Gijang Korean restaurant lunch with tteokgalbi: Dongam Tteokgalbi

After visiting Gijang Lotte Outlet, we looked for a good restaurant nearby and found this Korean buffet-style tteokgalbi place just a short distance away.

Dongam Tteokgalbi near Gijang Lotte Outlet

It is on the third floor at 160 Gijanghaean-ro, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan. Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a weekday break from 15:00–16:30.

Parking and the weekend lunch wait

After parking, we took the elevator up to the third floor. The entrance had such a strong antique feel! It is across the road from Gijang Lotte Dongbusan Outlet, so it was easy to get to, and being able to use the building parking was convenient too. Seats fill up quickly on weekends, so I think it would be better to visit a little before or after the lunch rush.

Maybe because it was weekend lunchtime, there was quite a wait. There is a waiting notebook by the entrance, so we wrote down our name and party size and sat in the waiting area. Still, it is a Korean buffet-style restaurant with quick turnover, so the line moved fast.

They even set out water for people waiting, so we could cool down for a moment.

When our turn came, we were shown to our table~ There were sofa seats by the wide floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as regular tables running through the center. At lunchtime, every seat was packed with people of all ages. There were more group diners than I expected.

Ordering a tteokgalbi set and the basic side dishes

We sat at a table already set with the basic side dishes and ordered right away. Even with just the standard dishes—bracken fern namul (seasoned vegetables), stir-fried mushrooms, cucumber salad, kimchi, and salad—you could easily finish a bowl of rice~

You can order on a tablet at the table, and a main-menu order comes with the basic set table. At ₩15,000–₩18,000, it is not too pricey, and the nice thing is that you can enjoy a spread of more than 20 dishes. The tteokgalbi (Korean grilled minced-meat patties) comes in varieties including Dongam tteokgalbi, cheese, and Cheongyang cream, so just order to your taste. One menu item per person is required!

Korean side dishes from the self-serve salad bar

After ordering, we could use the self-serve salad bar behind our table. It had more variety than I expected, so I looked through it carefully and busily filled my plate. White kimchi, acorn jelly, mung bean sprout namul, green-onion kimchi, seaweed stems, bean sprouts—it had that healthy Korean buffet vibe 👍 I put a little of everything on my plate for a taste!

Lots of healthy salad too~ There was a wide selection, from vegetable salad to seasoned namul dishes.

I can never resist the combination of steamed tofu and stir-fried kimchi!

I loooove spicy tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) 🫶 The fish cake was sliced nice and thin too, just the right size to slurp up in one bite—exactly my style!

My husband's absolute favorite, stir-fried sausages! He rushed over with a huge grin and filled his plate with them 🤣

There was jjajang sauce and steamed egg too, so it is great with young children!

And lots of my child's favorite fried rice too 😉

Dongam tteokgalbi with pot-cooked rice and stew

We were enjoying the foods we had brought from the salad bar as appetizers when the main tteokgalbi arrived. Look at my child's quick little hand, haha. With so many delicious side dishes, the chopsticks never got a break 🤭

Dongam tteokgalbi! It was glistening~~ It came out freshly grilled and piping hot, and I wanted to taste it right away.

They use 100% beef only 🤗 A meal worth more, with a 72-hour wait!

First, I cut off a piece of meat, dipped it well in the seasoned sauce, and took a bite. The meat was so tender and nicely seasoned, making it perfect to eat with a child too ❤️

When you order tteokgalbi, it comes with pot-cooked rice and stew as well, so this is a restaurant that is perfect for a hearty meal.

There are old-fashioned snacks to have for dessert after your meal too, so do not pass them by—have a scoop 😊

A Gijang lunch that was great with a child

With parking, a clean setting, and a variety of side dishes, it was a restaurant that people of all ages could enjoy together. It is also right by shopping spots including Gijang Lotte Outlet and IKEA, with lots to do with children nearby, such as Luchi, Lotte World, and the Children's Science Museum. It was perfect for enjoying activities before or after our meal, then having a delicious, healthy meal too. We will visit again with the family~