Sunday brunch galbitang with deodeok self-serve bar, Seoul: Hoegi Wang

It was a lazy Sunday and I wanted to grab brunch, but I had no energy to cook at home and didn't want to go far... While debating what to eat, I finally went to Hoegi Wang Galbitang, a place I'd been eyeing for a while. It had so many reviews that I figured there had to be a reason people kept going — and yeah, it's genuinely a great spot near Hoegi Station.

Where is Hoegi Wang Galbitang, and where do you park?

Hoegi Wang Galbitang is within walking distance of Hoegi Station. Come out of Exit 1 and walk up a bit and you'll find it, with a public parking lot at nearby Cheongnyang Elementary School. It's fairly spacious, but on a weekend lunch it was full enough that there was a wait.

What we ordered: spicy galbitang and the energy-boosting special wang galbitang

We ordered the spicy galbitang and the energy-boosting special wang galbitang. The regular galbitang comes with 2 wang galbi (short rib) bones, and the special comes with 3. The bones are huge, so even 2 is plenty, but the special is only ₩2,000 more, so it's great value.

How does the galbitang at Hoegi Wang Galbitang taste?

The soup arrived. True to its name, the spicy galbitang had bright red broth.

The rib bones are enormous. If you don't eat a lot, the regular portion is plenty (especially since there's dessert too). The galbitang tastes clean — not heavy on MSG, but like it was actually simmered with real rib bones. Since they also do a lot of takeout, it seems like they make it in large batches.

There was also a generous amount of glass noodles.

The spicy galbitang is spicier than expected. I'm weak with spicy food, so I was sniffling by the halfway point. But I was in the mood for something fiery that day, so I enjoyed the heat. The flavor itself feels like a Gyeongsang-do style beef radish soup rather than just galbitang with chili powder added — it's a distinctly different taste, and it was delicious.

Self-serve bar side dishes: deodeok salad and house-made seokbakji

The setup is basic side dishes plus a self-serve bar. Interestingly, the self-serve bar had doraji (bellflower root) salad, so I grabbed some. Fans of doraji salad will really love it — I was genuinely moved that a restaurant offers doraji salad as a basic side dish.

At the entrance, they emphasized that the seokbakji (radish kimchi) is made in-house. Maybe because of that, it was really tasty too.

The self-serve bar is kept very clean too.

When my rice bowl first arrived it seemed a little small — huh? — but it turned out the self-serve bar has unlimited rice refills.

Free dessert: misutgaru and gangjeong

And then there's the misutgaru (roasted grain drink) at the self-serve bar, which I completely fell for.

You just scoop it out with a ladle yourself, and it's genuinely thick, sweet, nutty — the textbook version of misutgaru. I had some before the rice arrived, and again after finishing the galbitang, no shame.

You can also get gangjeong (rice puffs) on top of that, and it was really good too. The owner clearly knows how to cook — from the side dishes to the main dish to dessert, everything is delicious. Instead of the usual gangjeong flavor, it tasted more like a delicious version of Jorip-pong cereal.

The gangjeong is also available for separate purchase like this. I was too full to buy any that day, but next time I visit, I'm definitely getting some.

How long is the weekend lunch wait at Hoegi Wang Galbitang?

There were too many people inside for me to take a photo of the interior... I visited around Sunday lunchtime and there was a bit of a wait. If there's a wait, you write your name down and wait on-site, but turnover is fast so you won't wait long. It's fine to come as a group, and it's also a great spot for a family meal with kids. It had been a while since I'd had such a good galbitang, and I finished the meal in a great mood.

• 서울 동대문구 이문로 54 1층 회기왕갈비탕
• 10:30 - 21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Closed during Chuseok holiday
• Parking: 1-2 spots in front, otherwise public parking lot