed the upscale, cozy interior that felt like being in Japan. There are neat counter (dachi) seats and comfortable table seats too, so it's the perfect atmosphere for an intimate date with your partner!

They also have a huge selection of drinks. There was a wide variety of sake, highballs, and whiskey, and it all looked perfect for pairing with the meat.

Ordering the Gaek set for two: purebred wagyu

Since there were two of us, we ordered the Gaek set for two along with a lemonade. Yakiniku Gaek, this Kkangtong Market favorite in Busan, apparently serves top-1% purebred wagyu that's only distributed in tiny quantities domestically!

The personal charcoal grill and the side dishes

The fun of yakiniku is grilling it yourself on this personal charcoal grill — the moment they laid out the coals, I got so excited. The neatly arranged side dishes all paired well with the meat, don't you think?? My favorite was the green onion kimchi — I kept reaching for it.

From galbisal to kkotsal: the recommended grilling order

After a short wait, the gorgeous-looking Gaek set for two finally arrived! Can you see the marbling on the meat? It's so lovely, ㅠㅠ. The meat quality really looked the part of top-1% wagyu. The staff kindly explained that grilling in the order of galbisal, buchaesal, samgaksal, anchangsal, and kkotsal lets you best appreciate the flavor of the meat!

Pepper, Maldon salt and the house soy sauce

On the table, pepper and Maldon salt were set out for dipping the meat! With a refreshing-looking lemonade ready too, we got set to start grilling in earnest.

Finally, the meat went onto the heated charcoal — with that satisfying sizzle, a savory smell burst out and it was genuinely hard to resist. Each cut, like buchaesal and samgaksal, came with its own name tag, which made grilling them knowingly all the more fun!

Wow.. the meat quality is no joke. It just melts in your mouth. And the sauce is made in-house too — dipped in the house soy sauce, it's pure bliss.. Adding a touch of British Maldon salt or wasabi really brings out the deep, savory flavor of the meat itself. Truly love this...🖤 The meat quality is so good that I'd recommend it without hesitation to anyone looking for a Kkangtong Market favorite.

Would I go back to this Busan beef restaurant?

That's my honest review of this Nampo-dong beef spot, where I had a 1000% return-visit intention. On a day you want to treat yourself to beef, be sure to visit 'Yakiniku Gaek,' a Kkangtong Market favorite that nails both atmosphere and taste!! Next time, I'll try it with a cold Yebisu draft beer.