Suyeong Korean BBQ restaurant pork rib set: Haean Sutbul Galbi

When you are trying to pick somewhere for dinner in Gwangalli, you always end up deliberating, right? There are so many good restaurants near the beach, but choosing one is another matter. This time, a friend came down from Seoul to visit Busan after a long time, so while looking around the Gwangalli beach area, we ended up at Haean Sutbul Galbi Gwangalli Main Branch, a great spot for pork in Gwangalli. Let me introduce it! 🤗

Haean Sutbul Galbi: location and hours

It is on the first floor at 35 Namcheonbada-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan, and is open daily from 17:00 to 01:00. Last orders are at 00:00.

It is close to Gwangalli Beach. You can also walk there from Geumnyeonsan Station, so it was a decent place to visit by public transport. It is the perfect location for a dinner in Gwangalli followed by a stroll along the beach, I would say.

A lively dining room that works well for groups

As soon as I went in, I could feel the lively atmosphere distinctive to a Korean barbecue restaurant. It was busy at dinner time, so the whole place felt energetic. Still, rather than feeling cramped or filled with smoke just because it is a meat restaurant, it had a clean atmosphere where I could enjoy the meal comfortably, which I liked.

There were tables large enough for groups, so it looked like a good place to visit with friends or have a meal with coworkers. In fact, plenty of people seemed to be there for group meals and company dinners. That made me think it would be a fine choice for a Gwangalli work dinner, too. Its location is another plus, since you can easily head toward the beach for a second stop after dinner.

Charcoal-grilled meat and meal dishes

As the name suggests, Haean Sutbul Galbi centers on meat dishes grilled over charcoal. Besides pork ribs, they also have slightly more unusual dishes such as grilled pork tail. For meal dishes to round things off after the meat, there are milmyeon (wheat noodles), doenjang-jjigae (soybean-paste stew), pork kimchi-jjigae, and more.

A set with both fresh and marinated pork ribs

• Pork rib set for 2–3
• Bibim milmyeon (spicy mixed wheat noodles)
• Tasting grilled pork tail (review event)

We ordered the pork rib set for two to three people, and I liked that it let us try both fresh ribs and marinated pork ribs. When you keep eating just one type of meat, it can get a little repetitive midway through, but alternating between the fresh and marinated ribs made it fun to compare their different flavors.

Fresh ribs: mild and nutty

We put the fresh ribs on the charcoal grill first. They were nicely thick, and just watching them cook so appetizingly over the coals made my mouth water. That charcoal aroma rising as the meat sizzled away! Isn't that the real charm of charcoal grilling?

Once the meat was cooked enough, we cut it into bite-size pieces, grilled it until golden, and tried a piece. Since the fresh ribs were not marinated, they made it easy to taste pork's own mild, nutty flavor. They were good with a light dip in salt, and also delicious wrapped in ssam (leaf wraps) with garlic or the side dishes.

Marinated pork ribs with a sweet charcoal aroma

Next, we grilled the marinated pork ribs. Marinated ribs really do taste best grilled over charcoal! As the marinade lightly caramelized on the grill, this sweet aroma rose up, and it was honestly hard to resist.

The marinade had soaked nicely into the meat, so it was delicious on its own, while wrapped in ssam it felt completely different again! The fresh ribs were mild and nutty, whereas the marinated pork ribs were sweet and savory, so alternating between the two made the meal even better. Personally, I really liked ordering a set like this and enjoying both flavors together.

Bibim milmyeon alongside the meat

An essential dish when you are having meat! It is bibim milmyeon. After diligently eating meat, the taste of the marinade can start to build up in your mouth, and a bite of bibim milmyeon is just right at that moment. The chewy noodles in their tangy, spicy sauce went so well with the meat.

Personally, I love the combination of one piece of meat followed by a bite of bibim milmyeon. The tangy-spicy flavor of the noodles neatly cuts through the nutty, sweet flavor of the meat, so I just kept eating. At a meat restaurant, it really feels like the meal is only complete when you have a proper meal dish to finish it off.

Grilled pork tail from the review event

Here is the tasting grilled pork tail we received through the review event! Grilled pork tail is not a cut I come across often, so I was curious, too. It came coated in marinade. It looks a little like jokbal (braised pig's trotters) from the outside, but its pleasantly chewy texture is quite memorable once you try it.

I think it would be especially suited to people who like pork skin. If you have never tried pork tail before, it could be nice to use a review event like this to experience a tasting portion.

Dinner followed by a Gwangalli beach walk

Haean Sutbul Galbi was where we ended up while looking for somewhere to have meat in Gwangalli! After trying it myself, what I liked best was being able to enjoy fresh and marinated pork ribs at once. The fresh ribs were mild and nutty, the marinated pork ribs had that proper sweet flavor from charcoal grilling, and we finished cleanly with bibim milmyeon! With the pork tail from the review event as well, the menu lineup was more substantial than I expected.

Best of all, it is so close to Gwangalli Beach that instead of eating and heading straight home, it was nice to take a walk along the beach before or after dinner. It seems like a good place to visit for delicious meat with friends, and also a decent option when looking for a Gwangalli family dinner spot.

If you are craving pork ribs in Gwangalli, or want a proper charcoal-grilled meat meal near the beach, this is somewhere worth visiting at least once! That day at Haean Sutbul Galbi, I had a satisfying spread of fresh ribs, marinated pork ribs, bibim milmyeon, and pork tail.