Uijeongbu Station lunch reservation, raw galbi for two: Manpo Galbi

There's a place I pass by often near my office, and it's always busy at lunchtime, so I'd been curious about it for a while — Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch, a well-known restaurant near Uijeongbu Station. I went for lunch with a close coworker.

Worried we wouldn't finish in time during our lunch break, I made a reservation ahead and asked them to have the food ready. Sure enough, everything was prepared right on time, so we even had time to head to a café afterward.

A sign that doesn't look like a BBQ joint: first impressions of Manpo Galbi

What I liked from the start was the sign. It has a clean look that doesn't match the typical vibe of a galbi restaurant, which is why it caught my eye.

What we ordered for lunch: raw galbi for two and galbi sotbap

Seeing how busy it was at lunch, the lunch-special menu clearly plays a big role. We ordered two servings of raw galbi and one lunch-special galbi sotbap.

Raw galbi can only be ordered in units of two servings, and two servings alone seemed like it might not be quite enough, so we added the sotbap we'd been curious about too.

What side dishes come with it? Yukhoe, fried mushrooms and gungchae

Before the main dishes arrived, let me show you the side dishes one by one. From yukhoe (raw beef tartare) to fried mushrooms and gungchae (a crunchy vegetable side), everything was laid out neatly, like a hanjeongsik (traditional set-meal) restaurant.

I don't usually eat yukhoe, but I enjoyed it here. The fried mushrooms were so good that I didn't even offer any to my coworker and just kept eating them myself, haha. The gungchae especially had a great crunchy texture and refreshed the palate, pairing well with the galbi.

There was also a fixed container under the table for holding scissors and tongs, which was quite convenient. Since we didn't need to leave the scissors and tongs on the table, it stayed tidy throughout the meal.

How does Manpo Galbi's raw galbi taste? A dip of salt is enough

We grilled the galbi over charcoal until golden brown and had a bite — the raw galbi was really delicious. I think I actually prefer raw galbi to marinated galbi. Dipping it in just salt let the flavor of the meat itself really come through.

Two servings of raw galbi plus the sotbap between the two of us turned out to be quite a lot of food. We got so full we couldn't even manage the free naengmyeon. Next time, I think two servings of raw galbi alone would be enough.

Galbi sotbap nurungji made with doenjang jjigae broth, not water

The sotbap comes with egg yolk, pork galbi, and chives, and is served together with doenjang jjigae. That doenjang jjigae, by the way, was really delicious.

Usually after scooping out the rice, you pour in water to make nurungji (crispy scorched rice). Here, they tell you to pour in doenjang jjigae broth instead of water. At first it seemed a bit unexpected, but once I tried it, it tasted savory like doenjang sulbap and paired really well with the sotbap.

They also serve garlic and kimchi separately so you can grill them over the charcoal. Eating grilled kimchi together with the sotbap was such a great combination. By the time I finished the rice, I was completely full.

Can you hold a work dinner here? Group seating at the back

Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch has group seating in the back. It's a great lunch spot, but with the group seating, it also seems like a solid choice for a dinner get-together. There are a lot of offices nearby, so it looks like a good option for office worker dinners too.

Would I go back to Manpo Galbi?

I really liked the raw galbi this time, so next time I'll try ordering just two servings of raw galbi on its own. It's reassuring to have a place like this near the office.

This Uijeongbu Station favorite, Manpo Galbi Uijeongbu Main Branch, is somewhere I'll come back to whenever I need to recharge. It's a spot I want to recommend to everyone around me — thanks for another delicious meal today!