Charcoal-grilled pork galbi for two in Gochon, Gimpo: Soyangan

What kind of meat restaurant is Soyangan in Gochon, Gimpo?

Soyangan sits at 69 Taeri-ro, Gochon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, right between Gochon and Pungmu. When you eat at enough Korean BBQ places, every once in a while you hit one and think, oh, this place really knows what it's doing. This time I found one of those. Their pork ribs are genuinely excellent. I'm not calling it a legendary restaurant in the title just for fun haha.

After eating here myself, I really wanted to introduce it to anyone hunting for good restaurants around Pungmu, Gimpo. If you especially love pork ribs, I hope you'll read this whole post. I ate so well here.

Parking at Soyangan

There's plenty of parking, so I didn't have to worry about it at all when I visited. When you go restaurant-hunting around Gimpo, you sometimes find a place with amazing food but terrible parking. Soyangan spared me that headache.

Soyangan has apparently been around for a while, but a new owner recently took over and turned it into a restaurant focused on pork ribs and pork belly.

Talking to the owner, I learned they'd run a Korean BBQ restaurant in Gimpo for a whole 10 years. That experience really shows in every dish. It's not just a place that grills meat for you — it's run by someone who genuinely knows how to make meat taste its best. Finding a place like that always makes me happy haha.

The interior is quite spacious too, giving it the feel of a large Korean BBQ restaurant overall. It seemed like a good spot for a family meal out or for a group gathering to eat meat. They also serve gukbap (rice soup), so it's a good option even for people looking for a hearty meal beyond just grilled meat.

Grilling over charcoal in the building next door

One fun thing about Soyangan is that the dining space for grilling is separate. You go up to the connected building next door, and that's where the charcoal grilling area is.

A little later, the charcoal arrived, and even the charcoal itself felt a level above the usual. Pork ribs really do taste best over charcoal haha. The moment the charcoal came in, I was ready to eat.

That day I ordered two servings of pork ribs without a second thought. Then the owner told me about the marinade, and my expectations shot up right there. Apparently they blend fruit by hand, piece by piece, to make the pork rib marinade. And they use Korean pork (hanwoo/hanudon)!!

Honestly, a lot of pork rib restaurants use imported pork or store-bought sauce.

But here, you could feel the care put into everything from the meat to the marinade. This must be where the owner's 10 years of know-how really comes through.

Banchan like a Korean set meal

The basic side dishes at Soyangan — baek-kimchi (white kimchi), yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), salad, and seasoned lettuce — were laid out almost like a full Korean set meal. When the banchan started arriving, I was genuinely surprised. Why is this so generous? Haha. I assumed it would just be the usual Korean BBQ side dishes, but they kept coming one after another until it looked like a full course spread.

From white kimchi to yeolmu kimchi, salad, and seasoned lettuce, there was a good variety and every single one was delicious.

Overall it had that comforting, homemade taste. Kind of like a meal your grandmother lovingly prepared for you.

I came here for meat, but I kept reaching for the side dishes and was already craving rice haha.

Free beef tripe and raw liver

Soyangan brought out beef tripe and raw liver as complimentary dishes. I don't usually eat raw liver much, so I hesitated a little at first. But it would be a waste not to, haha, so I grilled it up and tried it. It was way better than I expected.

The tripe especially, dipped lightly in sesame oil, had a big burst of nutty flavor in one bite. Anyone who loves tripe will be thrilled, and even someone like me who doesn't usually eat raw liver found it good once grilled.

Putting the pork galbi on the charcoal

Now, time to actually put the pork ribs on the grill. Doesn't it just look delicious even in a photo? The marinade was evenly coated on the meat, so I was already excited before it even hit the charcoal.

The moment the meat hit the charcoal, there was a sizzle and that amazing smell rose up — impossible to resist, haha.

While the meat cooked, the smell was so good I kept flipping it over just to check.

While waiting for the meat to cook, I tried the tripe from earlier dipped in sesame oil. It was more savory and chewy than I expected — this is part of the fun of eating at a Korean BBQ restaurant haha.

Order rice and doenjang jjigae comes with it

Order a bowl of rice at Soyangan and doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) comes with it. I ordered rice because eating only meat felt like it needed something more, and the stew came along with it. It was delicious too.

At most Korean BBQ places, people order doenjang jjigae at the end to eat with rice after the meat, but here the stew itself was so good I kept spooning it up throughout.

A bite of meat, a spoonful of doenjang jjigae, a bite of plain white rice — the combination worked so well together.

As the marinade grilled over the charcoal it caramelized slightly, and the meat's surface turned an appetizing golden brown — it genuinely made my mouth water.

Pork ribs can burn quickly because of the marinade if you're not careful, so it's best to flip them just the right amount while grilling.

First bite, dipped in the soy-and-vegetable sauce

Finally, the first bite. I considered eating it plain, but decided to dip it lightly in the soy-vegetable sauce that came with it. And then — one bite. Pure bliss, haha.

The marinade wasn't overly sweet, and the meat's own flavor really came through — genuinely delicious.

Because the marinade is made from hand-blended fruit, the sweetness doesn't hit you overpoweringly — it's more of a subtle, savory depth.

If you're a pork rib lover, I think you'll really like this flavor.

This time I tried it wrapped in lettuce. I put a piece of pork rib on the lettuce, added a bit of banchan, and took a bite — wait, what is this place?

Why is this so good haha. The meat's sweet marinade, the crunch of lettuce, and the savory banchan all hit at once — genuinely delicious.

And of course, eating it with plain white rice needs no explanation. A spoonful of rice topped with a piece of pork rib — game over, in the best way.

Eating this well, it felt rude not to order a beer, haha. I couldn't resist and ended up ordering one.

Charcoal-grilled pork ribs with a cold beer — this combination truly needs no words. I came intending a simple dinner, but before I knew it, I was having a full-on meat party haha.

Three reasons to recommend Soyangan in Gimpo

Let me pick out three things I personally loved about Soyangan.

• Meat and marinade: They use Korean pork and hand-blend the fruit for the marinade themselves, and you can really feel the care put into it.
• Banchan: The white kimchi, yeolmu kimchi, salad, and seasoned lettuce were all delicious, adding to the fun of the meal.
• Space and parking: The restaurant is spacious and parking is well set up, making it good for a family meal or a group gathering.

These three things came together to make this a place I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good restaurant around Pungmu, Gimpo.

The pork ribs tasted great, the banchan was generous, and even the doenjang jjigae was delicious, so overall the meal was very satisfying. I thought it'd be nice to come back with family next time. If you're looking for good food around Pungmu, Gimpo, definitely remember this place.

After eating pork ribs at Soyangan, I felt something for sure: places like this deserve to do well. These days, searching for restaurants often surfaces flashy interiors or trendy menus first, but the place you actually think back to is the one with genuinely delicious food. Soyangan felt exactly like that.

An old restaurant taken over by a new owner who poured 10 years of Korean BBQ know-how into it — you could feel the care in everything from the meat to the marinade to the banchan. A truly legendary pork rib spot I stumbled onto while looking for good food around Pungmu, Gimpo. I'll definitely be back. I ate so well here haha.