500g pork belly and giant vegetable jjolmyeon in Suyeong, Busan: Geobugi Dongne

A Namcheon-dong restaurant recommendation, pork barbecue at Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch 🐢

A while ago, while trying to figure out dinner with a friend, I remembered how good Geobugi Dongne was from before, so I went to the closest branch in Namcheon haha. Since it's aged meat, the meat flavor is rich, and above all it pairs so well with Geobugi Dongne's signature giant jjolmyeon!!

Where is Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch located?

This Namcheon-dong restaurant, Geobugi Dongne, is located right in front of Namcheon Station Exit 1. It's at the entrance of an intersection that splits into the road heading toward Suyeong and the road heading toward Gwangan — if you go into the Gwangan-side road, a whole row of good restaurants lines up haha.

Geobugi Dongne's standout menu

This Namcheon-dong restaurant, Geobugi Dongne, has not just its signature aged pork belly and aged samgyeopsal, but also a variety of cuts like pork neck, pork jowl, and gabrisal.

And then there's Geobugi Dongne's signature giant vegetable jjolmyeon set! My friend and I ordered this menu together haha. If you order the giant vegetable jjolmyeon on its own, it's ₩11,000, and the portion seemed like it was over 3 servings' worth, so it felt like a very reasonable price.

Geobugi Dongne also sells a shabu pork belly or shabu Korean beef set! I was curious about this menu too, but I couldn't pass up the combo of wrapping meat with the vegetable jjolmyeon, so I skipped the shabu-shabu haha.

For dessert-type items there's doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) and pot rice. These days more and more pork barbecue restaurants sell pot rice, and since I love pot rice and nurungji (scorched rice tea) so much, I'm always happy to see a place that sells it haha. I ordered Geobugi Dongne's pot rice too, and I'll write the detailed review below!

An interior that's great for going with kids

This is the interior of Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch! I visited late in the evening that day because I had other plans, so some seats were already closed off haha. Still, walking around and looking, the interior was quite spacious! And in the back there's a room space that's perfect for group use.

There's a play room with soft mats laid out for kids to play on, and a large-screen TV that shows the play room live so parents can watch their child on camera while eating meat. Eating while watching a kid can be really tough, so being able to sit at the table and eat while watching your child live like this felt like a big advantage.

What does the self-serve bar have?

This Namcheon-dong restaurant, Geobugi Dongne, also has a self-serve bar / salad bar stocked with a variety of food! Various vegetables, side dishes, pickles, and sauces are all set out so you can help yourself to whatever you like.

Salted shrimp, secret salt, and wasabi alone would be plenty, but there was even curry powder, teriyaki sauce, and hot barbecue sauce haha.

Two-week aged pork belly, 500g — how's the flavor?

Here's the 500g pork belly! It came out as a cut with a nice ratio of fat to lean meat haha. Below the moderately thick fat layer, even the chewy skin looked full and satisfying.

The thick pork belly was first grilled golden on both sides, then cut into bite-sized pieces so the edges could be cooked through well too. The pink flesh and golden-browned surface looked great!

With the well-grilled meat, I first tried a bite with just a dab of salt and wasabi! You know that's the national rule for the first bite of meat, right?! Being aged for two weeks, the meat's aroma was richer, and you could really taste the savory, fatty flavor of the pork even more clearly!!

Honestly, Geobugi Dongne is well known for the combo with jjolmyeon, but it's a place that sells aged pork so tasty it could stand on its own. If you're looking for a good Namcheon-dong pork barbecue restaurant, Geobugi Dongne is a safe bet.

How do you eat the giant vegetable jjolmyeon with the meat?

This is the vegetable jjolmyeon that came with the set!! Living up to the name 'giant' vegetable jjolmyeon, the portion is really something, right?! The bowl feels bigger than a washbasin!

I mixed the red sauce, noodles, and vegetables together by hand, really working at it haha. When the jjolmyeon came out, plastic gloves came with it, which was convenient! Since the portion is so big, it's tough to mix it with chopsticks haha. And there's something to hand-mixing too!

Since it's jjolmyeon, the noodles are chewy, and the sweet-and-sour sauce flavor is a perfect match with the fatty meat!! This combo pops into my head regularly, so whenever I'm looking for a good barbecue restaurant in any area, I end up seeking out a Geobugi Dongne branch haha. If you're looking for a good Namcheon-dong restaurant, I really recommend trying it this way at Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch!

Order the pot rice ahead of time

This is the pot rice I ordered after eating about half the meat! It takes a little time to cook (15–20 minutes), so I'd recommend ordering it in advance with good timing haha.

Being freshly made pot rice, you could really smell the fresh rice aroma haha. The glossy shine on it was insane too!?

I enjoyed a delicious trio of rice, leftover jjolmyeon sauce, and meat, then finished it off properly with nurungji for dessert haha.

One-line review of Geobugi Dongne Namcheon Branch

A pork barbecue restaurant where you can dine comfortably with kids — with the quality of the meat this good thanks to the aging, it's the place I'd recommend first if you're looking for a good Namcheon-dong pork barbecue spot!